Earth Day activities for kids are best outdoors.
Need quick and easy Earth Day activities for kids?
You’ve come to the right place.
The truth is, I was trying to get a multitude of ideas your way, but they had me all thinking. – Are these Earth Day ideas taking care of the Earth?
Allow me to simplify things for you and your family.
Here, we used the book, A Little Bit of Dirt by Asia Citro. Come follow along, as the majority of materials are right out your door. Items you find on the Earth. Outdoor treasures are perfect for exploring for Earth Day.
RELATED: And if you love going outdoors as we do, check out these summer activities for toddlers.
What can kids do on Earth Day?
Many times, children take the lead with learning.
The other morning, my five-year-old grabbed, A Little Bit of Dirt and flung himself onto the sofa.
Mom, I am going to find us something to do today.
Early learners need to explore. No worksheets. Now is the time we want hands-on learning. So as he skimmed through the pages, I knew he was a boy on a mission, and I was going to follow his lead.
RELATED: How did Earth Day get started? You’ll want to read this educational article about the history of Earth Day.
Earth Day activities begin with something simple.
Our job was to go outside and collect items from the Earth.
Sounds simple. We headed outdoors to see, touch, listen and engage with every element of the outdoors. Here we had a chance to talk about the Earth and what we found.
I wonder why sticks are important. What do you think?
You found a rock. Is it smooth or rough?
Yikes! That pinecone is sharp! Why do you think a pinecone is sharp? Is there anything on it that makes it sharp?
What I love most about A Little Bit of Dirt is that almost every activity begins with exploration.
It would help if you preschooler began by searching outside for their materials rather than through the craft store’s aisles. Now, I love some new art supplies, but it’s Earth Day! We should be outside.
RELATED: Want more kid activities at home? Here is a fantastic list of 40+ ideas.
Why explore the outdoors on Earth Day?
- Sensory
- Fine motor
- Independence
- Vitamin D
- Problem-solving
- Screen-free
- Gross motor
- Creative thinking
- Predictions
- Exploring textures
- Exploring sounds
There are endless benefits of appreciating Mother Nature on Earth Day!
RELATED: Want to get your sensory play outside ready? Take a look at our outdoor storage bin.
Bring your Earth Day activity back inside to classify.
Why Sort and Classify?
By Kindergarten, children using the common core standards will practice classifying objects into given categories.
We can begin to do this now in ways that interest our children!
Supplies are simple!
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You can find many extensions for the outdoors with the same book we used to gather our ideas.
Ready to extend your Earth Day activity?
Place each natural resource in a jar of water and watch it decompose, and draw pictures of what you notice as the days pass.
Continue to make observations and chat about how water affects nature.
RELATED: Spring is here! Check out this list of 51+ Spring Activities for Kids!
Which Earth Day activity for kids will you do?