Happy Earth Day, everyone! Each year on Earth Day, we celebrate our beautiful planet and all the wonderful things it has to offer. Since Earth Day was first celebrated back in 1970, people all around the world have come together to take action to protect our planet and create a better future for ourselves and for future generations.
As the next Earth Day approaches, it’s important to encourage children to learn about and care for our planet. Engaging kids in activities that promote sustainability, conservation, and environmental awareness is a great way to teach them how to become responsible global citizens.
In this blog, we’ll explore 10 fun and educational Earth Day activity ideas for kids. Most importantly, all of these ideas are really simple. Activities like starting a compost bin or building a birdhouse aren’t always practical for kids – as they can take time and in some instances require tools – so we’ve focussed on sharing the most simple activity ideas for Earth Day to keep things really kid-friendly. Also, you don’t have to do something challenging in order to make a big difference in the world.
From planting trees to going on a nature walk, these activities are designed to inspire kids to appreciate and protect the natural world around them. So if you’re looking for ways to celebrate Earth Day with your little ones, read on for some fantastic Earth Day activity ideas for kids!
Check out the full list below – but if you’re looking for an interactive activity that gets kids moving to help with the Earth Day theme – then you can download your free kids yoga quest for Earth Day below!
2023 Earth Day Theme – Invest in Our Planet
This year, the theme is “Invest in Our Planet,” which means we want to focus on spending time improving the state of our planet and in order to make it healthy again. It’s important that we take care of our planet so we can all have clean air, water, and a safe place to live.
We know that our planet has been going through some tough times lately, with climate change and pollution. But we can all do our part to help make things better! Earth Day is a time for us to think about how we can make a difference and protect our planet.
As the next generation to look after our planet, kids have a big role to play in helping to take care of the Earth. That’s why we’ve made a list of some fun and exciting Earth Day activity ideas for kids that you can do to make a difference.
10 Easy Earth Day Activity Ideas for Kids
- Plant a Tree
Trees are important for the health of our planet. They provide us with oxygen, clean the air, and provide habitats for animals. Planting a tree is a great way to celebrate Earth Day and make a positive impact in your community. You can plant a tree in your backyard or in a local park or community garden. The best bit about this activity is how long it lasts. It’s likely that the tree you plant will be there for many years to come – and kids can nurture it while it’s young by watering and check on its progress as it grows!
- Go on a Nature Walk
There’s nothing quite like spending time in nature! Take a walk in the park or go on a hike with your family. Take time to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around you, and pick up any trash you see along the way. The only thing this costs is time and it can be a great opportunity to teach them about different plants, animals, and ecosystems.
- Plant Seeds From Fruits You’ve Eaten
This is an amazing way to teach kids about fruits and how they came to be in our homes! Seeds that are great to plant from fruits include apples, lemons, sweet / bell peppers, chillies, tomatoes, strawberries or raspberries. Choose your kids favourite and see if you can grow your own!
- Make Recycled Art
Get creative and make some art using recycled materials! You can use old magazines, toilet roll holders, cardboard boxes, and other household items to make pictures, sculptures, collages, and more. A simple but effective activity that will keep kids busy.
- Play Save Energy Bingo!
Did you know that reducing energy usage can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change? Getting kids to understand this though is a real challenge – so it can be a good idea to teach them about saving energy in a fun game.
Why not try and play a family game of save energy bingo? This is where you make a bingo card full of ways kids can save energy in the home. From switching the lights off or having a short shower instead of a bath, to turning devices off rather than having them on standby – there’s loads of ways to reduce energy use. If you’re struggling to think of some to make your own card, then there’s a pre-made one on ABQ Mom’s website that you can download here.
- Organise a Litter / Trash Pick-Up
Help keep your community clean by organising a trash pick-up day with your friends and family. You can pick up litter in your neighbourhood, at a local park, or even along a nearby river or beach.
- Build a Bug Hotel
Bugs are an important part of our ecosystem, they promote positive biodiversity and creating a home for them is a great way to attract them to your backyard. Making a bug hotel is really easy and doesn’t require any craft skill or particular tools – which makes it perfect for kids to do with grown ups. Check out this article from The Woodland Trust which runs through how to build a bug hotel. The best bit is you could find a lot of the materials on a nature walk! Such as pine cones, dry leaves, twigs, hollow stems and bits of bark.
This Earth Day activity teaches kids about wildlife conservation and the importance of providing habitats for animals.
- Start a Mini Garden
Starting a garden is a fun and rewarding way to get outside and connect with nature. You can plant vegetables or flowers in your backyard or in a small container on your windowsill.
- Swap the Car for a Walk or Cycle
Realistically for some families, it can be very difficult to regularly or permanently swap using the car for walking or cycling. However, just making one journey swap for Earth Day can help us all to think more about ditching the car for a more sustainable mode of transport. Whether it’s a trip to see friends, the journey to school or a visit to the park – see if just one of these could become a family walk or cycle.
- Use Reusable Bags – or make your own!
Single-use plastic bags are a major source of waste, but you can make a difference by using reusable bags when you go shopping. You can even make your own reusable bag out of an old t-shirt or other materials!
If you’re put off making your own tote by the idea of sewing with kids, then don’t worry. Check out this handy video from Crafty Caboodle, showing you how to make a tote bag from an old t-shirt with no sewing, no glue and no mess!
By taking action and making small changes in our daily lives, we can all make a difference in protecting our planet. So, let’s celebrate Earth Day with enthusiasm and excitement, and let’s work together to create a brighter, more sustainable future for ourselves and for the world around us!
Try our Earth Day Yoga Quest
If you’re looking for some Earth-Day related activities suitable for indoors, a classroom or a rainy day – then try our Earth Day Yoga Quest! On this quest, you can learn about the six basic types of animals – mammals, invertebrates, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians. On your big adventure, you can do 20 yoga adventures which are all themed around different animals from these groups. Many of these yoga adventures also have positive morals which are brilliant for kids, including:
- Not littering
- Being brave
- Being kind to others
- Dealing with our emotions
- Standing up to bullies
- Working with the community
As well as facts about the basic types of animals and a follow-along tick sheet of our adventures, it also contains a certificate that you can award your little one on completion signed by Jaime! Get your copy below!
