Educational Earth Day Activities for Kids

We’re celebrating Earth Day 2022 with a roundup of creative and educational Earth Day activities for kids. Your little ones will love exploring topics like nature, climate, composting, recycling, and so much more with these fun, hands-on sensory activities.  

1. Create the Earth 

To get started, simply cut a circle out of paper to act as the base of your Earth. Then, have your children fill it in with green and blue loose parts of different shapes and sizes. While they create their Earth, you could read them a story about the Earth and the meaning of Earth Day, or show them a reference photo of the Earth to copy. 

Modify this activity by using recycled craft materials like magazine pages and recyclable containers, and have a discussion about the importance of sustainability. 

2. Herb Sensory Tray 

Explore nature and the excitement of gardening this Earth Day with this herb sensory tray. Whether you grow your own herbs or pick some up from the grocery store, you can create a beautiful and engaging sensory experience on a tray. Not to mention, it smells amazing!

3. Recycled Art 

This Earth Day activity is perfect for kids of all ages! Using recycled materials like plastic lids, beads, and straws (cut into different sized sections), create beautiful hanging art like this! Get creative and experiment with all the different ways you can display your art. To replicate this beautiful hanging mobile, simply tie fishing line (used is preferred) to a large stick and begin stringing the colourful recycled materials you collected onto it. Not only do you upcycle plastic materials but it’s also a wonderful way for children to practice their fine motor skills!

4. What is Biodigradable? 

This activity helps teach children the difference between what is biodegradable and what is not. Start by teaching them the meaning and importance of “biodegradable” materials. Then, collect a variety of materials like food scraps, plastic and paper recycling, and other trash for your little ones to sort. Decorate a box similar to the one shown in this Earth Day activity with a section to sort both biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. This is a great way for children to see, touch and explore different materials and textures on their own.

5. Butterfly Lifecycle

Help your children learn through play and make this magical egg carton treasure box that doubles as an educational activity. Start by taping a diagram of a butterfly’s lifecycle to an empty egg carton then use materials like playdough or clay, pipe cleaners, cinnamon sticks, and a toy butterfly to replicate the diagram. Then, decorate the empty spaces with flowers and other natural elements your child gathers. 

6. Frozen Earth 

For this fun Earth Day activity, start by freezing a shallow tray of water. Once frozen, sprinkle a bit of salt on the surface then have your children use droppers to paint the Earth with blue- and green-coloured water. Then, have fun playing with toy animals on your masterpiece! You could even help your little ones explore different climates by sorting the animals based on location on the Earth. 

*Note: If you’re using plastic animals for this activity, be sure to wash them immediately once playtime is over*

7. Dandelion Threading 

This is a colourful and creative activity to help your little one practice their fine motor skills while discovering the beautifully unique features of different flowers. Simply create a cardboard background using markers or paint and draw large flowers on it, then have an adult punch holes in the center of each flower drawn on the cardboard. Head into your backyard or local park to collect dandelions and any other small spring flowers your little one can find. Then, have them thread the dandelion and flower stems through the holes in the cardboard to create a beautiful picture. 

8. Tissue Paper Earth 

Grab a paper plate and some blue and green tissue paper and have your children create these adorable tissue paper Earth Day crafts! This craft can easily be used as an educational activity by reading books that cover topics like sustainability, climate change, recycling, and plastic use. 

9. Label a Vegetable Garden

Whether you use felt vegetables, toy vegetables, or real vegetables, you can use this engaging Earth Day activity to teach your children about tending to the garden and our responsibility to be stewards of the Earth. Start by reading a book about gardening or having a discussion about where our food comes from, then use a chalkboard or whiteboard to label different fruits and vegetables you can find in the garden.

10. Sticky Flower Art 

Create your own beautiful artwork using flowers and other natural items you collect on a nature walk with your child. Once you’ve collected a wide variety of items to use, have an adult cut a background out of cardboard (like the tree trunk example above) then put a layer of clear tape on one side of the cardboard. Now you’re ready to stick your flowers and leaves to the tape to create a beautiful piece of art!