9 Fun Ways to Get Students Engaged in Earth Day!

Earth Day = April 22nd

Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22nd, and it provides a fantastic opportunity to get your students engaged in understanding and preserving the environment. Here are nine creative and fun ways to get them excited and engaged with Earth Day:

CLICK HERE to access the Earth Day - It's in the Bag Hands-on Learning Activity

Craft Projects for Earth Day

1. Craft Projects: Children usually love hands-on projects. Use Earth Day as an avenue to carry out craft projects using recycled materials. These could be anything from creating bird feeders from old plastic bottles to collages from magazine cut-outs.

Earth Day Presentations

2. Classroom Presentations: Allow your students to become the teachers. Ha ha! Split them into groups and let them do group research and present a topic about the environment. This will get them involved and ensure they remember the information better. When you can teach it - you know it!

Let's Clean Up!

3. Outdoor Clean-Up Activity: Organize a clean-up day in a local park or school playground. This activity will help students understand the benefits of caring for their own area, as well as how littering affects the environment.

Classroom Garden Plans

4. Start a Classroom Garden: Gardening is an excellent way for kids to connect directly with nature. It can be as simple as growing beans in a zippy bag or as ambitious as planting a tree in the schoolyard.

Earth Day Storytelling

5. Storytelling: Children of all ages love stories. Use this to your advantage by reading your students books that highlight the importance of caring for our environment. 

Earth Day Art!

6. Environment-Themed Artwork: This could be a drawing, painting, or a collage. Let your students' imagination run wild as they create art pieces inspired by Earth Day.

Pollution Science Experiments

7. Science Experiments: Conduct simple science experiments to demonstrate environmental concepts. For example, an experiment showing how pollution affects plant growth could be an eye-opener for your students.

Poetry and Writing for Earth Day

8. Writing and Poems: Let your students write down their thoughts or feelings about Earth Day. This could be in the form of an essay, a short story, or a poem. It’s an excellent way for them to express their understanding and feelings towards the environment in which they live.

Educational Video

9. Screen Environmentally-Themed Video: If you have the resources, screening a child-friendly documentary or educational video about the environment could be a fun way to learn new things about how to take care of the Earth. Take notes with this FREE Digital Notetaking resource!

Here are a few of my favorite Earth Day resources:

Earth Day - It's in the BAG to Read & Learn

Earth Day No Prep Printables

Foldables for Earth Day

Earth Day Clipart BUNDLE!

Even Students Can Help the Environment!

Remember, the purpose of these activities is to incite a sense of responsibility towards the environment in your students. It’s about helping them realize that they can make a difference even at their age. The goal is to create a generation that appreciates the Earth and actively works to protect it. Happy Earth Day!

Happy teaching!

Jen