Teach children about keeping the Earth clean with these engaging Earth Day ideas. This post includes a free writing and art activity, as well as book suggestions.
Earth Day Ideas & Classroom Activities
Earth Day Ideas: Great Books
We read tons of great books that remind us and teach us about these things.
A few of my favorite books are:
The Earth & I by Asch.
Earth Day Ideas: Poetry & Writing
We read a poem of the week called “Earth Day Every Day!”, and we complete our follow-up poetry activities. This poem and activities, plus many more, are available here.
We write about why every day should be Earth Day using the ideas we have brainstormed about on a chart. I give my students a template that they may wish to follow for ideas.
Earth Day Ideas: Art Activities
1. Holding the Earth Art Activity
With any classroom unit or theme, I love to incorporate art as a way of illustrating our learning.
For the student “Holding the Earth” art activity, I start by taking a photo of each student pretending to hold a ball over their heads.
I print them out in black and white off the computer.
We each color a coffee filter with green and blue markers to look like the earth. We spray the filters with water and let them dry.
Lastly, we assemble and glue our writing, photos, and earth onto a green tag.
This display is my favorite bulletin board of the year. We have the parents in to show off our writing and how cute their children look holding up the earth!
Click HERE for Teacher Idea Factory’s kid holding the earth idea & HERE for Teacher Time 123’s coffee filter idea.
2. Recycled Paper Self-Portraits & Bulletin Board
We also make “Recycle Kids” self-portraits on newspaper print. First, we start by drawing a self-portrait with a pencil. We then use sharpies to trace the lines. Next, we color our clothes and hair (not skin). We glue onto white cardstock for durability and cut out. It was an exciting activity because my students had never reused a newspaper this way before. They said it seemed strange to have newspaper print as their skin color.
This art activity creates a meaningful result and a special bulletin board with an important message.
I add an earth cut-out to the bulletin board. My class made it a previous year by tearing out pieces of blue and green paper from old National Geographic magazines and gluing them down to look like the earth. What a great project of teamwork that was. I enjoy REUSING the Earth again each year!
Earth day is a great day to remind yourself and your students about the importance of keeping our earth clean and healthy.
I had a parent come and tell me today that her daughter no longer wants to have baths, but “quick showers that save water!” It makes everything we do to teach our students worth it when it changes an attitude or behavior for the better.
Earth Day Ideas & Resources
If you are looking for Earth day ideas, this comprehensive Earth Day unit includes writing, reading, science, and more hands-on learning activities. Click HERE to see it in-store.
Elyse,
I remember seeing that Earth project and wanting to try it, but I forgot again this year! There's always next year I guess. So glad you reminded me about it! I'm going to stick it in my plans now and maybe I won't forget next year!! Thanks for sharing- they turned out to be adorable!!
Melissa
Keep Calm and Love First Grade
Hi Melissa!
Thanks for stopping by…yes you must add these ideas to your plans for next year. I wish earth day was a week instead (even though I did activities for 2 weeks…it was worth it!).
Elyse 🙂
I would absolutely love the “everyday is earth day” writing paper! Anyone know where I can find it? I cannot wait to do the holding the Earth activity with my 2nd graders this year.
Thanks!
Hi, I love your Earth Day packet. I bought it. Now I’m looking for the “Everyday is Earth Day” dotted/ lined sheet that goes along with the coffee filter project. Is it in there? Or did I miss it?
Thanks!!
Sarah
Hi Sarah. Please give us a quick email support@proudtobeprimary.com with your request and we will send that template your way!
Elyse