Earth Day or May Day
Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 or May Day on May 1 by planting flowers in pots to give to those who are sick or homebound. Show people you care by bringing flowers that they can watch grow and bloom.
Needed
Bible, small geraniums or begonias from a local nursery, one terracotta pot for each flowering plant, potting soil, trowels, names of people to receive plants
Prepare in Advance
• Mark your Bible at Psalm 104:24, Matthew 6:28-29, and Isaiah 45:18.
• Purchase geraniums or begonias from a local nursery. Look for smaller plants that come in packs of four or six.
• Purchase one terracotta pot for each plant.
• Make a list of people you know who are sick or homebound, perhaps a family member, neighbor, or member of your church.
Activity Plan
1. Say this prayer aloud to begin.
God, thank you for creating our beautiful earth and everything in it. Help us to take good care of the earth and one another on Earth Day (May Day) and every day. Amen.
2. Open your Bible and have different family members read aloud the following passages, or use the text below:
Psalm 104:24
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Matthew 6:28-29
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Isaiah 45:18
For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other."
3. Mention that April 22 is Earth Day and/or that May 1 is May Day, both days when people do things to be kind to God’s creation. Talk about ways that your family might take care of God’s creation in your neighborhood and community.
4. Explain that one way to celebrate Earth Day and/or May Day is to help a person who is sick or homebound enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. You can do this by giving a flowering plant to them. Together, list individuals to whom you would like to give flowers, adding to the list of names prepared in advance.
Consider:
• Someone who is sick.
• Someone who is homebound or lives in a nursing home.
• An elderly or disabled person in your family.
• A neighbor.
Choose one individual for each plant you have purchased.
5. Plant one flower in each terracotta pot. Be gentle with the roots of the flowers when you remove them from the plastic pots. Give each plant a drink of water, but do not overwater. If the plants came from the nursery with care instructions on plastic stakes, include those in each pot.
6. Contact each person to whom you wish to give a flower and set up a time to deliver it. As a family, visit briefly with each person as you deliver the flower. Tell them how you wanted to bring a part of God’s creation to them to enjoy.
Needed
Bible, small geraniums or begonias from a local nursery, one terracotta pot for each flowering plant, potting soil, trowels, names of people to receive plants
Prepare in Advance
• Mark your Bible at Psalm 104:24, Matthew 6:28-29, and Isaiah 45:18.
• Purchase geraniums or begonias from a local nursery. Look for smaller plants that come in packs of four or six.
• Purchase one terracotta pot for each plant.
• Make a list of people you know who are sick or homebound, perhaps a family member, neighbor, or member of your church.
Activity Plan
1. Say this prayer aloud to begin.
God, thank you for creating our beautiful earth and everything in it. Help us to take good care of the earth and one another on Earth Day (May Day) and every day. Amen.
2. Open your Bible and have different family members read aloud the following passages, or use the text below:
Psalm 104:24
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
Matthew 6:28-29
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Isaiah 45:18
For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other."
3. Mention that April 22 is Earth Day and/or that May 1 is May Day, both days when people do things to be kind to God’s creation. Talk about ways that your family might take care of God’s creation in your neighborhood and community.
4. Explain that one way to celebrate Earth Day and/or May Day is to help a person who is sick or homebound enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. You can do this by giving a flowering plant to them. Together, list individuals to whom you would like to give flowers, adding to the list of names prepared in advance.
Consider:
• Someone who is sick.
• Someone who is homebound or lives in a nursing home.
• An elderly or disabled person in your family.
• A neighbor.
Choose one individual for each plant you have purchased.
5. Plant one flower in each terracotta pot. Be gentle with the roots of the flowers when you remove them from the plastic pots. Give each plant a drink of water, but do not overwater. If the plants came from the nursery with care instructions on plastic stakes, include those in each pot.
6. Contact each person to whom you wish to give a flower and set up a time to deliver it. As a family, visit briefly with each person as you deliver the flower. Tell them how you wanted to bring a part of God’s creation to them to enjoy.
