Quick, Easy, and Hand-on Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten

With the arrival of spring, Earth Day (April 22nd) is right around the corner. Earth Day is a holiday that may be overlooked. It often falls during spring break, state testing, or on weekends. What’s great is that these Earth Day activities for kindergarten don’t need much time to complete; they are quick, easy, and hands-on!

Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten to Get Started

I like to kick off units and build excitement through videos and read-alouds. Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to do this. There are many great Earth Day read-alouds and free videos available on YouTube. Rocket Say’s Clean Up is one of my favorite books, while Harry Kindergarten’s “We’re Going Green” is a catchy tune that grabs their attention yearly!

Providing multiple exposures and ways to practice helps my students understand ways to care for the Earth. I usually start with the concept of reduce, reuse and recycle. First, we gather on the rug and work together to sort using picture cards in a pocket chart. Using what we have learned from books, videos, and this sort, we work in small groups or independently to complete individual sorts, a write-the-room activity, color by codes, and more. To see more of the activities I complete with my students, check out this Earth Day resource.

Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten to Apply What You’ve Learned

Now that students understand the importance of caring for the Earth, it’s time to bring learning to life through real-life applications.

Get Outside!

This time of year provides the opportunity to spend time outside! Get some fresh air while students help clean up the school grounds, take a nature walk, or listen to an Earth Day story.

• Take a Nature Walk: Head outside to observe the school environment’s different trees, plants, and animals. Take this a step further and make it a scavenger hunt!
• Pick up Litter: Provide students with gloves and trash bags. Walk around the school grounds and have them help pick up the litter they see.
• Garden/Compost: If you have a school garden, you can observe the plants and learn about composting. Our science curriculum has a unit on worms, plus lots of food scraps are thrown away each day in the cafeteria which would all work to support an authentic learning experience.
• Plant a Tree: Let students plant trees or seeds to grow a pollinator garden. Around Earth Day, many places will offer to plant a tree for free. What a great experience for your students!

Book Swap

Bring the concept of reuse to life with a classroom book swap. Send a note inviting students to bring in a book or two they no longer read. To ensure I have enough for everyone, I always clean out my books or have extras that I’ve grabbed with points from Scholastic Book Club. Afterward, lay the collected books out for students to browse and choose a new one to take home.

If you are interested in trying a Earth Day book swap in your classroom, scroll down to grab the free letter at the end of this blog post.

Set up a Recycling Center

Ask for donations or collect various bottles, boxes, paper, and cans. Transform your dramatic play area into a recycling center, or take bins and let kids practice sorting recyclable materials by paper, plastic, glass, etc. Besides learning about recycling, this activity will support role play, conversations, and problem-solving.

Recyclable Creations Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten

Making recyclable creations offers many opportunities. For example, have the whole class use recyclable materials to create robots or make it open-ended and let them create anything they want! Complete these Earth Day activities for kindergarten in class or at home. Ultimately, the idea is to use recyclable materials to create something new.

This activity can also make a great open-ended center. Paper, boxes, toilet paper rolls, lids, etc., are already abundant in our classroom recycling bin. Add tape, glue, string, etc., and see what your students’ imaginations create!

How to Wrap Up Earth Day Activities for Kindergarten

Now that you’ve done all these amazing activities have students show what they know. Let students perform a play, create a song, or write about everything they have learned.

Earth Day Writing Crafts

Drawing and writing are great ways for students to share their learning. Display your students’ writing in a fun way with Earth Day writing crafts. Pick and choose the outside and inside parts to match your needs. Templates include a variety of prompts and options to write or draw, depending on your students’ levels.

I’d love to hear your favorite ways to teach your students how to take care of the Earth. Leave your ideas in the comments!