Earth Day is an important day to help teach kids everywhere about the practice of taking care of our most important resource: Planet Earth. It is never too young to start incorporating these ideas into preschool themes to help nurture the idea that our Earth is a precious planet that needs to be cared for and kept safe.
Keep reading to find out what kind of fun activities and lessons are available for teaching our littlest citizens about Earth Day.
1. Marbled Painting
Preschool kids love to get messy! With a little shaving cream, some blue and green paint, and a lot of paper towels for clean-up, this activity for preschoolers will be a hit!
Learn more: Crafty Morning
2. Teach Kids About Recycling
It's never too early to start learning how to recycle! The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has a great lesson plan geared right to preschoolers about learning to recycle simple materials that any age can understand.
Learn more: Indiana Department of Environmental Management
3. Teach Kids to Recycle Goods Into Toys
This article has a great tutorial on how to show preschoolers how to turn simple garbage into a craft activity and then into a new toy! These are common household items, making them a cheap, simple, and fun activity.
Learn more: Frugal Fun 4 Boys
4. Recycle! A Handbook for Kids
This book about recycling gives kids information on where the garbage goes after we throw it away. All kinds of items are discussed and portrayed in this engaging and sweet book for young kids.
Learn more: Amazon
5. Paint With Bathroom Recyclables
This creative idea is a great experience for students! Preschoolers can use all kinds of fun finds that would otherwise be garbage to paint and get creative. Clean bottle lids, old toothbrushes, bandage packaging, and more all convert into a fun time for all!
Learn more: What Do We Do All Day?
6. Disney-Inspired Earth Day
These adorable coffee filter art projects are the perfect thing to get all of your preschoolers squealing! They will have an awesome time combining the fun themes of Earth Day and Disney as they create Mickey's heads.
Learn more: Grace Giggles and Naptime
7. Earth Day Cookies
Set the tone with your little ones by baking some cookies in advance to get them excited about Earth Day and taking care of the beautiful place we are lucky to call home. Sweets are the way to any heart of a preschooler.
Learn more: Pretty Petunias
8. What About Cupcakes?
Are cookies not exciting enough? What preschool child doesn't like cupcakes? Blend the Earth's fun colors together into a delicious cupcake for the kids to devour while you read them an Earth Day book, or simply to have as a snack to add to the festivities!
Learn more: Bird on a Cake
9. Earth Day Seed Bombs
Digging in the dirt and getting down and dirty are Earth-friendly and kid-friendly science activities that will be able to last more than just the moment. Preschoolers will be excited to see the progress of their plants as they grow and change.
Learn more: How We Play and Learn
10. Printable Earth Day Craft
This adorable globe with springy hands and feet is one of many adorable educational activities that preschool-aged kids will be able to create with help from an adult. Pair it with a favorite book and it's a perfectly well-rounded lesson.
Learn more: Learning Ideas Grades K-8
11. Planting Trees Sensory Bin
Playing in the dirt is always a hit with littles. This sensory play idea gives them the opportunity to practice planting toy trees. Throw in some sand toys, plastic pots, and some soil and they'll be budding gardeners in no time!
Learn more: Fun Learning for Kids
12. Earth Day Dirt Cups
Another adorable snack to celebrate our Earth, kids will be fooled into thinking they're eating dirt! Make it a cooking activity and have the kids create them together with you, or simply bring them in for a festive snack time.
Learn more: Mothering With Creativity
13. Grass Crowns
This activity idea is such an adorable idea that kids will absolutely love. What kid doesn't enjoy wearing a crown? But, a crown of GRASS? What a neat way to give a sweet nod to mother nature.
Learn more: Creative Connections for Kids
14. Nature Scavenger Hunt
Littles are able to participate in this simplified version of a scavenger hunt based solely on pictures. All you need is a backyard, play yard, or a tidbit of nature to find the images on this free printable.
Learn more: Teaching 2 and 3-Year-Olds
15. Recycled Puzzles
Puzzles are a great activity for young fingers. It teaches dexterity, patience, visual memory, problem-solving, and more. For Earth Day, put a twist on them by cutting up product packaging to create recycled puzzles to not only teach kids about recycling but also give them a fun challenge while they learn!
Learn more: Play Teach Repeat
16. Salt Dough Earth Day Necklace
Salt dough is the perfect medium for little hands. It's also safe in case little hands end up in their mouths! Help them shape their little circles and then arm them with acrylic paint or watercolors to create the Earth's features.
Learn more: Kitchen Counter Chronicles
17. Coloring Page
Use this Earth template for something as simple as a coloring page or even in another favorite art activity for preschool kids to create color and design.
Learn more: Crafts on Sea
18. Tissue Paper Stained Glass
Squares of green and blue tissue paper give this activity all its Earthly glory. This fun preschool activity allows kids to create a piece of art that their parents will be proud to hang in any window.
Learn more: Mrs. Plemons Kindergarten
19. Earth Paint in a Bag Sensory Activity
Painting without the mess? Yes, please! Have littles spread the colors of the earth on a cutout of the globe (similar to the one pictured about in No. 17) and you'll have a fun sensory activity ready for little hands!
Learn more: Mrs. Plemons Kindergarten
20. Earth Day Crown
Use a social story to help littles who can't read yet how they can help the Earth in their own little lives. This crown option can help focus your Earth Day lessons each day as you add a new piece to the crown that they can then wear on the last day of your unit.
Learn more: ABCs of Literacy
21. Earth Day Mask
Let kids channel their inner Mother Earth with this printable mask. You'll need to add a popsicle stick so they can have a handle to hold onto.
Learn more: 10 Minutes of Quality Time
22. Earth Worm Dig
Earthworms are an essential part of many of the processes on our Earth. Teach kids the importance of these wiggly little noodle creatures and activate their senses while they match the worms to their silhouettes.
Learn more: Etsy
23. Read Aloud: Earth Day Every Day
A good read-aloud always captures the attention of kids. Earth Day Every Day takes kids on a journey of different ways to help the Earth through bright and colorful illustrations and kid-friendly text.
Learn more: Amazon
24. Earth Day Fine Motor Activities
Download this adorable set for Earth Day to keep 4-year-olds entertained and learning all at the same time. From dough to cutting, these activities are great for fine motor skills and learning how to take care of our Earth.
Learn more: Etsy
25. Earth Day Luminary
Using a small jar (plastic works best with littles), kids can create a luminary that they can put a battery-powered tealight candle in to have their very own illuminated Earth.
Learn more: Twig and Toadstool
26. Paper Plate Craft
Using things from around the house makes activities much more appealing, after all, Earth Day celebrates the ways we can recycle, right? This paper plate Earth Day craft will capture kids' hands at their preschool size and become a sweet memento as well as a fun lesson about how we need to keep our Earth healthy.
Learn more: Finding Myself Young
27. Video: Earth Day for Kids
Technology goes a long way with kids these days. Check out this Earth Day video that will have preschoolers giggling their little shoes off as they learn about how to take care of Earth.
Learn more: Socratica Kids
28. Earth Day I Spy
Let kids take part in this Earth Day I Spy as they search for different objects on the worksheet. This free printable is the perfect extra for when other activities go quicker than expected.
Learn more: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
29. Wikki Stix Earth
Teach preschoolers how to mold and shape Wikki Stix into the shape of an Earth. Kids love playing with these little wax-coated sticks and will have even more fun with this challenge for Earth Day.
Learn more: The Preschool Toolbox Blog
30. Puffy Paint Earth
Shaving cream and food coloring make an enticing combination for kids to dive in and get messy with! This sensory activity will keep them engaged for quite some time as they work to create our Earth.
Learn more: The Preschool Toolbox Blog
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