The thing that really bothers me about earthy holidays—aside from the general lip service given to them and the fact that many people go about their day as usual following the “awareness” raised—is that people always want to make crafts! Unless you’re completely recycling stuff, it’s a complete waste of paper to draw, paint, glue, or collage about trees to learn about and celebrate trees!

Don’t get me wrong; art certainly has its purpose. I love art and my kid and I do projects all of the time. But on Arbor Day, the last thing we should do is hand our kids some paper, tissue paper, or whatever and say, “Make a tree!” No. We should be outside letting them really get a feel for trees, planting them, studying them, really enjoying them.

To celebrate Arbor Day, here are a few ideas you might want to use…

• Sing “And the Green Grass Grows All Around” to everyone until they tell you to shut up.
• Literally hug a tree. It’ll be fun, and if not, you can call yourself a real treehugger.
• Plant new trees in your yard, a park, or a barren area that could use a tree. (Ask before planting in a place you don’t know!)
• Save trees. Do this every day, or as often as you can, by reusing what you use, reducing what you spend, and recycling things you’ll no longer use. Don’t waste paper, cardboard, pencils, or any other tree material. Buy recycled items whenever you can, including toilet tissue, facial tissue, and paper towels, if you really need them. Avoid paper cups, plates, and other single-use items.
• Hang out with some trees. They’ll make good company, especially if you need some peace and quiet. If it’s hot, relax in the shade—and even if it’s cool, put a jacket on and go enjoy nature.
• Sketch the trees in your yard and see if you can identify them with a tree guide. If you’re a photographer, take photos of them now, and follow up each season to watch their gradual transformation.
• Talk to a child about the importance of trees. Ask him or her what things are made from trees and be sure to talk about erosion, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and recycling (depending on the child’s age).
• Visit the Arbor Day Foundation to sign up and get 10 trees or to learn more about the holiday and trees in general.