Check out these 5 Earth Day activities for kids that are both fun and educational to inspire the next generation of environmentalists.
The complex global climate crisis and everyday environmental concerns impacting us today and those that will impact future generations too can feel overwhelming at times, especially when combined with all of life's other worries, but there are countless ways, both big and small, for you to teach and motivate kids into caring for our planet. The prime age for learning about the environment is when they are in preschool, the toddler years because young children at that age are often able to exhibit a level of empathy and kindness, a sense of wonder, and a thirst for knowledge that is ideal for introducing environmentalism.
Earth Day activities for kids can teach young people how to reduce their carbon footprint, appreciate everything the earth gives them, and encourage children to take steps towards protecting the environment throughout their life. Here are 5 Earth Day activities for kids, activities that are both fun and educational, for you to try this year.
1. Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
Getting kids outdoors is important for their health and wellbeing. It's also critical for inspiring a lifelong love of and respect for nature. When it comes to easy and fun Earth Day activities for preschoolers that get them outside, a nature scavenger hunt is perfect! This will encourage little eyes to slow down, soak in nature, as they look and listen for wildlife like birds, deer, and squirrels, clean up litter from their neighborhood, and collect leaves, acorns, and more elements from Mother Nature. This is a sublime way to spend a cool morning or pleasant afternoon in the sunshine together this spring. If the weather isn’t cooperating, try these indoor activities for kids who love the outdoors and these 8 that build outdoor skills.
2. Reading Earth-Friendly Books
Books are a great way to teach kids about Earth Day and the environment. Four of the best Earth Day books for kids are:
• Owl Moon by Jan Yolen — a quiet, tender, and gorgeous story about the serenity of nature and the majesty of observing an owl with a parent. It’s one of the finest children’s books ever written and continues to subtly inspire a love of nature and the great outdoors.
• We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom — this gorgeous children’s book won the Caldecott because of its powerful call to action inspiring young people to care about pollution and our natural resources.
• The Curious Garden by Peter Brown — A young boy, a curious mind, and the quest to make the world greener makes this modern classic a must-read on Earth Day every day of a child’s life.
• The Earth Book by Todd Parr — for your babies and toddlers, Parr’s playful board book about conservation and environmentalism should be a staple of your collection.
3. Earth Day Crafts for Kids
Many websites can teach you how to do Earth Day crafts for kids but my favorites are the simple ones requiring only a few ingredients. Those Earth Day activities for preschoolers allow your youngsters to have fun without you having a lot to clean up after! When it comes to Earth Day crafts with recycled materials that your kids can put to use and enjoy for weeks and activities that are both fun and educational, consider this: make a cardboard tube bird feeder!
With just toilet paper or paper towel cardboard tubes, some peanut butter, bamboo skewers, string, scissors, and of course bird seed, your kids can attract birdies to your yard and help feed them! Making an early connection to wildlife is a surefire way to instill a lifelong love of the planet in a new generation.
4. Attend an Earth Day Beach Cleanup for Kids or an Earth Day Park Cleanup for Kids
Whether you're closer to the coast or a green park in a landlocked part of the country, there are opportunities to give back to your community and make it cleaner by participating in an organized cleanup with your kids. While you can do this activity on your own, an Earth Day park cleanup for kids with neighbors shows that it takes a village and importantly, that other people they know also care about the planet. Leveraging this kind of positive groupthink will have benefits in maintaining momentum for the lessons inherent in Earth Day activities for kids!
5. Earth Day Science Experiments for Kids
Most kids love science experiments so trying some easy Earth Day science experiments for kids at home this year is a great way to not only make memories but also create the next generation of stewards (and maybe even scientists) who will care for the planet. One of the most unique sensory Earth Day activities for preschoolers is making milk plastic! Yes, that's right, milk! In the early 20th century, cow's milk was often used to make plastic components like buttons, and now you can do this clever and creamy science experiment with kids to create moldable plastic with just two household ingredients!
For Earth Day science experiments about climate change, try out the meeting polar ice experiment that requires nothing more than ice cubes, water, a plastic storage container, and some Arctic or Antarctic animal toys. Your kids will see how meeting ice leads to rising sea levels, and that can lead to a conversation about the danger that poses to low-lying communities, cities, and islands around the world.
No matter which crafts or Earth Day activities for kids you try with your preschoolers, try to spend quality time outside, hiking, biking, fishing, or just playing tag, in the days and weeks leading up to and following Earth Day 2024.
