Celebrate Earth Day in the Classroom: 16 Activity Ideas for Kids

It's that time of year again when we celebrate the planet we call home - Earth Day! This year let's take the time to show our students just how important it is to take care of our environment. How do you celebrate Earth Day in the classroom? To help you out, I've put together a list of 10-20 activities that you can do with your students to celebrate Earth Day in the classroom.

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1. Read Earth Day Themed Books: 

Reading is a fantastic way to celebrate Earth Day in the classroom. There are many great Earth Day-themed books that you can read aloud to your students, such as The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, The Earth Book by Todd Parr, and Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel. For more Earth Day read-aloud suggestions, checkout this blog post.   

2. Earth Day Color by Number: 

Engage your students with this fun and educational activity that combines coloring and math concepts. For younger students, focus on number recognition skills, while older students can practice addition, multiplication, or equivalent fractions.  

3. Create an Earth Day Bulletin Board:

Get your students involved in creating a beautiful bulletin board that showcases the importance of protecting our planet. 

I love this Earth Day pledge bulletin board for younger students. 

This endangered species bulletin board is perfect for older students, and can be paired with a writing activity for the perfect Earth Day project!

There are also a ton of free ideas for Earth Day bulletin boards here.

4.  Recycling Bin Sorting: 

Teach your students about the different types of waste and how to sort them into recycling bins.

5. Earth Day Word Search: 

Keep your students entertained while they learn new vocabulary words related to Earth Day with this fun Earth Day word search.  Bonus: This resource includes multiple holidays and all 4 seasons, so you can use it all year round!

6. Plant a Garden: 

Get your hands dirty with your students and plant a garden on your school grounds. This is a great way to teach your students about the importance of sustainability and taking care of the planet.

7.  Create a Compost Bin: 

Teach your students about composting and how it can help reduce waste. You can even use the compost you make to fertilize your school garden!

8. Conduct a Trash Audit: 

Take your students on a walk around your school grounds and conduct a trash audit. This is a great way to teach your students about the importance of reducing waste and recycling. It also doubles as a math lesson in graphing!

9. Environmental Art Projects: 

Get creative with your students and make some amazing art projects using recycled materials.

10. Write Letters to Your Local Representatives: 

Teach your students about the importance of being an advocate for the environment by writing letters to their local representatives.

11. Go on a Nature Walk: 

Take your students on a nature walk and teach them about the different ecosystems and habitats in your area. 

12. Make Bird Feeders: 

Create some homemade bird feeders with your students and hang them around your school grounds. This is a great way to teach your students about the importance of wildlife conservation.

13. Create a Recycled Instrument Band:

Teach your students about music and sustainability by creating a recycled instrument band.

14. Earth Day Scavenger Hunt: 

Plan an Earth Day scavenger hunt with clues related to environmental topics. Here is an alphabet Earth Day scavenger hunt you can print out as well.

15. Earth Day Writing Prompts: 

Encourage your students to express their thoughts and ideas about Earth Day with these Earth Day writing prompts.

You can also check out this Kid President-inspired writing lesson, The World Would be More Awesome if...

16. Earth Day Videos: 

Show your students Earth Day-themed videos to help them learn about environmental issues. There are many great videos available online.

I hope these activities inspire you to celebrate Earth Day in your classroom and teach your students about the importance of taking care of our planet. Remember, every small action counts towards a healthier environment!

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