Meta Description: On Earth Day, the entire world makes an effort to take actions that care for the earth. For fun Earth Day activities that you can use to help teach your kids the importance of looking after the environment, read on.
The earth is our home, the planet that we live on, and it is a precious thing to us. It is the place where all our resources come from, and we depend on it for our existence. Sadly today, we are getting carried away with development and most of it is even proving to be harmful for the planet. Earth Day is celebrated to remind people to take care of our planet, so most of the activities mentioned here will focus on teaching children what to do to look after this big and beautiful planet of ours.
Top 10 Earth Day Activities for Children
From getting crafty to activities that teach them about the environment, here are some Earth Day activities for kids.
1. Make Tin Can Drums
Teaching children how to recycle is very important since there are some things that can take a long time to degrade and some that probably never will. Such things can be recycled and used to make new things.
What You Will Require
- Tin cans – 3, no lids
- Colourful balloons
- Paint
- Paintbrushes
- Elastic bands
How to Make
- Paint each of the cans according to your child’s wishes and leave them to dry.
- Once dry, take the balloons and cut off the tips.
- Spread the balloons across the top of the cans such that it forms a taut surface.
- Secure them in place with elastic bands.
- You can use chopsticks as drum sticks.
2. Egg Carton Christmas Trees
Make some ornaments to use during Christmas with this handy craft idea.
What You Will Require
- Egg cartons
- Acrylic paints
- Scrap papers
- Hole punch
- Paintbrush
- Glue
- Scissors
- Ribbons
How to Make
- Cut out the cones from the egg crates for the kids and stack them one on top of the other.
- Paint the cones green and leave them to dry.
- Punch holes in the scrap paper.
- To make taller trees, stick a wad of tissue right at the end of each cone before adding in another.
- Take the tiny circles of scrap paper made with the hole punch and stick them onto the tree.
- Use the ribbons to make streamers around the tree.
3. Plant Trees
Planting trees is one of the most important things to do with kids since it teaches them to care for the earth. It can improve our day-to-day lives and will preserve life for the future as well.
What You Will Require
- One tree; if the tree is young, it is sold with its roots bare, and it will need to be soaked in water for a couple of hours before planting. Older trees can be planted at any time.
- Shovel
- Bucket of water
How to Do It
- Decide on a spot to plant the tree. The spot should have enough sunlight for the tree to thrive in.
- Dig a hole for the tree to be planted in. It should be a big enough such that the roots have enough room to fit in. You may want to help the little ones get started with this.
- Put the tree in and start filling the hole with dirt until it reaches about two-thirds of the way.
- Fill the hole with water and wait for it to get absorbed into the earth.
- Fill the rest of the hole with dirt.
- With the rocks and clumps of dirt, make a circle around the tree and mash it all together.
- You can have the kids measure the tree’s growth every day in a journal.
4. Pick Up Trash
Cleaning up your neighbourhood is a great idea and will teach kids that it is good to keep their surroundings neat and clean.
What You Will Require
- Large garbage bags
- Rubber gloves
How to Do It
- Each person gets a pair of gloves and a garbage bag.
- Make sure that everyone is wearing safety gloves and starts picking up trash.
- The little ones can pick up plastic bottles and paper, but make sure to keep them away from glass bottles and other pieces of trash that you feel may be dangerous for them to handle.
- Dispose of all the garbage collected in the allotted places.
5. Donate to an Animal Shelter
Learning to care for and respect other creatures that live on Earth with us is important if you want your kids to grow up with the right values.
What You Will Require
- Old and unwanted things from around the house like blankets, cleaning supplies, leashes, collars, carriers, food etc.
How to Do It
- Gather up anything that you and your kids feel you will want to donate for the animals.
- Call the shelter and find out if the things that you want to donate will be accepted.
- Fix an appointment.
- Take a trip to the shelter and teach your child the importance of caring for animals.
6. Recycled Bird Bath
Be kind to the birds and the planet with this recycled bird bath. Instilling the importance of taking care of other living creatures will teach your child to be compassionate and kind to others.
What You Will Require
- Old basins or dishes
- Rocks that are big enough to hold the container down without taking up all the space
How to Do It
- If you have a house, you can use larger-sized vessels. If you stay in a flat, use smaller ones. The same goes for rocks or stones.
- Clean out the vessels and stones properly.
- Place the rock in the centre of the vessel to weigh it down and to offer the birds an extra perch.
- Fill the basin with water.
7. Build a Fairy Garden
Your little ones will have a ball setting up homes for the fairies in your garden with recyclable materials!
What You Will Require
- Recyclables like old teapots, lanterns, cardboard sheets, etc.
- Fairy dolls or figurines
How to Do It
- Your kids will have a blast making a fairy world in the garden with the things they have on hand. Let them use their imagination; you can help whenever needed.
- You can use this method to decorate your herb garden or any other garden you may have. Use it as an opportunity to teach the kids how to grow and look after plants.
8. Plant a Garden
If you don’t already have one, now is a great time to make one. Your child can help out with the easy parts, but the entire experience will be a lesson to show how the Earth provides for us and how we need to look after it.
What You Will Need
- Gardening tools
- Plants or seeds to add to the garden
- Bucket of water
How to Do It
- You will need to have prepared the soil in advance whether you are planting indoors or outdoors. Once that is ready, you can involve your child.
- Dig a small hole in the ground and then carefully have them plant the seeds in the hole and cover it up.
- Your kids can even water their freshly buried seeds to finish.
- Regular care of the garden will have to be taught to your child even when it is not Earth day.
9. Earth Day Scavenger Hunt
This fun game can be played in the park, at the beach or even around your own neighbourhood.
What You Will Require
- A list of objects to collect
- A bag to collect items
How to Do It
- First, you will need to make a list of all the things that you want your child to collect. It should all be things you can collect outdoors, but keep in mind the location you want to play the game in. While you may be able to use a similar list in the park and your neighbourhood, that may be hard to do at the beach. Sticks, stones, seashells, plastic bottles and others can all be on the list.
- Once your child has gathered all the items on the list, you can sort through them together and see which ones belong in nature and which don’t.
- You can then teach them the correct way to dispose of waste items like plastic bottles and wrappers. It is a great opportunity to introduce them to recycling.
10. Go for a Nature Walk
Nature walks are a way of allowing kids to explore the earth and their surroundings. You can teach them about how things work in nature and it makes for a great bonding exercise too!
What You Will Require
- Comfortable casual clothing
- Water bottles
- Bag for collecting things
What to Do
- It does not need to be a major hike that you need to prepare for; a simple walk in a park will do. As long as natural elements are abundant in the place you’ve chosen for the walk, it’s fine.
- Let the children walk ahead so you can keep an eye on them.
- They will take in the sights and sounds of nature, and you can answer all their queries and teach them about the different types of plants and animals they see.
- Let them get dirty and collect anything they find interesting in their collection bags. Kids are going to want to touch a lot of things, so as long as it is not dangerous, let them.
Earth Day is a day in the year to remind people that they need to be doing more to conserve this world we live in. These activities are great because it is better to teach your kids right from a young age that the biggest difference we can make as normal individuals is to look after it every single day and take an active interest by making the right choices in life and living as eco-friendly a life as possible. Always remember that you have little eyes watching your every move and the best and most sure way to ensure that your kids grow up doing the right thing is for them to see you do the right thing first.
