10 Ideas for Earth Day

Make every day count with these Earth Day activities!

1. Earth Day Sensory Bin---Stock your sensory table with a filler and add plenty of blue and green manipulatives for center time fun! 

I used dried beans for the filler and then went crazy with the Earth Day theme. You'll find plastic milk jug lids, styrofoam egg cartons, measuring scoops, and even a miniature trashcan and recycling bin in this sensory table! 

2. Recycle Boy/Girl Art---Watch the imaginations unfold as your class makes a Recycled Boy or Girl using recycled materials!

The prep for this one is super easy, too! 

Simply cut a variety of shapes from old magazines, grocery store ads, and food packages and then grab crayons, scissors, and glue. That's it!

3. Dramatic Play Recycling Box---Bring Earth Day into your Homeliving Center with this Recycling Box! Students will love sorting things into the recycling box just like they see mom and dad do at home! My teacher friend, Melissa, covered a cardboard box with green bulletin board paper and added a recycling logo she found in Google images. She saved food boxes, plastic bottles, and cardboard tubes for her students to recycle as they played in the Dramatic Play kitchen area. What a great way to incorporate a practical experience for teaching youngsters about Earth Day!

4. Earth Day Books---I'm always on the lookout for good books to support my themes and I have accumulated a full shelf for Earth Day! I just wish we had time to read them ALL!

One of my all time favorite books is the Caldecott winner A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry. I read it in autumn as the leaves begin to change and again in the springtime when everything starts to turn green. 

5. Earth Day Fingerpainting---Get out the paints in shades of blues and greens for this one! 

6. Recycled Crayons---By the time Earth Day rolls around, your classroom crayon supply might be looking a little worn down. Take those old crayons and recycle them into beautiful new ones! Gather the green and blue crayons you want to recycle. Then, have your students peel off the old wrappers and break the crayons into smaller pieces. Place the broken pieces in a silicone muffin tray and bake at 225 degrees for 12-18 minutes. Check your oven often as the crayons are baking. Once they are melted, carefully remove the tray from the oven, allow the crayons to cool and harden, then pop the crayons out of the tray. Your new recycled colors will be a favorite in the art center! 

7. We Can't Live Without Worms---Be sure to teach your students that we really can't live without worms. Yes, they're wiggly and slimy but worms are also an integral part of our ecosystem. Earthworms help air and water go down under the ground. They break down organic matter and help to fertilize plants. Read a few of these wormy books to your class and help them understand why worms are wonderful!

8. Earth Day Handprint---You'll love this so much you'll want to keep it on display 'til the end of school! Cut a huge circle out of white bulletin board paper and have your students decorate it with their green and blue handprints! It makes an impressive door display while getting the point across that Every Day is Earth Day!

9. Go Take a Hike---Earth Day is the perfect time for a walk around your school campus or to a nearby park! Go slow, take your time, and enjoy the Earth! And while you're out and about, why don't you collect any trash you see?

10. Have a Reading Picnic---Pack a basket of your favorite Earth Day books instead of lunch and find a shady spot for a Reading Picnic! Your class will never forget the joy of taking school outside on Earth Day!

I remember celebrating Earth Day with my first class back in 1989. I hope some of the things we learned thirty years ago are good habits now. And I hope some of these activities I do next week with my little class will make an impact on them and on our Earth. 

Happy Earth Day, everyone!