I always look forward to earth day in the classroom, especially a primary classroom. Young students have so much wonder about how the world around them works and a curiosity to learn and do more to help the earth. In todays blog I am going to give some ideas for Earth Day activities in your classroom because I often spend an entire week weaving the theme into different lessons. I Know this time of year for many of you in older grades are focused on testing and all of the standardized crap we get stuck with but even if for just a break find some time to explore the earth and conversations about a green earth with your students, I promise it will be fun for students and you!
Read Alouds and Activities
I have loved reading a variety of books for earth day to students to bring awareness and tying books into experiments and follow up activities. Here is a list of books I love for earth day, some with activities as well.
One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul
Activity: Walk around your playground or school and pick up trash and recycling.
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
Activity: Little Bins for Little hands is this Oil Spill Experiment Click here
If Bees Disappeared
Activity: A bee sensory bin to explore bees life cycle by Montessori from the Heart Blog
The Mess That We Made by Michelle Lord
Activity: Book Companion and Water Pollution Follow Up Activities. Click here to get yours on my TpT store.
Science and Activities
Another way I love to celebrate earth day is by doing science experiments with students that show ways the world work, ways we can respect the world better, and ways we can learn and grow in our world.
Plant flowers/plants outside or in pots with students
Collect recycling and trash and practice sorting it with students in a fun activity
Our world Scavenger Hunt (Get it by clicking here)
Create bird feeders with toilet paper rolls, peanut butter and bird seed
Baking Soda and Fizz Earth Day Experiment from Little Bins for Little Hands (Click here for directions)
Practice letter formation or spelling with natural materials such as rocks, sticks, leaves
For writing go outside with magnifying graphs and have students look in the grass around them. Have them write about what they see after some time observing.
Learn about the Water Cycle through videos and reading.
For geometry go outside and look for shapes in nature. Have students record what shapes they find and where they find them.
Gather and Paint rocks (with non-toxic paint of course) with messages of kindness, put them around the outside of your school.
Movies/Shows
Some times earth day happened to fall around when we earned a whole class reward or around state testing which gave me some flexibility to show movies as a reward or as a relaxing activity after testing while still having educational value of course so here are some ideas for movies you could show that have the earth day theme.
Disney's Wall-e (all ages)
Hoot (ages 8-14)
Free Willy (ages 7-14)
March of the Penguins (ages 6+)
Arthur:Buster Baxter and the Letter from the Sea
The Berenstain Bears Don't Pollute
Franklin and Friends: Franklin's Earth Day
Bluey: Exploring the Earth with Bluey
These of course are just a few of the potential ways you could celebrate earth day. I hope you enjoy time with your students over the next couple of weeks exploring the earth and learning ways to respect and love the nature around us.
Happy Earth Day!
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