If you’re on the hunt for Earth Day activities and crafts to enjoy with your kids and/or students, this post is a great place to start! We’re sharing simple ways to celebrate Earth Day below, as well as our favorite Earth Day projects that can be enjoyed both at home and in the classroom. We’ve thrown in a whole mix of ideas, including crafts, science experiments, and outdoor activities. These ideas are easy to setup, and provide fun and meaningful ways to help your kids and students show their support for environmental protection while also giving you an opportunity to teach them about climate change and global warming!
11 Simple Ways to Celebrate Earth Day
1. Use an alternate form of transportation
Walk, ride your bike, carpool, or take public transit to school or work to reduce your carbon footprint.
2. Turn off your lights!
Get into the habit of turning the lights off each time you leave a room. It’s such a simple and small habit to get into, but it can significantly reduce the amount of energy you use over time.
3. Plant something
Whether it’s an outdoor tree or an indoor houseplant, adding greenery to your living space is a great way to save the planet. Plants and trees help clean the air you breathe while also producing moisture, regulating the temperature, and producing oxygen.
4. Grow your own fruits and veggies…
…or purchase them from your local farmers market. Locally-grown produce is fresher and contains more nutrients, and buying locally-grown foods helps maintain farmlands and support your local economy.
5. Switch to reusable products wherever possible
From reusable shopping bags, to refillable water bottles, to metal drinking straws, to glass food storage containers, there are tons of small ways you can reduce your plastic usage and waste on the daily.
6. Wash clothes in cold water
It takes a surprising amount of energy for your washing machine to heat water up for each load of laundry, so unless you need to remove germs or heavy soil from your clothing, switch to cold water instead. Washing your clothes in cold water can help remove stains like sweat and blood, and prevents your clothes from shrinking and fading. It can also help reduce wrinkles, which has the added benefit of decreasing the time and energy needed to iron your clothes!
7. Conserve water
There are lots of ways to conserve water, and while they may seem small on their own, they can add up to many galloons of saved water each day. Make it a point to take shorter showers, and turn the faucet off while you’re brushing your teeth and scrubbing your hands.
8. Turn off appliances when they aren’t in use
Many of us are guilty of keeping things like lamps and kitchen appliances plugged in 24/7 without realizing we’re wasting energy on something we’re not even using. Unplug items after use so you aren’t wasting energy for no reason.
9. Invest in a set of rechargeable batteries
While it may not be practical to use rechargeable batteries in all of your appliances, take stock of the items you use the most and consider making the switch. It’s not just good for the environment – it will also save you money in the long run.
10. Stop putting off those home improvements
From fixing your leaky bathroom faucet to installing energy-efficient lightbulbs, there are lots of little ways you can save energy (and money) on the daily.
11. Go paperless
Sign-up for online banking, invest in an eReader, and stick a ‘no junk mail’ sign on your mailbox to help reduce the amount of paper you use.
21 Earth Day Activities for Kids
Earth Day Cookies | Tammilee Tips
Earth Day Windsocks | I Heart Crafty Things
Earth Day BINGO | Artsy-Fartsy Mama
Earth Day Cootie Catcher | Rock Your Homeschool
Recycled Tin Can Planters | Darice
DIY Earth Day Seed Bombs | Little Bins for Little Hands
Paper Plate Earth Heart Craft | Non-Toy Gifts
I Spy Nature Printable | Paper Trail Design
Spring Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt | Teachers Pay Teachers
Earth Day Craft Stick Bird Feeder | Surviving a Teacher’s Salary
DIY Earth Day Recycled Crayons | Simply Living Green with Rebekah
Editable Earth Day Board Game | Fun Learning For Kids
Earth Day Coloring Pages | Carrots Are Orange
Recycled Bag Kites | Mrs. Plemon’s Kindergarten
Plastic Cup Mini Greenhouses | CBC
Stained Glass Planet Earth Craft | My Mommy Style
Earth Day Lava Lamp Science Experiment | Little Bins for Little Hands
Making Paper Recycling Project for Kids | STEAMsational
Earth Day Slime | A Sparkle of Genius
Earth Day Mobiles | Learning with Mrs. Parker
Yarn Earth Day Activity | Made with Happy
I hope this collection of Earth Day activities and crafts for kids inspires you to find new and creative ways to get your kids and students to show their support for environmental protection while also teaching them about climate change and global warming!