6 Best Earth Day Activities for Kids
22nd April, Earth Day is a pleasant one for our planet. It is a day when children of different standards, preschool, middle and high are made aware of relevant concepts like pollution and recycling by engaging them in diverse constructive activities. All are environment-friendly and not too difficult. So, to turn your little one into a useful nature lover, take a glimpse at these crafts that range from making objects out of natural items like leaves and twigs to recycling household materials.
Earth Day Craft Activities for Toddlers, Preschoolers and Those in Kindergarten
Tin Can Drum
- 3 old cans
- Paint and brush
- 3 bright colored balloons
- Paint the can, inside and outside with any color say orange or yellow. Let your young toddler splash some too.
- Let it dry.
- Make some designs like a ball etc. on its outer surface.
- Stretch the balloon and cover the top with it.
- Snip holes in the can and put some small pebbles, pasta, etc. inside the can to make them real shakers.
- The other two cans can be turned into drums in the same way.
Handprint Wreath
- Glue
- Scissors
- Blue, brown and green paint or construction paper
- Thread or string
- Keep the colors in separate bowls and let your child immerse his palms into each at a time.
- Make him have his prints on paper. Let him create 12 handprints of the three colors.
- Let them dry and then cut out each with the scissor.
- Stick them with glue to make a wreath.
- You may write on the handprints useful messages like, “save earth”. Tie them with a thread and hang on the wall.
Earth Day Indoor and Outdoor Activities for Middle School Students
Fairy Meadow
- 1 seed tray
- Compost
- Grass seeds
- Allow a kid to fill the seed tray with compost and water it.
- He must sprinkle the grass seeds both horizontally and vertically such that they are evenly distributed.
- The tray should be placed at a convenient spot such as a small lawn. Once the grass starts growing, you may keep it inside too.
- Make him place small toy animals like goats and rabbits amidst the grasses for fun.
- The meadow needs to be watered regularly to keep it thriving.
This activity can also be done outdoors if more students are to be involved and can be practiced with pupils of different grades such as 4th and 5th.
Nature Collage
- 10 Leaves, twigs, and some grass
- 1 medium sized canvas
- Paint and a paint brush
- Pencil and rubber
- Glue
- Let your child draw a line to divide the canvas into two portions.
- He should paint the upper portion blue and the lower, brown.
- The canvas should be allowed to dry overnight.
- With the glue, he should stick the leaves on the tree and the twigs on the trunk.
- He needs to paste the rest of the twigs on the outline of the house and the grass on the part symbolizing ground.
- Your child’s nature collage is ready.
Fun Activities for High School Students
Corn Husk Doll
- 10 or 12 corn husks
- Wire or rubber band
- Scissor
- Felt pen
- Let your kid make a pile of 8 corn husks to form the base.
- She should fold them in half. The frilled bottom now becomes the doll’s dress.
- She should next tie a rubber band or wire at the top portion of the husk to create the doll’s head.
- Another rubber band can be tied in the middle part to define the doll’s belly.
- Let her take up a small pile of loose corn husks to make the arms.
- She must fold both ends and tie the tips in the middle with a rubber band or wire. It should look like a ‘bow-tie’.
- Both ends of the bow tie need to be tied with rubber bands to make the palms.
- This can be fixed at the back of the doll with the help of a wire, and the frilled portions can be snipped properly with the scissor.
- She may even draw its eyes, nose, and mouth with the felt pen.
Castle Pen Holder
- 4 cardboard tubes
- 1 small old box with lid
- Paint and brush
- 1 black pen
- Glue
- Make your kid remove the lid and stick the 4 tubes at all 4 corners of the old box.
- They should be left to dry.
- He can paint the outer portion red and the inner tubes yellow to have contrast.
- The castle can be decorated by drawing windows, doors, etc with the black pen.
- Make him put all pens and pencils inside the tubes.
Our earth today is threatened by multiple disasters, and behind most, our greedy hands are at play. And even though being subtly aware, we hardly take the time to mend the problems caused by us. So when there is an apt occasion for thinking and doing something for our dear old earth, we must make the most of it by encouraging our next generation to help in any small way, for making living on this planet sustainable.