26+ Fun Earth Day Projects for Kids

Celebrating Earth Day with kids is so important. It provides the perfect opportunity to talk about ways to keep our earth clean and safe through recycling, cleaning up pollution, and making smart choices. Kids can learn a lot about the environment through these 26+ Earth Day projects. Many of them use recycled materials, which reinforces important Earth Day concepts.

But you don’t have to wait until April 22nd, when the occasion is typically celebrated, to try these earth-inspired crafts and activities. Anytime is a great time to talk about doing our part to clear up pollution and take care of our natural resources.

Earth Day Activities

Earth Day Projects for Kids

These Earth Day activities can be used as jumping-off points for discussions in the classroom or at home. Many of the crafts are simple enough for toddlers and preschoolers, and you’ll find lots of things for elementary-aged children to do.

Help children learn about our impact on planet earth through the educational and fun projects you see below.

Get ready to check out all the best ideas for being eco friendly, pollution lesson plans, recyclable items, global warming, and so much more.

Crafty and Educational Earth Day Ideas for Kids

Seed Bombs from naturalbeachliving.com: This is a fun craft and gardening activity in one. Your kids can help you make the seed bombs from recycled paper, which is great for the environment. Then, they can watch their seeds grow after planting the seed bombs.

Pollution Activities for Kids from naturalbeachliving.com: The jar demonstrations and pictures help children get a clear idea of what pollution looks like and how it impacts our environment.

Earth Day Marbled Art from naturalbeachliving.com: Shaving cream art is so much fun. We’ve done it for so many occasions! The blues and greens you create with this activity look like the earth from space! And this makes such a great art project for preschoolers.

Ocean Pollution Activities from naturalbeachliving.com: This activity provides an excellent visual representation of what a polluted body of water looks like. It’s a great time to talk about how we can do our part to help clean up the oceans.

Kid-Made Bird Feeder from Recycled Materials from naturalbeachliving.com: It’s essential to care for creatures that need our help. Children can learn about the different types of birds in your area by watching the feeder to see which ones visit.

Curious George Plants a Tree Lapbook from naturalbeachliving.com: Create a fun lapbook that teaches kids about the importance of trees and recycling. It’s great for kids of all ages!

Earth Day Books

Earth Day Projects

Earth Day Activities for Kids

Handprint Earth Craft from simpleeverydaymom.com: Check out this adorable handprint earth craft. It looks like the earth is celebrating with her party hat and confetti.
Papermaking with Preschoolers from happinessishomemade.com: Turn shredded paper into a beautiful craft for earth day. You can use the paper created from the activity for cards, crafts, and DIY gifts.
Paper Quilled Earth Day Craft from projectswithkids.com: Paper quilling is fun for older kids. Here, they’ll learn how to make basic coils to create the shape of the earth. The starry night sky backdrop is beautiful, too.
Sad Earth/Happy Earth Craft from theinspirationedit.com: This is a clever craft that teaches children about what makes the earth “happy” and what makes the earth “sad.”
Upcycled Earth Day Suncatchers from booksandgiggles.com: Turn thin plastic into gorgeous suncatchers for Earth Day using markers! Adults may need to cut the plastic if doing this craft with younger children.
Printable Earth Day Jokes from artsyfartsymama.com: Kids can’t resist funny jokes and puns. These earth-themed puns will be fun to share with friends and classmates on Earth Day. They’d also make great lunchbox notes!
Earth Melted Crayon Rocks from leftbraincraftbrain.com: Warm rocks and melty crayons can create some beautiful art! Hide these rocks around town for Earth Day with a cute message about ways to take care of the earth. Or you could also attach one of the Earth Day jokes above to a rock!
Planet Earth Clay Craft from adventure-in-a-box.com: Use air-dry clay to make an adorable model of the earth. Since the earth is expressive in this craft, it’s another fun idea to talk about what makes the planet happy and sad. If you’re doing this with younger children, you may opt to use taste-safe playdough instead of clay.
LEGO Layers of the Earth Activity from littlebinsforlittlehands.com: Explore our planet by making a LEGO slice of the earth’s interior. Kids will have a blast picking out the colors for the core, mantle, crust, etc. and building the model.
Newspaper Earth Day Craft from iheartcraftythings.com: Recycle newspaper by using watercolors to turn it into a beautiful representation of the earth. Use this activity to talk to kids about the importance of recycling paper. You could also work together to identify products that you currently use that could be switched out for earth-friendly options.
Earth Day Craft Made with Dirt from kidsactivitiesblog.com: Real dirt is used in this craft, so that makes it an excellent option for boys and girls who love to get outside and dig!
Handprint Earth Day Painting from nontoygifts.com: Kids can make this beautiful Earth Day painting individually or as a group. It is a fantastic activity for a small class of students or a homeschool group.
Black Glue Earth Day Craft from messylittlemonster.com: This black glue craft is stunning! It reinforces the concept that the earth’s future is in our hands. The printable template makes this craft easier, even with young children.
Earth Day Smash Painting from messforless.net: This fun process art activity creates a unique design every time. No two will look the same. The blues and greens look beautiful against the black paper!
Earth Day Crayon Craft from todayscreativelife.com: Turn old blue and green crayons in various shades into earth-shaped crayons to give to your children or students.
Earth Day Mosaic from craftsbyamanda.com: Toddlers can get in on the Earth Day fun with this easy mosaic craft. Make it from scraps of construction paper, tissue paper, or even magazines!
No Mess Painting in a Bag from stillplayingschool.com: No-mess activities are a big win for busy moms and teachers! Smushing and swirling the paint around on the plate inside the bag keeps the mess off your kids’ hands.
Sponge Painted Earth Day Tree from jdaniel4smom.com: Newspaper trees are decorated with pretty heart stamps (made with a sponge) to create this lovely earth-themed craft.
ABC Compost Sensory Bin from growingbookbybook.com: This activity is based on the book Compost Stew. Children learn about 26 different things they can use to create nutrient-rich soil simply by composting. The sensory bin is based on this concept.
Coffee Filter Earth Painting from funwithmama.com: This activity is fun and safe for all ages. Food coloring and water are used to paint coffee filters in soft blues and greens to represent the earth.