Earth Day Books & Activities to Help Teach Kids About the Environment

Add Earth Day books to your lessons to help kids understand how to protect the Earth. Through everyday actions, they will learn the importance of saving our planet.

Learn to Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle with Earth Day Books

Earth Day is a great time to remind ourselves how important it is to care for our planet. Earth Day gives us a chance to hold meaningful conversations about environmental responsibility.

One of the easiest and most impactful ways to introduce these big ideas to kids is through books. A great story can help children connect with nature and understand environmental issues. Students will feel empowered to make a difference in a fun and age-appropriate way.

If you’re a teacher or homeschooler looking for the best Earth Day Books to share with your students, this list has you covered! This book list includes many options to make Earth Day educational and enjoyable. Each book goes perfectly with activities from the Earth Day Science Unit, which you can learn more about below!

Best Earth Day Books for Kids

I Am Earth by James McDonald

This book introduces young readers to the planet’s features, from mountains and oceans to animals and people. The book encourages respect for nature and highlights the interconnectedness of all living things.

My First Book of Earth by Stephanie Schuttler

This book provides a simple introduction to the Earth for young children. As kids learn to care for the world, they will learn about oceans, animals, and plants.

What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick

This book teaches children about the impact of their actions on the world. Through a series of scenarios, the book illustrates how small behaviors can cause significant good and bad consequences when repeated by many people.

Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre

This read-aloud is a poetic and heartfelt book where a child expresses gratitude for the natural world. It encourages children to appreciate the Earth and its wonders through vivid illustrations and a straightforward narrative.

What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French

What a Waste explains the recycling process and how trash impacts the environment. It highlights the importance of reducing waste and offers practical tips for reusing, recycling, and reducing waste.

I Can Save the Earth! by Alison Inches

In this story, a young monster named Gus learns about the importance of caring for the Earth. He learns about recycling, conserving resources, and caring for the environment. The book provides simple tips for children to help protect the planet in their everyday lives.

My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan

This book is a gentle, poetic story that personifies the Earth as a caring friend. The Earth is portrayed as nurturing and protective, with the book encouraging young readers to care for their environment in return.

Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers

This warm and thoughtful book offers a simple guide to life on Earth. Through beautiful illustrations and fun commentary, it helps children understand their place in the world and the importance of caring for the planet.

Earth Ninja by Mary Nhin

This exciting story follows a child who takes on the role of an “Earth Ninja,” learning how to protect the planet by reducing waste, conserving energy, and recycling. The book encourages children to take action in small but meaningful ways to help the environment.

The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth by Anne-Sophie Baumann

This informative book offers an in-depth look at Earth’s natural wonders, ecosystems, and creatures. It has great facts and fun photos to keep kids engaged. After reading, kids will be inspired to learn more about the planet.

Save the Ocean by Bethany Stahl

This book teaches children about ocean conservation, focusing on the harmful effects of pollution and plastic waste. It encourages readers to take action to protect marine life and keep the oceans clean.

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years by Stacy McAnulty

This cute story is a fun and informative book narrated by Earth itself. It shares its history and journey over billions of years and introduces children to geology, climate, and the life forms that have existed on Earth throughout its history.

We Are All Connected by Gabi Garcia

This fun story explores all living things on Earth. Simple language and illustrations emphasize how humans, animals, and the environment rely on each other for survival, encouraging kids to care for the planet and its inhabitants.

If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall

This heartfelt book introduces readers to the wonders of Earth through a letter to a visitor from space. It highlights the diversity of people, animals, and nature, celebrating what makes our world unique and encouraging care for the planet.

The Earth Book by Todd Parr

The Earth Book uses bright illustrations to show kids how small actions, like recycling and conserving water, can help protect the planet. It encourages environmental responsibility every day.

Earth Day, Every Day by Lisa Bullard

This book follows Trina as she shares ways to care for the Earth, not just on Earth Day, but every day. The book offers practical tips on being eco-friendly and inspires young readers to take action.

Interactive Ways to Use Earth Day Books in Lessons

Discussion Questions

After reading What If Everybody Did That?, you could ask kids how they would feel if everyone around them made a small, negative choice (like littering or wasting food). Ask, “What would happen if everyone did this?” You can also ask them how small, positive choices (like recycling or picking up litter) could make a big difference if everyone participated. Brainstorm ideas for ways to help the Earth instead. Use anchor chart cards to hold discussions!

Classroom or Homeschool Earth Day activities

After reading The Earth Book, have students create a “Green Action Plan” for the classroom, listing one action to help the environment (this could be using less paper or turning off lights when not in use).

Following Save the Ocean, organize a mini recycling challenge where students sort different items into the correct recycling bins. You can also discuss the impact of pollution on oceans and how each student can play a role in keeping the sea clean.

Read-Aloud Strategy

When reading I Am Earth, ask students to consider how the Earth might feel based on our actions. For example, “How do you think the Earth feels when we take care of it by planting trees or recycling?” This will encourage students to think about the Earth as a living entity that needs our help, deepening their connection to the environment. Use nonfiction posters to discuss concepts learned in the books.

Earth Day Resource

This Earth Day Unit is the ideal resource for bringing Earth Day concepts to life for kindergarten, first, second, and third-grade children. Packed with engaging activities, mini-lessons, and fun projects, this resource helps students explore Earth Day, pollution, and recycling while building essential reading comprehension and writing skills.

Pairing perfectly with books like I Am Earth and Thank You, Earth, students can dive deeper into the text and explore ways to care for our planet. These books complement the unit’s Earth Day poem, vocabulary posters, reduce, reuse, and recycle anchor chart cards, and writing activities, making learning about environmental topics engaging and educational.

The unit includes tons of resources to keep students excited about Earth Day: hands-on crafts like the Earth Guy craft and Earth Day hat crown activity, science experiments to demonstrate concepts like recycling and the water cycle, writing activities that encourage creative expression, and interactive games like Bingo and word searches.

This versatile unit supports differentiated learning through activities that can be used for whole-group instruction, small groups, or independent projects.

Additional Earth Day Activities for Kids

Try some of these activities to extend your Earth Day fun further! These Earth Day ideas will help students learn, engage, and have fun.

Hands-on Projects & Recycling Crafts

Invite students to plant trees on a school campus or at home. Take pictures and spread the news to build awareness. Complete fun crafts that showcase everything students have learned. Use some of the crafts from the Earth Day Unit!

STEM Challenges and Experiments

Plan a few challenges or experiments to get students thinking as they learn about environmental science.

• Water Filtration Experiment: Challenge students to design and build their water filtration system using materials like sand, gravel, cotton, and charcoal. This hands-on experiment will help students understand how water can be cleaned and why clean water is vital to our environment.
• Plant Growth Challenge: Have students plant seeds in different soil or containers (e.g., plastic cups, pots, or biodegradable planters) to observe how various conditions affect plant growth. This experiment teaches about the importance of soil health and how plants contribute to the environment.
• Pollution Clean-Up Challenge: Set up a mini “oil spill” in a shallow pan using water and vegetable oil. Provide students with materials like cotton balls, straws, and spoons to clean up the spill, demonstrating how pollution affects water bodies and how we can mitigate its impact.

Writing Prompts for Earth Day

Use writing prompts that encourage critical thinking and reflection after the Earth Day unit.

• “What is one thing you can do daily to help the Earth?”
• “Write a letter to the Earth telling how you will care for it.”
• “If you could make one change to help reduce pollution, what would it be?”

Incorporate Earth Day Books into your plans and watch students light up from all the fun. Share some of your favorite Earth Day Books in the comments!

Resources to Help You Teach Kids About the Earth

Free Earth Day Book List & Writing Templates

Try these FREE Earth Day Book Lists and Writing Templates in your classroom this spring! The writing templates go nicely with The Earth Book; I am Earth, If You Come to Earth, and Earth Day, Every Day. These books and activities will make your Earth Day plans a hit.

Click the image below to grab a copy.

More Earth Day Ideas for Students

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