If you're not sure how you'll spend your Saturday evening on the 26th of March, look no further! After switching off your lights, here's how you can spend the Hour with your friends, family, and community - whether at home, outside, online, or in-person - to make it an impactful evening to remember.
1. Reconnect with nature.
Nature doesn’t only provide us with clean air, water, and food - nature is essential for our health and happiness! So spend the Hour outside with friends and family (we guarantee a great night’s sleep afterwards!). Here are a few things you can do:
Go “forest bathing” - no, you don’t have to bring soap or a towel!
Go on a night hike
Have young ones? Go camping or stargazing!
To ensure your safety when outdoors at night, bring a flashlight, phone, and let others know where you are going beforehand.
2. Cook up a meal with your family or friends.
Candle-lit dinners aren’t just for Valentine's Day! Dine in the dark this Earth Hour and cook up some planet-friendly dishes.
Challenge yourself to cook up a meal where nothing gets wasted or get creative with leftovers - here are a few ideas.
Make it a time challenge and see who can create the best dish within 60 minutes.
Have young ones? They can help choose the ingredients or get involved in making dinner!
Please ensure you are following local COVID-19 guidelines if you are meeting friends or family outside your home.
3. Spend time with your loved ones.
Stay in and use the Hour to spend some quality time with those who matter most to you - a fantastic opportunity to create special memories and be close to the people you’re trying to shape a brighter future for. You can:
Call a friend or family member you haven’t met in-person for a while. See how they're doing and invite them to spend the Hour with you virtually.
Play board games, cook, listen to music, sing karaoke or dance the night away together.
Got young ones? Read a book together in the candlelight!
4. Up your knowledge.
Awareness is the first step before action. Use the Hour to learn more about our incredible planet, the challenges we face, and what we need to do to turn things around.
Learn about nature loss and climate change - here’s a good place to start.
Watch nature documentaries! Don’t have Netflix? No problem - Award-winning documentaries like Our Planet are completely free to watch on YouTube! And did we mention it's narrated by David Attenborough?
Tune in to a podcast! For example, our friends at WWF have a great series called Forces of Nature.
Have young ones? Help them do fascinating science experiments about the natural world. Check out a few examples here and here.
5. Connect with (and give back to) your community.
The challenges facing our planet can only be solved if we work together, empower each other, and create a feeling of unity.
Get ready to volunteer! Find out about organizations and initiatives in your area that need the most help. For example, volunteer for park, beach, or nature-clean ups, tree-planting initiatives, the upkeep of community gardens, or for local recycling projects! You're bound to meet some amazing people while doing something worthwhile.
Be inspired and inspire others - Read the stories of supporters like you from around the globe who are shaping a brighter future for people and the planet. Have your own story to tell? Add it to the page!
6. Get active.
It’s hard to take care of our planet (and others) when we’re not taking care of ourselves! So get moving and get sweating this Earth Hour! Your body and our planet will thank you for it.
Put on your favourite playlist and dance in the dark.
Do some candle-lit yoga or listen to a guided meditation track as you do a few stretches!
Go to your nearest park, beach, nature trail, or outdoor space and pick up any trash you find (we recommend bringing gloves, tongs, and a biodegradable rubbish bag)! You may have to get your hands dirty but you’ll leave with a clean conscience.
Got young ones? Make it a fun competition - whoever picks up the most trash wins a special prize!
7. Discover your artistic side.
If you don’t feel like working your body, work your creative mind on the night!
Have young ones? Try painting with glow-in-the-dark non-toxic neon paint.
Be sure to share your Earth Hour experience with us using the hashtag #EarthHour! Also tag us @EarthHourOfficial on Instagram, @EarthHour on Facebook and @EarthHour on Twitter so we can easily share your posts and stories!