When most people think about Earth Day, they think about getting outside and planting trees,  gardening, or picking up litter. These are great activities to get the whole family involved, but what about your furry family? How can you get your dog involved in the fun? While your dog may not be the best tree-planter, there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy the day with your dog. Here are 3 ways to spend Earth Day that you and your dog will both enjoy:

Enrichment Gardening

Plant a dual purpose sensory/herb garden. Sniffing is part of what makes dogs who they are! It’s not only something that they enjoy doing, but it also burns lots of mental energy. While some plants are toxic to dogs, many are safe and aromatic and as a bonus, you can use them in your cooking! Dill, rosemary, fennel, basil, and cilantro are all safe for your dog and tasty for you and your family.

Recycling for the Whole Family

Take recycling to the next level and create some DIY toys for your pup. Some dog toys found in stores come with a plastic bottle inserted that dogs love to crunch on. When the bottle is well-used, you can replace it with a new empty bottle to start the fun back up! For an even more planet-friendly toy, you can take an old tube sock and use that instead of buying a bottle-holding toy.

Compost Fun

Prep some compost to boost your garden and help the planet. Paper products make great compost, but they take some time to break down if they’re not shredded. Luckily, dogs have 42 expert shredding tools right in their mouths! As long as your dog isn’t likely to consume the trash, play some tug of war with your junk mail and shipping boxes to let your dog help shred the compostable materials.