One of the best ways to celebrate Earth Day with the kids is simple: head outdoors! On April 22, here are some ideas from the National Wildlife Federation to enjoy with your children:

• Cultivate your child’s green thumb.

  Garden with your kids and give them a sense of responsibility when caring for plants and flowers. Let them help you develop a wildlife-friendly garden so they can learn what wildlife needs to survive. Add wildlife-attracting elements to your yard including a water source and native plants, and watch your child’s face when wildlife actually shows up.

• Play Outside

  Play some good old-fashioned outdoor games, such as Capture the Flag, Red Rover, and Duck Duck Goose.

• Introduce your children to bird watching.

  You don’t have to know the names of all the bird species to enjoy watching them, but it’s fun to look up what you have seen in a bird guide and try to identify it. Once they get the hang of it, kids love starting their own “life list”.

• Show your kids the importance of conserving energy in your home.

  Get your children to turn off the lights in rooms they aren’t using. Let them help you change out light bulbs to compact fluorescent ones, which can reduce energy use by up to 75 percent.

• Make a worm compost bin.

  Kids love this one – Red wigglers will devour banana peels, apple cores, lettuce, leftovers-gone-bad, etc. and then they’ll poop them out as black castings which make great fertilizer for gardens and houseplants.

• Walk or Ride

  If your child can walk to school, do it; if they can’t walk, bike; if they can’t bike, take the bus or carpool. It’s not always possible to walk or ride, but when it is, it’s great for kids’ health and the environment.

It only seems natural that as the calendar turns to spring, we pay tribute to our natural surroundings: our home planet. And since we’d love our kids to spend more time outdoors and not take nature’s beauty for granted, Earth Day seems like the perfect excuse to get them interested in how to preserve their home turf. In celebration of this important day, PBS Kids will be airing special episodes of its beloved preschool powerhouse shows on April 22. Among the eco-friendly featured shows will be Caillou, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Curious George, Sesame Street and others. This cast of characters will explore everything from cooking with solar energy, to understanding nature in the backyard.

If you want to join your child in her learning experience, check out www.pbskidsgo.org and visit the EekoWorld section to discover the effects of pollution on the environment and the importance of conservation. Visit www.pbsparents.org for recyclable craft project ideas and tips on how to throw an eco-friendly birthday party for your child (hint: be sure to incorporate a little “green” into the color theme). And of course, don’t forget the best way of all to celebrate Earth Day: Unplug and get outside!