Easter has always been a holiday filled with the beauty of nature. With a backdrop of dark green grass, bright green leaves, colorful flowers, singing birds, and a blue sky, how can it not be? And this year, Easter takes on an even deeper shade of green. It's followed directly by Earth Day on April 22, providing the perfect opportunity for an Easter-Earth Day mashup. So ditch the plastic grass, do a little upcycling and bring a few earth-friendly touches to your springtime celebration!

A great way to start is by reusing your Easter baskets. If you don't have last year's baskets, or any on hand, pick some handled baskets up at a yard sale or thrift shop. Or, get creative - a cool tote or a rustic purse makes a fabulous re-usable basket. And there's no need to tie your basket up with cellophane – tie a pretty scarf to the handle for a decoration doubles as a gift.

Instead of buying plastic grass to tuck into the bottom, make your own! Shred newspaper - the Sunday comics work well - magazine pages or any recycled paper to use as grass. You can also use shredded paper as your base and top it with some pretty green branches from the yard. Or, use a little pot of wheatgrass, Scottish moss, or a primrose tucked in with the treats to brighten your basket.

Decorate your Easter table with cloth instead of paper and use natural elements for your centerpiece. Fresh cut flowers from the garden, plants that will be potted later in the yard, an arrangement of succulents, or fresh spring veggies make beautiful, Earth-friendly decorations.

Now, part of the fun of Easter Sunday is the traditional egg hunt. After the hiding and finding are done and the treats have been dispersed, most of us are left with egg cartons or colorful plastic eggs. Don't throw those suckers out! Instead, transition into Earth Day mode and upcycle them!

Take egg cartons and make them into:

• Seed starter cups: You can plant paper egg cups directly into the ground when the seedlings sprout.
• Organizers: Fill the cups with hair bands, kids' jewelry, small toys or Legos, collections, or little those little doodads that kids seem to collect and want to keep forever.
• Craft helper: Use Styrofoam cartons as deep paint palettes. Use one or two of the cups to hold water for the brushes! You can also use egg cartons to keep small crafting supplies like beads, sequins, feathers, buttons, or building materials like nails, screws, nuts, and bolts. The covers make great trays for glue or paint-mixing.

And those plastic eggs. They seem to multiply, don't they? Keep a few for next year's hunt, and reuse the rest!

Egg mini-golf:

1. Give kids some recycled materials and have them create a mini-golf course for their eggs.
2. Use cereal boxes, milk cartons, and plastic bottles.
3. Cut the ends off a milk carton for a tunnel to roll eggs through.
4. Cut a door in a cereal box, or make a windmill from a milk carton with a door for the egg.
5. Cut off one end of a plastic bottle to catch the eggs.
6. When the course is complete, use a plastic bat or golf clubs to roll eggs through your course.

Glam them up: Take your plain old plastic eggs and make them luxe. Paint them with a thin layer of glue and roll them in glitter. Or decoupage them with colorful tissue paper. Perhaps go for a rustic look with newspaper or twine. Or you can circle them with cute washi tape. Then, pile them in a nest or a bowl at next year's celebration –or put them out all year round!

Make Egg-bugs:

1. Use pipe cleaners and scrapbook paper to create wings and antennae.
2. Add some googly eyes too.
3. Make them into glow-bugs by putting a glow stick inside each egg and tucking them in the yard when the sunsets.

Use them to hold small items: (This works better with the hinged eggs.) For example, put a couple of band-aids and a travel packet of antibacterial cream into a red egg for a purse-sized first aid kit. Or, stock an egg with a needle, some thread, and extra buttons for a tiny sewing kit. You can even tuck a handful of M&M's or Skittles or a few hard candies – or even some tiny crackers or cookies - into an egg for a quick, portable treat.

With just a few minor tweaks, you've got an Easter-Earth Day that will become a springtime tradition! Happy Easter, happy spring!

Julie Ward

2022 Spring Egg Hunt

Bring your family out to enjoy springtime fun in Monrovia's Recreation Park on April 16, from 10:00 AM till 1:00 PM. Kids can register for the free egg hunt, take pictures with the spring bunny, listen to music, do crafts, enjoy food trucks, and more!

Colorful Collage and Henri Matisse

Your kids (ages 7-12) can join the Hastings Branch librarians in creating a colorful collage in the spirit of Henri Matisse on April 20, from 3:30 PM till 4:30 PM. Registration is required. Space is limited.

Art & Chill: Prints & Paints

Your Teens (grades 8-12) can join the Altadena librarians on the front lawn of the main library on April 9, from 2:00 PM till 3:30 PM to slow down, vibe out, and learn some new artistic techniques. This month's theme is prints and paints. Registration required.

Preschool Explorers: Library Science

Your preschoolers (ages 3-5) can join the Santa Catalina Branch librarians on April 9, from 10:30 AM till 11:30 AM, to celebrate National Library Week by exploring library science through stories and hands-on activities.

Family Storytime

Your preschoolers (ages 3-5) can join the Linda Vista Branch librarians on April 9, from 2:30 PM till 3:00 PM, for afternoon stories and play. Friends and families are welcome to join. 

Take & Make: Earth Day Flower Seed Bomb

Your whole family can join the Santa Catalina Branch librarians in celebrating Earth Day in April by making flower seed bombs. Craft kits can be reserved starting April 4 and picked up from the Santa Catalina Branch Library. The activity runs through April 30 or while supplies last.

Take & Make: Miniature Garden Pot with Flowers

Your family is invited to make tiny flowers from pipe cleaners and arrange them in a little flower pot. Call the Linda Vista Branch library at 626-744-7278 to reserve your craft kit starting April 11 at 10:30 AM. Kits are available while supplies last.

Take & Make: Pop-up Flower Cards

Who doesn't love pop-up cards? Your family can join the Hill Avenue Branch library in making your very own beautiful 3D cards. Reservations for craft kits are open from April 15 through April 30 or while supplies last.

Angela Lloyd: Quilt of Poetry, Story, and Song

Storyteller Angela Lloyd shares a tapestry of folk tales and music with you and your kids (ages 5-12) on April 16, from 11:00 AM till 11:45 AM. Reservations required.

Carl Weintraub, Storyteller

Your kids (ages 5-12) can join the Linda Vista Branch librarians and storyteller Carl Weintraub for fun and enlightening tales on April 16, from 3:00 PM till 3:45 PM.

We Tell Stories

Your family can join the Linda Vista Branch librarians and storyteller Carl Weintraub and his unique blend of storytelling, original music, folklore, and audience participation. It all happens on April 16, from 3:00 PM till 4:00 PM. Space is limited. Registration is required.

World Adventures with My Harp

Your family can join Alfredo Rolando Ortiz to explore the history and versatility of the South American harp and its rich musical history on April 19, from 4:00 PM till 4:45 PM. 

Picture Perfect Library Park Scavenger Hunt

Your family can join the Monrovia librarians for an Earth Day scavenger hunt around Library Park on April 22, from 4:00 PM till 5:00 PM. Meet in front of the library for your list of items to find, and use your (or your scavenger leader's) smartphone to take a picture of your finds. Adult supervision is suggested for participating children.

Celebrate Dia: CrEATe Healthy Snacking

You and your kids (ages 5-12) can learn about healthy snacks you can make for strong bodies and energy on April 14 at 4:00 PM. Registration required. Ingredients and tools are listed on the registration page.

Spring Bunny Photos

Bring your kids for pictures with the spring bunny on April 9, from 10:00 AM till 1:00 PM in Monrovia's Library Park. There will also be arts and crafts, lawn games, and storytime.

These events are regularly scheduled, and many do not require registrations. That said, please check with the event host in case of holidays, weather, COVID, or other reasons to cancel or reschedule.
 

Afternoon Games

The whole family is invited to the Villa Parke Community Center Branch Library to play games, from board games to giant dominos. The fun happens on Tuesdays, from 2:00 PM till 4:00 PM.

Infant & Toddler Storytime

Your little ones (ages 0-2) and their caregiver can join the Pasadena librarians weekly at 10:30 AM for 20 minutes of reading, rhyming, and singing fun! 

Lamanda Park Branch - Tuesdays

Allendale Branch - Wednesdays

Santa Catalina Branch - Thursdays

Outdoor Baby & Toddler Storytime - Altadena Public Library

Your little ones (ages 0-2) and their caregivers can join the Altadena librarians on the front lawn of the Main Library on Mondays, from 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM for some fun with books, songs, rhymes, development, and bonding. Space is limited, and attendees must follow COVID health protocols. See the event listing for more details. This event will be canceled in the event of inclement weather conditions.

Preschool Storytime - Pasadena Public Libraries

Your kids (ages 3-5) can join the Pasadena librarians weekly for a selection of stories, songs, crafts, or a short movie. Activities vary by branch.

Villa Parke Community Center Branch - Tuesdays, 10:30 AM till 11:30 AM

San Rafael Branch - Wednesdays, 11:00 AM till 11:30 AM

Lamanda Park Branch - Thursdays, 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM

Hill Avenue Branch - Saturdays, 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM

Outdoor Preschool Storytime - Altadena Public Library

Children (ages 3-5) can join the Altadena librarians weekly (weather permitting) on the front lawn of the Main Library on Thursdays, from 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM for fun with books, rhymes, and songs. Space is limited so arrive early to get a spot. This event will be canceled in the event of inclement weather conditions. Attendees must follow COVID health protocols. See the event listing for more details.

Toddler Playtime

Kids ages 2-5 can come to play, color, listen to music and make new friends at the Villa Parke Community Center Branch on Fridays, from 10:30 AM till 12:00 PM.

ASL Storytime

Kids ages 3-5 can join the San Rafael Branch librarians for a fun storytime featuring some American Sign Language signs to learn on select Thursdays from 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM.

March 3 and 17

April 7 and 21

Storytime in the Park - Monrovia Public Library

Your kids (ages 0-5) can join the Monrovia librarians in Library Park for some active and engaging stores and songs on Wednesdays from 10:00 AM till 10:45 AM through April 27. The book fun is followed up with a sensory activity or craft project. Everyone is welcome. See the event listing for more details.

Family Films

Villa Parke Community Center Branch hosts a family movie for you on Thursdays, from 3:30 PM till 5:30 PM. Please contact the branch at 626-744-6510 for the movie title. And this is a BYOS (bring your own snacks) event.

Video Game Club

Your Teen (age 14-19) can stop into the Hastings Branch Library Meeting Room on Thursdays, from 4:00 PM till 6:00 PM, for some gaming fun on the Nintendo Switch. They can make new friends and learn fair play every week. No registration is required. Must play well with others.

Crafting with Tish & Tosh

Join the Pasadena Library online for some all-ages crafting fun. You'll learn new crafts all year round. The crafting fun happens on every-other Monday on Instagram Live from 3:00 PM till 3:30 PM.

Book Talk

The Monrovia Library staff encourages a love of stories among young readers by providing engaging summaries of some of their favorite books on the library's YouTube channel. Great for kids five and younger, the series covers both picture and chapter books.

Picture books: March 5 and April 2

Chapter books: March 19 and April 16

Storytime in the Park - Monrovia Public Library

You and your little ones (ages 0-5) can join the Monrovia librarians every Saturday at 10:00 AM as they lead you through a story, a little music, some movement, and all-around fun. Everything is geared to get your kids dancing, singing, and learning. During COVID protocols, it all happens outdoors in Library Park, near the playground and Rotary Bandshell.

Storytime in Motion

Your preschoolers can experience books in a whole new, energetic way with the Altadena librarians on Tuesday mornings, from 10:30 AM till 11:00 AM in Charles White Park. Storytime in Motion is held outdoors, weather permitting. Attendees will be encouraged to move, jump, and dance along to the stories. Space is limited, and following COVID health protocols is required.