Like many others, we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd. This is a wonderful time to teach preschoolers about science, the environment, and the planet where they live. The first few years of life are the perfect time to help children think about the small steps they can take to help protect our planet.
If you’re looking for a creative way to celebrate Earth Day with your preschooler this year, here are a few activities you can use to integrate conservation and stewardship into your child’s life.
1. Use old crayons to create new crayons
Every family has a plastic bin of crayons. Some are still usable, while others have been used down to the nub. But what can you do with all these tiny bits of colored wax? Incredibly, unusable crayons can be recycled and reused with a little ingenuity. First, have your child or children sort through old or broken crayons, putting ones that are too small in a separate container. Once the crayons have been sorted and the paper has been removed, the broken wax pieces can be used to create new crayons. Line an old muffin tin with foil, and place broken crayons in the center of each muffin mold. You can keep similar colors together or use many colors for a rainbow effect. Put the crayons in the oven at a temperature of 250 degrees for 10-15 minutes and let them melt. After they’ve cooled, the new crayons are the perfect shape for younger children who haven’t mastered a pencil grip yet. Give the crayons as gifts or keep them to inspire even more creativity.
2. Make an Earth day stamp
This is a simple activity that creates a unique visual effect. Take an inflated balloon or rubber ball and daub some blue and green washable paint on a small, one- to two-inch section of the ball or balloon. Holding the ball with both hands, press it onto a large piece of cardboard or paper. Your child can create dozens of tiny Earth shapes with this reusable stamp.
3. Press a few flowers
Celebrate the arrival of spring and Earth Day by collecting flowers and pressing them. You can use a press specifically designed for pressing flowers, or you can use heavy books to create a DIY flower press. You can press spring flowers before Earth Day and then use them to create framed art, decorate Easter eggs, or make an Earth day collage.
4. Make a mosaic Earth
You can reuse old magazines and newspapers to make mosaics of all kinds. Children love sorting paper scraps by color before using them to create rainbows, baby chickens, flowers, or other spring-themed art. As you’re cutting and pasting, explain to your children that many things can be repurposed to create something new. Simple paper mosaics are a great example of that!
5. Create Earth Day slime
This blue and green slime is so fun to create and play with, even long after Earth Day has passed. Making slime with glue and cornstarch also helps your child understand the STEAM-based concepts of experimentation and chemistry.
6. Bake Earth Day treats
Celebrate Earth Day with sweet treats or an Earth Day-themed meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This might look like spring green pancakes, edible flower cookies, or blue and green cookies shaped like the Earth. You can definitely think outside the box when it comes to celebrating Earth Day. Consider preparing a vegan or vegetarian meal that features beans, rice, tofu, or tempeh. Choosing high-protein meat alternatives can cut an individual’s carbon footprint by 50%, and Earth Day is a great day to try a vegetarian meal for a day. Dinner can be delicious and eco-friendly, as well!
Growing with The Gardner School
Introducing children to the concept of conservation at an early age helps them understand more about the world and their place in it. The Gardner School teaches good stewardship habits through academic enrichment and our school culture. Our recycling and gardening programs help our students take pride in the place they call home. Schedule a tour today to learn more about how we care for the Earth by caring for our children.