Earth Day happens every year on April 22nd. Whilst it’s important to regularly make kids aware of our impact on the environment. Earth Day is a great time to take action, make commitments and learn more about protecting our planet. If you’re planning to get involved with Earth Day this year, here are some fun ideas and activities you can do with your kids. Plus, you’ll find a free foldable activity to download to help support their learning.
Get planting
Planting seeds: Get kids involved in planting seeds on the school ground or in small pots. Talk about the importance of plants and how they help our planet. Plant things you can eat, or native species that will be food for local wildlife.
Shop local
Research seasonal produce: Find out what is grown locally and seasonally. Plan a meal using local produce. You could also research the countries that your regular groceries come from. Find out how many miles they have traveled to reach your plate.
Folding fun
Make an Earth Day foldout! This fun foldable activity has space for kids to write or draw 4 things they can do to help protect our planet.
A mix between a craft and a worksheet, this printable can be used as part of your Earth Day activities, or at any time of year.
Something old, something new
Reuse materials to create something: Use upcycled materials to create something new! This can be creative and a chance to talk about sustainability together. Think plastic bottle bird feeders, decorated glass jars, and cool clothing creations!
Nature around us
Make use of your local area or school grounds: Take a nature walk or do a nature scavenger hunt to find out what plants and animals live in your neighborhood. Combine your walk with a trash/litter pick. You can then sort what you find into what can and can’t be recycled.
Recycling heroes!
Learn about what can be recycled in your local area and where (e.g. in a home recycling bin). Challenge your class to sort a pile of trash/rubbish into what could be reused, recycled, composted, or sent to a landfill.
Invite a guest
Invite a guest speaker into school: Find a parent or community member with a job linked to the environment. Environmental engineers, wildlife rangers, ecologists, solar panel fitters, and council policy managers are all people who could inspire the climate champions of the future.
Ask them to speak to children about their role and why it is important. Allow time for children to ask their burning questions at the end!
School book swap
Have a school book swap: Kids bring in books they’ve read and exchange them for a pre-loved one from someone else. Any that are left at the end could be given to a local charity.
Recommend books for teaching about caring for our planet
- Beer, Julie (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 128 Pages – 12/01/2020 (Publication Date) – National Geographic Kids (Publisher)
- Nhin, Mary (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 33 Pages – 12/07/2019 (Publication Date) – Grow Grit Press (Publisher)
- Lane Ferrari, Serena (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 10/26/2019 (Publication Date) – Serena Ferrari (Publisher)
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If you’re exploring plastic pollution, this engaging presentation helps children understand the problems associated with plastic waste. They are given real-word scenarios to discuss, allowing them to think about how the choices they make could impact on our environment. The presentation is included for both PowerPoint and Google Slides so is ready to use in any classroom.
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