Here are innovative, hands-on Earth Day activities specially designed for kindergarten and lower primary children (ages 4–8). These ideas focus on play, creativity, and simple eco-concepts that young children can easily understand and enjoy 🌍✨

🌱 Nature & Sensory Activities

1. Mini Garden in a Glove

Children plant seeds in each finger of a recycled glove.
Teaches: Plant care, growth, responsibility
Bonus: Label each finger with a plant name

2. Soil Sensory Bins

Fill bins with soil, pebbles, leaves, and toy insects.
Teaches: Earth textures, habitats, fine motor skills

3. Leaf & Bark Rubbing Station

Use crayons and paper to explore natural textures.
Teaches: Observation, patterns in nature

♻️ Reuse & Recycle Play

4. Build-a-Robot Workshop

Use boxes, bottle caps, and tubes to create robots.
Teaches: Reusing materials, creativity

5. Recycling Sorting Game

Children sort items into “Paper, Plastic, Metal” bins.
Teaches: Waste sorting basics
Tip: Use color-coded bins

6. Junk Orchestra

Create instruments from bottles, cans, and beans.
Teaches: Sound, reuse, teamwork

🎨 Art with an Earth Message

7. Bubble Wrap Earth Art

Paint circles blue and green using bubble wrap stamps.
Teaches: Texture, Earth colors

8. Nature Collage Faces

Create faces using leaves, twigs, and seeds.
Teaches: Appreciation for natural materials

9. Handprint Promise Tree

Each handprint includes a promise like “I save water.”
Teaches: Responsibility in a child-friendly way

🚶 Outdoor & Movement Activities

10. Earth Day Scavenger Hunt

Find items like something green, something reused, etc.
Teaches: Environmental awareness

11. Clean-Up Parade

Kids wear gloves and clean a small area, then parade.
Teaches: Community care, pride

12. Grow-Like-a-Plant Yoga

Move like seeds, sprouts, and tall trees.
Teaches: Growth cycles, body movement

📖 Story & Imagination

13. “Earth Needs a Hero” Role Play

Children pretend to help Earth solve problems.
Teaches: Problem-solving, empathy

14. Story Stones

Paint stones with trees, water drops, animals, sun.
Teaches: Storytelling, eco-themes

🌟 Simple Science for Little Learners

15. Water Saving Experiment

Compare dripping tap vs turned-off tap using cups.
Teaches: Water conservation

16. Seed Sprouting in Jars

Watch beans sprout in clear jars.
Teaches: Plant life cycle

🌍 Earth Day Classroom Tip

End the day with a “Little Earth Heroes” certificate or badge to celebrate their efforts 💚

If you’d like, I can:

Create a full Earth Day lesson plan
Suggest printable activities
Adapt these for outdoor school events
Align activities with SDGs or Montessori learning

Just tell me! 😊

Junk Jumble Recycling Game

Can kids recycle everything into the appropriate recycling bins? You may learn about the materials used to make commonplace objects and the value of recycling by playing this online game! Big concepts like carbon sequestration and climate change might be difficult for small children to understand. They just seem frightening to children under five, don’t they? This kind of game makes learning more engaging and accessible for young students who could otherwise become disinterested and begin drawing on your walls! Additionally, they enhance problem-solving abilities, reaction times, and hand-eye coordination.

With so many entertaining Earth Day activities for kids, you should definitely sign up for a Twinkl membership so you may download anything you want at the push of a button. Earth Day is all about using your tiny probing sponges to investigate subjects like sustainability, climate change, and how our everyday actions affect our incredibly fascinating planet. From us Twinklees, happy Earth Day 2025!

2. Salt-Dough Hedgehog Craft

Here’s a Salt-Dough Hedgehog Craft that’s cute, sensory, and perfect for kindergarten & lower primary kids 🦔🌿
It works well for Earth Day, animal units, or nature themes.

🦔 Salt-Dough Hedgehog Craft

Age Group

4–8 years

Skills Developed

Fine motor skills • Sensory play • Creativity • Animal awareness

🧂 Materials

For Salt Dough:

1 cup flour
½ cup salt
½ cup water (add slowly)

For Decorating:

Toothpicks, matchsticks, or dried grass (for spikes)
Black peppercorns / cloves / beads (eyes & nose)
Brown, gray, or beige paint (optional)
Paintbrush
Glue (if needed)

🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions

1️⃣ Make the Dough

Mix flour and salt. Slowly add water and knead until soft (not sticky).

2️⃣ Shape the Hedgehog

Roll dough into a ball.
Gently pinch one end to form a pointy nose.
Flatten the bottom so it sits upright.

3️⃣ Add the Face

Press in peppercorns or cloves for eyes and nose.

4️⃣ Create Spikes

Let children:

Press toothpicks or matchsticks into the back
OR use scissors to snip texture
OR use a fork to make lines (safer for younger kids)

5️⃣ Dry the Hedgehog

Air-dry: 24–48 hours
Oven (teacher use): 90–100°C (200°F) for 2–3 hours

6️⃣ Paint & Finish (Optional)

Paint once fully dry. Seal with clear glue or varnish if desired.

🌍 Earth Day Learning Link

Talk about:

Hedgehogs as garden helpers 🐛
Respecting animals and habitats
Using natural and reusable materials

👶 Safety Tips

Supervise sharp tools
Use forks instead of toothpicks for younger children
No tasting the dough (very salty!)

✨ Variations

🍂 Add real leaves or seeds for spikes
🦔 Make baby hedgehogs in different sizes
🪵 Place hedgehogs on cardboard “forest” bases

If you want, I can:

Turn this into a printable craft card
Create a classroom display idea
Simplify it for preschool
Connect it to a science mini-lesson

Just let me know! 😊

3. Earth Day Mindfulness Colouring Pag

One of the best ways to teach kids to take care of the environment is to practice mindfulness. Being aware of our automatic behaviors enables us to change them to more sustainable ones. This is a significant step in lowering our carbon footprint. For instance, children are paying close attention to the minute details of the unique patterns on each page as they color in these Earth Day coloring sheets. They have time to pause and reflect as a result. As you color the flower and all of its opal-shaped petals, you might want to encourage kids to consider bees and their significance for pollination and, most importantly, food!

4. Earth Day Recycled Boat Stem Activity

Here’s a fun, hands-on Earth Day Recycled Boat STEM Activity that works beautifully for preschool through lower primary (K–2) and fits perfectly with your Earth Day and recycled-materials theme 🌍🚤

🌎 Earth Day STEM Activity: Recycled Boat Challenge

Learning Focus

Sustainability & recycling
Engineering design process
Problem-solving and critical thinking
Simple science concepts (floating & sinking)

🧠 The Challenge

Can you design a boat using recycled materials that floats and carries cargo without sinking?

♻️ Materials (Recycled-Friendly)

Plastic bottle caps
Yogurt cups or food containers
Cardboard or egg cartons
Corks or foam trays
Popsicle sticks
Straws
Aluminum foil
Tape (paper or masking)
String
Basin, tub, or large bowl of water
Small weights (coins, pebbles, beans, marbles)

🔧 Activity Steps

1. Plan

Talk about why recycling helps Earth Day
Ask:
- What makes things float?
- What shapes do boats have?
Children sketch or describe their boat idea

2. Build

Children construct boats using only recycled materials
Encourage creativity: catamarans, rafts, sailboats, bottle boats

3. Test

Place boats gently in water
Add “cargo” one piece at a time
Count how many items the boat can hold before sinking

4. Improve

Discuss what worked and what didn’t
Modify designs and retest

🔬 STEM Concepts Explained Simply

Buoyancy: Boats float when they push water out of the way
Weight Distribution: Spreading weight helps balance
Engineering: Design → Build → Test → Improve

🧩 Extensions & Variations

🌬️ Wind Power: Add a paper sail and blow gently
📏 Math Tie-In: Count cargo or compare which boat holds more
🌊 Environmental Talk: Discuss ocean pollution and plastic waste
🎨 Art Add-On: Decorate boats with eco-friendly paints

🧒 Adaptations by Age

Preschool: Float or sink exploration with one material
K–1: Simple boats + 3–5 cargo items
Grade 2: Set rules (must hold 10 items or float for 30 seconds)

🌱 Earth Day Message

“Reusing materials helps protect our planet and inspires smart design!”

If you’d like, I can also:

Create a printable STEM challenge card
Write a lesson plan or classroom display text
Adapt this into an outdoor Earth Day water-play station

Just tell me 😊

5. Earth Day Nature Walk Activity Sheet

This Earth Day, venture outside and discover! Going on a nature walk and scavenger hunt is an enjoyable way to get kids outside and explore the outdoors. Finding the closest park or green area is all that is required—the school playground will work perfectly! and give your young adventurers these Earth Day scavenger-hunt activity papers. As you travel, keep an eye out for the objects on the sheet and encourage them to enjoy all the amazing views that nature has to offer.

6. A Place for Plastic’ Ocean Pollution Story eBook

A Place For Plastic – An Ocean Pollution Story

A Place for Plastic 🌊♻️

An Ocean Pollution Story eBook (for ages 4–8)

Page 1: Welcome to the Blue Ocean

The ocean was bright and blue. Fish zipped between coral homes, turtles glided through the waves, and dolphins danced in the sunlit water. It was a happy place where everyone shared the sea.

Page 2: Meet Pip the Plastic Bottle

One day, something new floated by.

“Hello,” said Pip the Plastic Bottle. “I didn’t mean to come here. I was thrown away and the wind carried me to the ocean.”

The fish stared. They had never seen anything like Pip before.

Page 3: Trouble in the Water

As Pip drifted along, he bumped into seaweed and blocked tiny crabs from hiding. A turtle tried to nibble Pip, thinking he was food.

“Oh no!” cried the turtle. “This does not belong here.”

Page 4: The Ocean Animals Worry

The dolphin splashed sadly. “Plastic can hurt us,” she said. “It tangles our fins and makes the water dirty.”

Pip felt bad. “I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he said. “I just don’t know where I belong.”

Page 5: A Big Idea

An old octopus had an idea. “Plastic is not ocean trash,” he said wisely. “It belongs in the recycling bin, where it can be made into something new.”

Pip’s label crinkled with hope.

Page 6: Help from the Shore

On the beach, children were cleaning up litter for Earth Day. They wore gloves and carried big bags.

“Look! A plastic bottle!” one child said. “Let’s recycle it!”

Page 7: A New Journey

The children picked up Pip and placed him in a recycling bin.

“Thank you!” Pip said happily. “Now I’m going to the right place.”

The ocean animals cheered and splashed with joy.

Page 8: A Fresh Start

At the recycling center, Pip was cleaned and melted.

Soon, he became part of a new backpack.

“Wow,” Pip said. “I get to help again!”

Page 9: The Ocean Smiles Again

Back at the ocean, the water sparkled. Fish swam freely, turtles munched on sea grass, and coral shimmered in the sun.

“Thank you for keeping our home clean,” said the dolphin.

Page 10: The Earth Day Promise

The children made a promise:

“We will reduce, reuse, and recycle. We will give plastic a place—away from the ocean.”

And the ocean smiled.

🌍 Earth Day Message for Kids

Plastic is useful, but it must go in the right place.

🟢 Recycle plastic 🟢 Reuse when you can 🟢 Protect our oceans

Because the ocean is home—and homes should be kept clean 💙

Optional Classroom Add‑Ons

Discussion questions
Ocean animal coloring pages
Recycled boat or plastic sorting activity
Earth Day pledge page

The End

I’ve created “A Place for Plastic – An Ocean Pollution Story” as a child-friendly Earth Day eBook in the canvas 🌊♻️
It’s written for ages 4–8, with simple language, clear environmental messaging, and a hopeful ending—perfect for classrooms, storytime, or Earth Day lessons.

How you can use it

📖 Read-aloud during Earth Day or ocean units
🧠 Discussion starter about plastic pollution and recycling
🎨 Pair with recycled crafts or a recycled boat STEM activity
🖨️ Print pages or turn it into a digital flipbook