It’s really too bad Earth Day doesn’t get the same fanfare as Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and the like.
The shape our environment’s in these days, we could certainly use a day where every family sits down and really talks to their children about the impact (both positive and negative) that they can have on the world they live in.
Here are 14 of our favorite ideas to help you hold an Earth Day celebration at your house.
Show Above
Clockwise from top right
Make a Plantable Paper Earth – This is the project that keeps giving. It starts as a hands-on art activity and morphs into a planting activity the kids can keep an eye on for the rest of the season.
How to Create an Upcycled Inventor’s Box for Hours of Open-Ended Play – The name just about says it all but it’s also good to note that there are handy free printable idea cards to help get the kids’ creative juices flowing.
Planting with Ice Cream Cones (via Design Mom) – This method of growing from seeds is one that is sure to excite your littles. They’ll be so intrigued by the image of dirt in an ice cream cone, they won’t be able to help but get involved.
Coffee Filter Stained Glass Earth (via I Can Teach My Child) – My favorite part about this art project is that it’s appropriate for a really wide range of ages.
The Kitchen Garden Experiment: Growing Plants from Food Scraps – This one is perfect for teaching littles about where food comes from and big kids can use the free printable observation chart to experiment with the Scientific Method.
Playdough Planet Earth (via Meet the Dubiens) – Your kids will be amazed how easy it is to make a 3D model of the Earth’s crust (and it just looks so darn cool).
DIY Veggie Garden Sensory Box – Whenever I post this, I get two distinct reactions. One camp loves it right away, and the other questions why you would do this with a child instead of planting actual plants.
My answer is that you don’t do it instead of planting, you do it along with planting. Young kids learn a lot through dramatic play and this is a great opportunity to utilize that while they’re waiting for their actual plants to grow. And they’ll love the sensory component too – spending lots and lots of time digging in!
Earth Day Cupcakes (via Bird on a Cake) – Because who doesn’t love a reason to have a cupcake? Especially one with a sweet surprise inside.
Not Pictured
But still a lot of fun!
18 Funny Earth Day Jokes for Kids – Because I love getting to be the one that makes my kids laugh (instead of the one that’s always asking them to pick up, play nice, calm down, etc.)
Earth Day Smoothies – Although the cupcakes above are adorable, I will take every opportunity I can to model healthy eating for my kids and to teach them that celebrating something doesn’t always have to include sweets.
Grass Heads – I’m pretty sure the smoothies above and this project is how we’ll be celebrating Earth Day this year.
Making Terrariums with Kids – The dinos were definitely my favorite part of this project.
5 Montessori Activities using Plants – Part of the “Make Like a Montessori Mama” series, still some of my all time favorite guest posts here on MPMK.
How to Set Up Natural Play Spaces in Your Back Yard – If you really want to go big this Earth Day, check out our 4-part series on how to ditch the plastic toys outside and create a natural play space for your kids that they’ll enjoy for years… Or go smaller scale and create an outdoor exploration station.
Get Your Free Printable
Subscribe to our newsletter today and get our free printable... No More, "Mom, I'm Bored!"