Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten

Earth Day is April 22nd, and there’s no better way to celebrate than to dig in and enjoy some Earth-friendly STEM activities perfect for kids of all ages! Earth Day crafts and activities serve as the perfect opportunity to spread appreciation and a love for our planet, while also offering fun-filled science activities your kids are sure to love. 

Let’s take a look at 4 fun Earth Day activities for kids that will keep your child learning while cultivating a deep awareness and appreciation of taking care of our one and only planet Earth!

Hanging Bottle Planter

Teach children to love the Earth by recycling and reusing trash to reduce the waste in landfills. This fun activity teaches kids to reuse everyday items to make something that can benefit and beautify the environment! As an added bonus, young children can watch as seeds or plants grow from their homemade planter!

What You’ll Need: 

• Used plastic bottle with cap, cleaned and dried
• Scissors, craft knife, or single hole punch
• Yarn 
• Soil and a favorite plant or seeds

What to Do: 

Be sure to take off any labels from the plastic bottle, and keep the cap securely fastened to the bottle. Cut the bottle about 1/3 of the way from the bottom. Encourage your child to decorate the bottle any way they wish using paint, if preferred. Otherwise, cut or punch holes halfway down for the yarn. Turn over the bottle and fill with soil. Plant your favorite plant or seeds in the bottle before threading the yarn through the holes. Once your plant or seeds are planted, hang the bottle anywhere in your home that has ample light and watch it thrive in the reused planter! 

Recycled Crayons

Earth Day is all about preserving the environment and reducing the trash we throw away. What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to recreate a popular kid craft supply, like crayons, by reusing old, broken pieces? This fun activity reuses old crayons, and transforms trash into treasure! 

What You’ll Need: 

• Old, broken crayon pieces or broken crayons
• Candy molds or mini cupcake tins

What to Do: 

Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees. Help your child find and collect broken crayons or crayon pieces. For larger chunks, break up broken crayons into smaller pieces using a kitchen knife. Encourage your child to arrange the pieces of crayon in the candy mold or baking tins. Be creative! Your child can create interesting designs as they please. When ready, bake the tray for until the crayons are completely melted, about 15-25 minutes. Set the tray out to cool until the was hardens. Once cooled, pop out the new fun-shaped crayons and enjoy! 

Bird Feeder Ornaments

Teach your child to give back to the environment by feeding the creatures that keep our ecosystem in check with this exciting Earth Day activity for kindergarteners! 

What You’ll Need: 

• 2.5 cups of birdseed
• 2 packets of plain gelatin 
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• Water
• Cookie cutters
• Parchment Paper
• Twine
• Straws

What to Do: 

First, dissolve the gelatin in water according to package instructions. Stir in the corn syrup, and finally add the birdseed.  Arrange cookie cutters on top of the parchment paper, and firmly press the birdseed mixture into the cookie cutters ensuring that they are completely filled. Press the straws near the top, but away from the edges to create a hole for the twine to hang the ornaments. Refrigerate overnight, and remove the next day carefully. Using twine, hang the ornaments outside and prepare for birdwatching! 

Make a Home Compost Pile

Teach your child how to compost for the ultimate lesson in recycling in a way that benefits the environment. It only takes a few supplies to get started! 

What You’ll Need: 

• A plastic container or bin with lid for the compost 
• Plant waste, like leaves, branches, lawn clippings, dead flowers, etc. 
• Kitchen trash, like used egg shells, fruit and veggie peels
• Soil 
• An old rug or carpet square

What to Do: 

Drill holes around the top of the plastic container and place it outside on the dirt or in the grass. Fill it with the kitchen and plant waste. Take the soil and sprinkle some inside the container. This helps insects, like worms, to digest the waste. Cover the bin with the lid, and place the rug or carpet square on top. Open this periodically to add more kitchen and plant trash. Be sure that the bin is stored somewhere with ample sunlight. While the compost pile will take months to decompose, it will eventually crumble into fertilizer that can be used in your yard! Keep the kids interested by asking them to predict what will happen over time, and keep adding to the compost pile as the months go by. 

Earth Day is an excellent opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the planet we live on, while learning about the natural sciences along the way. Keep your excited about learning by trying the above activities during your Earth Day festivities, and don’t forget to check out all our high-quality learning resources on our webiste!