Manifestations of happiness abound when the sun shines, the temperatures warm, and the good people spend their leisure out-of-doors. Intentional connection with our environment will help us all make every day an Earth Day.

Beginning on April 30th, I will be chronicling a screen-free week-in-the-life for Green Child Magazine right here on Almost All The Truth. This will be the story of a green family finding ways to pass the day away from our necessary, yet distracting, technological advances.

I am not sure what we will decide to do, but in preparation for the week, here are a few general suggestions.

Bake. This is one of my favorite activities to do with my children. They love it. They can learn about healthy ingredients, math, measuring, and get something delicious to eat when we’re done. Try a kid’s cookbook or a new recipe you find together on Pinterest – just watch out for those desserts!

Gardening. While the details of organic gardening may be lost on young children, the idea of choosing flowers or vegetables, planting, and watering are all great for even the littlest ones. Allow your child to design a garden in one area of the yard or even just a container and watch them both grow.

Storytelling. Telling stories is a time-honored tradition that can get lost in the hustle of modern life. It is a great way to encourage pre-literacy skills in the small child and story development, sequences, and memory in older children.

Art. Art, music, and creativity are enormously important for children’s development. That baby covered in paint (eco-friendly and non-toxic of course) is learning a lot more than making a mess. She is learning to use her imagination, fine-motor skills, and self-esteem. Older children gain significant cognitive and critical thinking skills through art.

Nature Exploration. Children are inherently curious. Nurture that curiosity through scientific exploration of our natural world. Whether it is your yard, neighborhood, or a local destination, exploration of the natural world is just plain fun, but can also incorporate larger lessons of observation, senses, biology, and wherever else your child’s enthusiasm leads. Nature is indeed inspiring.

That is a week’s worth of activities right there! I want to hear from you… What do you think you will do with your children next week, anything special?