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April 22. To some, it is just another day. To others, we know it as Earth Day.
We celebrate Earth Day to raise awareness of the condition of our planet and ways we can do our part to keep it healthy and safe.
Most children view the world as infinite as it seems endless and humongous. They don’t understand the importance of taking care of our world…so it is our job to guide them!
Here are my best ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day with your class this year! + some ideas for your kiddos at home!
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Earth Day fun in the classroom
From spending a few minutes outside cleaning up litter, to creating an entire backyard habitat, here are my favorite ideas for celebrating Earth Day in your classroom!
1. Complete a Scavenger Hunt
Make a scavenger hunt to find items such as a butterfly, a heart-shaped rock, or a 4-leaf clover! It’s a great way to get outside and allow the students to take a closer look at the world around them.
Need more ideas for a fun scavenger hunt? Check out this post!
2. Take your writing block Outside
If your class is anything like mine, writing is not their favorite time of the day. Why not make it more enjoyable by doing so outside?
You could have your class observe the sounds and sights they hear in nature, make up a fun fiction story about something they find outside, or use a fun Earth Day prompt.
Grab these free writing prompts to help celebrate Earth Day Outside
3. Complete a Research Project
Teach kids what Earth Day is about by understanding how to respect and care for animal and plant life, natural resources, and their habitats. Choose a plant or animal in your area that is endangered and research ways to help!
4. Create a “backyard” wildlife habitat
Creating a backyard wildlife habitat is a fun idea for a classroom project. You can attract birds, bees, butterflies, and different mammals by planting flowers or plants in a planter box and setting them on your classroom window sill.
As long as you plant native species, you will attract local wildlife.
Tip! Combine this with the above research project to know what to include in your habitat.
5. create Nature Art
Take your class outside to collect leaves, twigs, pieces of bark, rocks etc. Use them for classroom crafts such as tying the twigs together for a headband, leaf painting on sheets of paper, and gluing pieces of bark to make a collage, the ideas are endless!
Side Note: Make sure to look up safe plants in your area to see what is safe to touch before collecting items.
6. Clean up Litter
A quintessential way to celebrate Earth Day with your class…clean up the playground litter!
Start by explaining littering and why it is dangerous. Show them the potential dangers of not disposing of our trash properly. Then head outside (with gloves and bags of course) and pick up all the “safe” garbage.
Neighborhood/Playground Cleanup Checklist:
- Bucket and/or bag
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Gloves or a pickup stick
- Hand sanitizer
- Water for hydration (reusable of course)
- Sunscreen and a hat!
7. Play a Recycling Game
Explain how reducing, reusing, and recycling can help you and the environment by saving money, energy, and natural resources. (There are helpful books below!)
Then, play a recycling game to have students guess whether certain items in your classroom or wherever you may be, are recyclable or not. Gather 3 different bins and print out labels for them, have them go around and place items they find in appropriate bins.
A fun idea for recycling and reusing is making a cardboard tube bird feeder. Use a toilet paper/paper towel tube and cover in peanut butter. Roll the tube in a pile of bird seeds. Bring it outside and hang it on a nearby branch. Sit back and enjoy the view!
8. Read Books about Recycling
Reading to children not only enhances their knowledge but also sparks their imagination and creativity. Read alouds are my absolute favorite way to teach.
Keep Earth Day fun and mentally engaging by reading a book about recycling and reusing. These are some of our favorites to read aloud and keep the understanding of the importance of recycling more simplified for the younger kids.
10 Children’s Books About Recycling and Reducing Waste
- Don’t Throw That Away!: A Lift-the-Flap Book about Recycling and Reusing – Lara Bergen
- Fly Guy presents Garbage & Recycling- Tedd Arnold
- One Little Bag- Henry Cole
- One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia – Miranda Paul
- Ada’s Violin – Susan Hood’Ada’s Violin – Susan Hood
- Heal the Earth – Julian Lennon and Bart Davis
- The Dump Man’s Treasures – Lynn Plourde
- Here Comes the Garbage Barge! – Jonah Winter
- Joseph Had a Little Overcoat – Simms Taback
- The Lorax – Dr. Seuss
9. Plant a Community Garden
Gardening is another way we can celebrate Earth Day with your class! This one takes a bit more planning than others on the list, but it can be so rewarding (for you and your class)! After getting approval and making a plan, your class can all take ownership of this little piece of earth.
Here’s a more detailed guide to planting a community garden at school!
10. Make a pledge to protect the environment
Encourage kids to make a pledge to protect the environment, such as reducing plastic use, turning off lights, or picking up litter. Write down the pledge and display it in a visible spot to remind them of their commitment.
11. Take a Nature walk
A nature walk is a simple, yet great way to celebrate Earth Day with your class! You’ll be surprised the what your students notice when they truly open their eyes.
How many squirrels did you see? Were they carrying nuts? Did you see any ants? Were they building their mounds? Watch the trees sway and admire the sounds of their leaves blowing in the wind.
This one will of course depend on where your school is located + rules, but it’s a great way to get your students to start appreciating their surroundings!
Let’s celebrate Earth Day with your class!
There are endless ways to celebrate Earth Day. We only get one Earth, so let’s give it our best care!
I’d love to hear any fun activities you’ve done in the past! Share them below!