I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that the students in my class always get excited for Earth Day! They are always engaged and want to know more about how they can help the planet and the community that they are a part of. In that spirit, here are some excellent Earth Day activities for kids!
Community clean up
If your school allows this, you can take your students out of the building for a community clean up. In the past, we’ve cleaned up the playground, the field, and the front of our school. I’ve also been close enough to a park to take a short walk and clean up. If you can’t take the kids outside, walk around the school and see what needs tidying up! All you will need is bags, gloves, and a positive attitude!
earth day read aloud
This Class Can Save the Planet, by Stacy Tornio, will give your class a ton of great ideas for improving their planet. It’s the perfect Earth Day read aloud! I love that it’s a great starting point for things students can actually do to help the earth and environment. My class got a lot of ideas from this book and really enjoyed it!
GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY NATURE
The best way to help kids care about the Earth and the environment is to make memories outside! Take your class on a walk, a hike, or just outside to enjoy a book in the sunshine. Since April is ALSO poetry month, it’s the perfect opportunity to write poems using their 5 senses about the awesome things in nature that surround them.
reflect to make a difference
After reading a book about Earth Day (see above) or experiencing some time outside, have your students reflect on what they have learned and how they can help. This reflection page helps them process new information and think of a plan for how they can make a difference!
plant something with your class
This may not be something that everyone is allowed to do, but my class is absolutely LOVING it. We have this Aerogarden set up in our classroom and we are growing tomatoes together! They have been researching growing techniques, helping water and feed the plants, and generally just enjoying having them in our class. We have also had an outdoor gardening club at our school, which is a great way to get kids invested in their school environment.
color a collaborative poster
A collaborative poster is a great way to create something fun with your class. You can use it as the centerpiece of a bulletin board. Kids complete the pieces as morning work, in a center, as a calming activity after recess, or just as a fun way to commemorate Earth Day! (Just be sure to recycle the poster when you’re done with it!)
Earth day activities RECAP
Here’s the quick recap of earth day activities for kids!
- Community Clean Up
- Read This Class Can Save the Planet by Stacy Tornio
- Get outside and enjoy nature
- Reflect on what students can do!
- Grow something together or plant a garden
- Color a collaborative poster
If you are looking for all your Earth Day activities in one place, you can get them all when you buy the Earth Day collaborative poster! (Click here to see how collaborative posters work!)
- Earth Day poster with 18, 24, or 36 pieces
- What Can You Do? reflection page
- Big List of Ideas to Help Earth!
- Earth Day Word Search
have fun!
Enjoy Earth Day with your students! I hope you found an activity that will fit your needs and if you do, I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment or send me an email!
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Happy Earth Day, teacher friends!
