One way to celebrate Earth Day is to take your family outdoors.
Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22, and the official 2026 theme is “Our Power, Our Planet.” The organizers remind us that collective action and community-driven change are crucial for protecting our environment, pushing back against policy rollbacks, and building a sustainable, green economy.
Here are some ways to celebrate Earth Day 2026.
Get your family outdoors
Children who spend time in nature grow up understanding its value, and they learn how to protect and defend it. Get outside with your kids and try one or more of these adventures:
- Go hiking. Sierra Club’s “Pro Tips for Hiking with Young Kids” will help you plan a smooth trip.
- Plant a garden. Kids love watching things grow. Find ideas for activities in our blog post on gardening with children.
- Explore state parks. All 146 state parks in Washington are free on April 22. Just show up, no passes required!
- Head to a local beach. Use the Seattle Aquarium’s guide to exploring local beaches to plan your visit.
- Go camping. Find family-friendly campgrounds using this interactive map of state parks with campgrounds.
Attend a local Earth Day event
Join your community to celebrate and take action together. Volunteer at a neighborhood cleanup, attend a rally, take a class or enjoy an outdoor festival. Events are scheduled beginning April 18 and continue throughout next week. Explore events hosted by:
- Seattle Parks and Recreation
- Green Seattle Partnership
- City of Bellevue
- City of Sammamish
- City of Redmond
- City of Kirkland
- City of Maple Valley
- City of Auburn
- City of Issaquah
- Arboretum Foundation
- Bellevue Botanical Garden
- Bloedel Reserve
- University of Washington
- Seattle University
- Communities of Opportunity
- Laudato Si’ Movement
You can also search for your city or organization’s website for additional Earth Day events.
Donate to protect public lands
Public lands provide a home for wildlife, combat climate change and give us spaces to enjoy nature. The current administration is actively pursuing plans to open federal lands for energy development, mining and industrial use, reversing previous environmental protections. Support organizations working to protect public lands, including:
- Trust for Public Land
- Outdoor Alliance
- National Wildlife Federation
- The Nature Conservancy
- Conservation Lands Foundation
- Conservation Northwest
- National Park Foundation
Take individual action
- Reduce consumption and waste: Choosing “reduce” and “reuse” before “recycle.” Avoid single-use plastics, shop secondhand and cut down on food waste. Each year, over two billion metric tons of municipal waste are discarded worldwide.
- Energy and transportation: Reduce your carbon footprint by using renewable energy, driving less, using public transportation or switching to electric vehicles. Transportation is the largest source U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
- Dietary choices: Eat less meat and dairy. Raising cattle contributes to roughly 41% of tropical deforestation and 12%–17% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- Conserve and restore: Save water at home and support reforestation or biodiversity initiatives.
- Advocacy and education: Learn about environmental issues, talk about them with others, and support organizations protecting forests, oceans and wildlife.
