30 Easy And Super-Fun Earth Day Activities For Kids

Every day should be an Earth Day, and we should do our best to save our planet all year round. But as Earth Day, 22 April approaches, all of us feel the need to go out of our way to do something that involves our children and that can make a difference to their futures. Earth Day activities can be accompanied by discussions on recycling, power and water conservation, and carbon footprints to inspire children to make it an ongoing mission.

To make your sessions in the classroom or at home interesting and educating, we have put together a list of 30 Earth Day activities for kids in this post. Your child can engage in recycled arts and crafts, games, and other unique ideas that can make a difference to our planet.

30 Earth Day Activities For Kids

Earth Day Crafts For Kids

1. A bird feeder

Bird feeders can be made in several ways using recycled materials. You can use pinecones to make DIY bird feeders with your children.

You will need:

• Pinecones of any shape or size
• String
• Two or three cups of birdseed
• One cup of peanut butter

How to make:

1. Melt the peanut butter till the texture becomes runny but not too hot for little fingers.
2. Cut the string into eight-inch strips and tie them to the pine cones.
3. Dip the pine cones into the peanut butter.
4.  Now roll them in the birdseed for a thorough coating.

Your bird feeders are ready to be hung on a tree or bush. You can enjoy watching the birds as they relish the bird seeds the next morning.

2. A bug hotel

Make a comfy home for creepy crawlies and pollinators to lounge.

You will need:

• A large two-liter plastic bottle
• A pair of scissors

How to make:

1. Take a large two-liter plastic bottle and cut it into two cylinders.
2. Go on a walk with your little ones to gather natural materials such as twigs, sticks, bark, and pine cones.
3. Once you have enough for the bug hotel, stuff the bottles with the organic material tightly.
4. Then twist a piece of twine around the cylinders.
5. Hang your bug hotel on a fence or tree branch.

3. Recycled cardboard marble maze

Recycling and stem work in this activity challenges children to make a DIY maze.

You will need:

• Cardboard box
• Paint
• Straws
• Wooden bits like beads or mini blocks
• Hot glue gun
• Pair of scissors
• Pencil
• Small marble

How to do:

1. Paint all sides of your box, and then let your child draw a maze on the bottom.
2. Help your child to cut the straws to fit the maze and then stick them with the glue gun.
3. Place the wooden bits along the paths as obstacles.
4. Finally, drive the marble through the maze avoiding the stoppers from one side to the other.

The project boosts creative thinking and tinkering as they can come up with ideas to make the maze easier or more challenging.

4. Earth Day necklace

Use a simple salt dough recipe to make a cute necklace and celebrate Earth Day with your children.

You will need:

• One cup flour
• Half a cup iodized salt
• Half cup water
• Paint
• Twine
• Beads

How to make:

1. Make the salt dough by combining flour, salt, and water.
2. Roll the dough to about a quarter-inch thickness.
3. Cut out small circles with a cookie cutter.
4. Make a small hole near the top for the twine to go through later.
5. Bake the dough pieces for one to two hours at a low temperature.
6. Once they are cool, paint them blue and green to represent the Earth.
7. String the twine through the hole with some extra beads.

Enjoy wearing your matching necklaces.

5. Recycled planter

It is a simple way to start a garden and get inspired to plant more trees.

You will need:

• Old can, jar, or even a carton
• Soil
• Sapling
• Pair of scissors

How to make:

1. Wash the container thoroughly.
2. Let the children decorate the exterior of the container (if they want to).
3. Give them gravel to line the bottom for water drainage.
4. Next, help them put in small saplings of flowers or even herbs to give them the satisfaction they are eating something grown themselves.
5. Finally, let them pack the potting soil around the plant.
6. Ask them to water the plant daily and take care of it.

6. Crowns

Use old paper grocery bags to make the Earth Day grass crowns and make your little one feel like a garden princess.

You will need:

• Paper bags
• Grass and flowers (if possible)
• Green crayons
• Scissors
• A glue stick
• Flower stickers.

How to make:

1. Cut the bags into five-inch strips and color the blank side in different shades of green to make it look like blades of grass.
2. Snip the edge of the strips into a fringe, and to add depth to the grass, you can vary the height of the fringe as well.
3. Add flower stickers if available (You can use grass and flowers to make a crown as well).
4. Fit the crowns and cut to size if required.

It is a great activity for children who are learning art and craft. Don’t worry if the fringe is not precise.

7. Coffee filter craft

Use large size coffee filter papers to make this simple and fun craft.

You will need:

• Coffee filters
• Green and blue markers
• White paint
• Black card stock paper

How to make:

1. Give your child a green marker to color the land areas and a blue marker for the oceans around the land.
2. Spritz the filter with water and watch how the colors blend to fill up the coffee filter.
3. Stick the filter paper earth on the black paper once it’s dry.
4. To make the stars in space, dilute white paint and lightly spray around your Earth sketch.

8. Wildflower seed bombs

Follow this easy-peasy recipe to make these seed bombs from scrap material.

You will need:

• Scraps of construction paper
• Wildflower seeds
• Water

How to make:

1. Blend all your ingredients in a food processor.
2. Scrunch them together to form tiny balls.
3. Once they are dry, toss them around in your garden or the park.

As these seed bombs get rain and sun, the paper will compost, allowing the seeds to germinate. Give back these power-packed bombs to nature this Earth Day.

Earth Day Art Ideas For Kids

9. Newspaper leaf prints

Make sheets of recycled wrapping paper with pretty leaf prints.

You will need:

• Newspaper
• Assorted leaves
• Acrylic paints
• An empty plastic bottle.

How to make:

1. Spread a sheet of newspaper on the floor so that it is flat.
2. Dip the leaves in the paint.
3. Place the leaves on the newspaper with the paint-side facing down.
4. Use a second sheet of newspaper to cover the leaves.
5. Roll the bottle over it to make sure the leaves make an impression on the bottom sheet.
6. Carefully remove the top layer of newspaper.

Peel off the leaves to reveal your pretty leaf wrapping paper.

10. A giant upcycled art wall

Children enjoy making a collaborative giant art wall as they can add anything and everything they can find. You can collect things from toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, milk cartons, egg cartons, craft sticks, and packaging materials.

You also need:

• A giant piece of cardboard
• Tempera paints
• Glue guns

How to make:

1. Clear a large space on the floor for children to work on their design.
2. Give them the freedom to stick all the recycled items anywhere they want.
3. Once you stick them, use the paint to brighten the structure.

If you are a teacher, make it an ongoing classroom project for your students as they can keep adding items. Once the masterpiece is ready, hang it on the wall with clear non-marking tape.

11. Earth Day stamps

Use the old corks from your kitchen drawer to make these cute stampers that your children can enjoy using for the entire year.

You will need:

• Wine corks
• A Carving knife
• A pen
• Acrylic paints

How to make:

1. Draw any design you like at the end of the cork—alphabets, stars, and hearts make good stamps.
2. Carefully carve out the design (you can do a couple of test stamps while carving to make sure your design comes along as you want it)
3. To make the homemade stamp pad, soak a little bit of paint in an old washcloth.
4. The washcloth soaks the paint in the right amount to give you a stamp pad that will not over-saturate your craft.

Your children can use these stamps to decorate cards and notepads.

12. Painted nature pictures

Your child’s handmade nature picture can get you many compliments once it is up on your wall. Collect all the things that you can include in your artwork on a nature walk. Pick up twigs, leaves, feathers, and flowers.

You will need:

• Powdered tempera paints
• Sand
• Craft glue
• Mixing bowls
• Construction paper

How to make:

1. Mix sand with the powdered paint in separate bowls.
2. Coat all the natural materials you have with glue.
3. Roll them in the colored sand.
4. Now place your objects on the construction paper to make a scenic landscape.

Once you are happy with your arrangement, stick each object with glue.

13. Simple trash rainbow

The simple trash rainbow is a great way to help your toddlers learn about Earth Day.

You will need:

• A large piece of paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Seven small containers
• Color pencils
• Small squares of paper in rainbow colors

How to make:

1. Collect trash in rainbow colors. It can be anything from scrap paper, buttons, small toys, beads, or ribbon.
2. Get your little one sort the trash by colors and put them into the containers while you make the rainbow with colored pencils.
3. Spread the glue on the rainbow and paste the sorted stuff one color at a time.

Hang your colorful trash rainbow up once it is dry.

14. Eggshell mosaics

Save your eggshells to create delightful spring-inspired mosaics.

You will need:

• Eggshells
• Food coloring or tempera paint
• Water
• Glue
• Pencils
• Hairspray

How to make:

1. Dye the eggshells with color after thoroughly washing the insides.
2. Once they are dry, crush them with a rolling pin. Make sure they are small enough to lay flat but not too small to be picked up.
3. Ask your child to draw a picture, and then give fill in with the eggshell for the colors.
4. Eggshells can be slippery, so you may need to help your children fill in the small spaces.
5. Spritz with hairspray for a glossy finish.

15. Earth Day button tree

The button tree made could be an artistic addition on your wall and can inspire your guests too.

You will need:

• Corrugated cardboard
• Old buttons
• Scraps of cloth
• Buttons

How to make:

1. Outline a tree on the cardboard, and then let your children glue the buttons down along the line.
2. You can mix and match the colors and sizes randomly.
3. Cut out little birds from the scrap cloth.
4. Fit the birds on the tree as you go along.
5. Paste a picture hanger at the back for easy hanging.

16. Recycled robots

Help your children to make these funky robots from bits and bobs lying around your house.

You will need:

• Cereal boxes
• Glue
• Paint,
• A piece of sturdy cardboard

How to make:

1. Paint the card with some bright colors.
2. Once the paint dries, you can create the robot.
3. Use the boxes for the arms and legs, and fill in the body with odds and ends.

Your little ones may require parental supervision as they might not be able to use the hot glue gun. Apart from that, you can leave this creation to their imaginations.

Earth Day Games For Kids

17. Nature scavenger hunt

A scavenger hunt is a group activity that children of all ages enjoy. Plan an outdoor nature hunt this Earth Day so your little ones can play in your school grounds or a nearby park.

How to play:

1. Before heading outside, let your children make a list of all the natural elements they are likely to find, such as stones, grass, leaves, twigs, and flowers.
2. Divide the players into two teams and give each group a copy of the list and a basket for their collections.
3. You could use an erasable chalkboard for the list to save paper.
4. The first team to return with all the objects on the list wins.

18. Sort the garbage-recycling game

Teach your children some recycling etiquettes with this sorting game. You will need two containers, old magazines, recycled card stock, scissors, and double-sided tape.

How to play:

1. Cut out recyclable and non-recyclable items from the magazines and tape them to the card stock.
2. Create recycle and garbage labels to put on your containers.
3. Now you can ask the children to start sorting the items into the correct bins.

The fun activity helps them learn to separate everyday objects into the right bins in real life too.

19. Wheelbarrow races

Let your children enjoy outdoor fun with the wheelbarrow races.

How to play:

1. For the classic race, divide them into pairs.
2. Have one child from each pair sit inside the barrow while the other pushes to the finish line.

Don’t have wheelbarrows? You can fashion a human wheelbarrow.

1. One child gets down on their hands and knees while the other holds them up by the feet.
2. They work as a team to get to the finish line as fast as possible.

In another variation, you can conduct a relay race by having the participants take turns transferring something like a set of gardening tools from one end to the other. Do supervise if your children are too young.

20. Nature’s hopscotch

Hopscotch is a well-loved outdoor game that usually requires chalk and concrete pavement to draw the playing board. On Earth Day, play this version of the game and let your children get inspired by nature.

How to play:

1. To begin, ask your children to gather a bunch of rocks, pebbles, twigs, and leaves.
2. Help them arrange the natural elements to make the pattern of the board.

Once the pattern is made, they can use a pebble to toss and play as usual.

21. Earth Day tic-tac-toe

You need at least ten players to play the Earth Day tic-tac-toe game.

How to play:

1. Using the hopscotch method, make an extra-large grid using natural elements.
2. Once your board is ready, divide the players into two teams.
3. Each player becomes a marker, representing either an “X” or an “O.”

You could also join the game and make it entertaining. Play a few rounds and give the winning team a nature-themed prize.

22. Play in the dark

Children of all ages like mystery and playing in a dark room can add suspense to the game. The all-time favorite group games of Marco Polo or hide and seek played in a dark room can help explain the concept of power conservation. You could also tell them a spooky (not too spooky) story with the lights off to show them they can save power while having a fun time. Make sure there are no sharp objects around before you switch off the lights.

23. Crazy bowling

Create your bowling alley with items from your recycling bin.

How to play:

1. Arrange empty detergent gallons, soda cans, and milk cartons to make your homemade “pins.”
2. Use a tennis ball to see how many “pins” you can knock down in one go.
3. Make teams or play individually and remember to keep scores to see who wins the unique bowling game.

24. Cup and ball game

Make your cup and ball game with paper cups, ping-pong balls, and string.

How to make:

1. Decorate the cups with stickers or markers.
2. Then pierce a small hole at the bottom with a sharp pencil.
3. Cut about 50cm of the string, thread it through the cup after tying a knot on one end.
4. Next, make a tiny hole in the ping-pong ball and do the same with the other end of the string.

Your cup and ball game is ready. To play, toss the ball in the air and see how many times you can catch it in the cup. You can even make more than one so that your children can have a cup and ball race.

Earth Day Activities For Kids

25. Make a DIY t-shirt bag

These DIY t-shirt bags clearly announce that you say NO to plastic bags.

You will need:

• An old knit shirt
• A pair of scissors
• Marking chalk

How to make:

1. Cut off the sleeves and the neck.
2. Make a line along the bottom till the length you need your bag plus three inches, and cut off the extra length.
3. Line up the front and back of the t-shirt and ask your child to cut a one inch wide and two-inch tall fringe.
4. Turn the t-shirt inside out and start tying the front and back fringe pieces together tightly.

Flip the bag over, and you have your recycled tote!

26. Make organic compost

Don’t throw your kitchen waste into the garbage every day. Instead, collect the stale bread and vegetable peels in a bin that can be taken to the cowshed or make your compost. The compost can be used to condition and fertilize the soil in your plant beds. Remember to add some worms and aerate your compost bin regularly to expose the material to oxygen and help aerobic bacteria grow.

27. Doate old things to charity

The activity will bring joy not only to the receiver but also to the giver. Knowing someone else can use stuff that is just lying around your house can be satisfying. Your children can also conduct an old clothes collection drive in the neighborhood or school to get everyone involved.

28. Plant a tree

The Earth Day Network’s goal is to plant one tree for every person alive, thus planting 7.8 billion trees. Planting trees on Earth Day means you are making a concrete contribution towards the end goal. Bring your students together to join hands in this important activity and encourage them to plant more trees.

29. Make a Pledge

If you want your Earth Day teach-ins to have long-lasting effects, get your students to write down their plans and commitments for saving Earth. It is more likely they will execute their plans if they have them written down and put up on a board in their rooms. So combine this activity with an art project, so they can decorate their lists.

30. Start a beighborhood clean-up drive

Ask your children to grab some garbage bags and wear a pair of gloves to go on a neighborhood clean-up. Pick up the trash thrown out in all the wrong places. You’ll be surprised by the treasures you may find that can be recycled to create beautiful pieces of art. Recycling and cleaning-up together can make a change.

We have put down a number of ways you can celebrate Earth Day with your children, but don’t limit your contribution to this worldwide campaign to just one day of the year. Consider the implications of all of us doing our little bit every day all year round. Take inspiration from our list of 30 Earth Day activities for kids to give back to our planet more than just once a year.

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