1-2-3 Come Do Some Earth Day Activities With Me!
Earth Day is April 22nd, so I'm posting 6 quick, easy and fun activities you can do to help celebrate our earth, and practice a variety of standards as well.
First up is a super-cute, newsprint craftivity. To help recycle, students trace the cat or dog template on an interesting looking section of the newspaper, or page in a magazine, that's free of pictures.
They cut out their animal, mount it on a sheet of construction paper and add facial features.
I've included "headers" for each one, as well as dog/cat tags with a recycle symbol on them, which can be tied on a piece of ribbon or yarn to make a collar, and add a bit of 3D pizzazz.
Older students can complete the writing prompt: Why "It's a dog gone good idea to reduce, reuse and recycle" or why doing those things makes "'purr-fect' sense" on the back of their paper.
Completed projects make an adorable Earth Day bulletin board. I've included six, "reduce, reuse & recycle" photo posters to introduce the lesson, then use in your display.
Another recycle art craftivity I call "Shape Up!" You can do it anytime, but it's especially appropriate for Earth Day, as students can see first hand how they can reuse old magazines, and recycle them into a piece of art.
I've included patterns for a circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, hexagon, pentagon, octagon, trapezoid, rhombus, heart, star and crescent.
Run off whatever 2D shapes you're working on, then give your students a choice. They choose however many strips they need to fill in that shape, glue them on, then flip their paper over and trim.
Completed projects turn out absolutely awesome and make a great bulletin board.
Display as is, or mount on a variety of bright colors of construction paper. Use the "Shape Up!" poster for the center of your display.
I've also included a pattern for "prize ribbons" in all of the shapes listed above.
Have students pick the one that matches their collage, then write their name, the shape name and a title of their shapely piece on the "ribbon tag". Hang these along side children's "masterpieces".
The "Give a Hoot. Don't Pollute!" is also an interesting way to review 2D shapes, and has several options.
I use this as a whole group, "listening & following directions" activity, where students listen to the spatial directions, then glue that particular shape on their owl.
For some 3D pizzazz, cut the beaks on a fold so they flip up, and fold the wings in half. (See photo).
The other version is the shapely owl on a worksheet. Simply run off on tan construction paper for children to color and trim. After everyone is done, discuss what pollution is and why we should give a hoot about it.
Older students can write their thoughts out on the owl worksheet (2 options) then glue it to the back. Punch a hole at the top, tie a yarn loop, and suspend from the ceiling.
I’ve also included an “I give a hoot! I don’t pollute” bookmark in color, plus black & white.
Another writing prompt craftivity is "Be A Litter Leader, Not A Litterbug"
Children color the litterbug, staple a Dixie cup to the base, then wad up some scrap paper and fill it.
The packet also includes a writing prompt for older students. Use the "Be a litter leader not a litterbug" poster to introduce the lesson, then for the center of your bulletin board display.
I have my kiddos raise their hand and promise, as well as sign the contract. They enjoy helping me clean up litter from our playground, and receive a bookmark (color or B&W) plus a "slap bracelet" afterwards.
Without fail, someone starts singing the enclosed poster song, then everyone chimes in.
Another Earth Day writing prompt option is to make a class book. My students love contributing a page to our class-made books.
After I explain what it means to reduce, reuse and recycle, we discuss ways that even young children can make a difference. My students are always amazed at the many simple things they can do to help out.
I list them on the board, so they can refer to our ideas as they complete their own page. There are 2 cover options, plus 5 "inside" pages to choose from, or run them all off and give students a choice.
When we read our booklet aloud, the child who wrote that page comes up and shares theirs.
Finally, "Time To Recycle" is a quick, easy & fun game that practices telling time to the hour, while reviewing things we can recycle.
Children pick a partner and take turns rolling 1st one dice for numbers 1-6, then 2 dice, adding them together for numbers 7-12.
They glue the matching numbered square, depicting a recycled item on their clock. The first one to complete their clock is the winner. There are several options for this activity as well.
Today's FREEBIE is another fun game you can play on Earth Day. It's a color matching game that I call "Keep Our Earth Bright & Beautiful"
Little ones can match earth to earth, while older students can practice their color words and match a colorful earth to its color word.
Well that's it for today. I hope you and your kiddos have a super-de-dooper Earth Day.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” - Dr. Seuss (The Lorax)