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Earth Day 2024 events and activities for kids and families in Philadelphia

Your guide to volunteer opportunities, park clean-ups, Earth- and family-friendly events and activities to celebrate Earth Day.

On Saturday, April 20, the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education hosts Naturepalooza! in honor of Earth Day.
On Saturday, April 20, the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education hosts Naturepalooza! in honor of Earth Day.Read morePhoto by Bastiaan Slabbers

Celebrate Mother Nature’s unofficial birthday by planting seeds for the future and enjoying live performances, film screenings, and sing-alongs in Philly.

Recognized since 1970 to reflect on humanity’s impact on Earth, April 22 is celebrated to encourage people to take part in conservation efforts. This year, Earth Day events are sprouting throughout Philadelphia this weekend.

In 2024, the need to celebrate Earth Day has only become more apparent as NASA reports global temperatures have risen 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, with the speed at which the planet warms tripling in the last 50 years. According to NASA, the planet’s accelerated warming is mostly due to human activities.

This year, cities across nearly 200 countries are coming together alongside EarthDay.org to demand action for conservation efforts with a specific goal of ending the use of plastics, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040.

It’s never too early to teach children about the importance of preserving the Earth, said the Please Touch Museum’s director of learning, Hayley Tucker.

“Learn about cultivating, appreciating, and taking care of our planet with Earth Day activities,” Tucker said. “We believe it’s important for Philadelphia’s youngest citizens to learn about how to be good environmental stewards, all while playing.”

There’s a way to bring Earth Day education to kids right at home through the Franklin Institute’s Franklin@Home series. Find recipes and videos for projects like measuring trees and wind speeds using household items.

To get you started, we’ve collected a few Earth Day 2024 events for kids and families in Philadelphia.

» READ MORE: Insiders’ guide to 16 essential children’s museums in Philadelphia

Earth Day events for kids in Philadelphia

  1. PHS Tree Planting: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is hosting tree planting events all across the city from April 19-April 21. Find an event and join in at phsonline.org/programs/tree-programs/get-involved. (⌚ Fri., April 19-Sun., April 21, 💵 Free, 📍various locations, 🌐 phsonline.org)

  2. Naturepalooza!: The 13th annual Earth Day celebration at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education offers a day of guided hikes, tree planting, music, crafts, face painting, a plant sale, and more. RSVP at schuylkillcenter.org. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍8480 Hagy’s Mill Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19128, 🌐 schuylkillcenter.org)

  3. Please Touch Museum: Design green and clean cities, create biomes-in-a-glass, and enjoy live performances from Dendê Macêdo (who uses found materials as percussion instruments) and Esther Crow (climate rocker and puppeteer), plus so much more. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 💵 $22 or $2 through Art-Reach ACCESS card, 📍4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131, 🌐 pleasetouchmuseum.org)

  4. Academy of Natural Sciences: The academy will be hosting its first environmental film festival, “Confluence: Earthly Films for Philadelphia,” featuring topics like water-related environmental justice and climate change issues. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., 💵 $10 per program, $25 for all three, 📍1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103, 🌐 ansp.org)

  5. Earth Day at LOVE Park: Enjoy coffee, watch performances by poet Ursula Rucker and artist Miles Orion Butler, and peruse a vendor marketplace. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍1501 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19102)

  6. Earth Day at Gold Star Park: Enjoy children’s story time, decorate pots, and plant seeds to take home. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍613 Wharton St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19147)

  7. Swing into Spring: Organized by the Fairmount Park Conservancy, the event features a family-fun concert with sing-alongs and puppets, at Anna C. Verna Playground, Picnic Area #2 in FDR Park. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 9:30-11:30 a.m., 💵 Free, 📍Broad St. And Pattison Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19145, 🌐 myphillypark.org)

  8. Spring Fest: Bartram’s Garden kicks off the spring season with a festival, native plant sale, tours of the garden, vendor marketplace, and children’s activities. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍5400 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19143, 🌐 bartramsgarden.org)

  9. Earth Day at Awbury Arboretum: Yoga, bird walks, kid-friendly scavenger hunt, flower arranging, and more are offered at this Earth Day celebration. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍6336 Ardleigh St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19138, 🌐 awbury.org)

  10. Wissahickon Park Volunteer Service Day: Help Friends of Wissahickon clean up five area parks on Saturday. Join the volunteer service day at fow.org. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 💵 Free,📍various times and locations, 🌐 fow.org)

  11. Philadelphia Earth Day Block Party 2024: At this Earth Day bash for adults and kids, there will be free food, educational programming, children’s activities, and live music. RSVP at environmentamerica.org. (⌚ Sat., April 20, 1-4 p.m., 💵 Free, 📍200 N. Sixth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19106, 🌐 environmentamerica.org)

  12. Earth Day Hike & Meditation: Join the Friends of Chamounix Tennis Courts and the Fairmount Park Conservancy for a peaceful nature hike to honor Earth Day. (⌚ Sun., April 21, 1-3:30 p.m., 💵 $15, 📍50 Chamounix Drive, Philadelphia, Pa. 19131, 🌐 fairmountpark.ticketleap.com)

  13. Bryn Mawr Film Institute: Presenting director Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro (1988), 1 hour 26 min. (⌚ Sun., April 21, 1-3 p.m., 💵 $9-$13.50, 📍824 Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010, 🌐 brynmawrfilm.org)