Free Earth Day Activities for Elementary Students to Try

Earth Day activities for elementary students can be a great way to spark curiosity about the environment while reinforcing core subjects like reading, writing, and science.

Whether you’re planning lessons for April or just looking for ways to talk about sustainability, these printable activities make it easy to connect learning with real-world action.

From hands-on crafts to themed games and writing prompts, there’s something here to engage every age group.

We’ve used many of these in our own homeschool, and they’ve worked just as well in group settings and classrooms too.

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Printable Earth Day Games for Elementary Students

These printable Earth Day games for elementary students are a fun way to blend learning and play while reinforcing environmental awareness.

Whether you’re in the classroom or at home, these activities make it easy to keep kids engaged while exploring Earth-friendly themes.

• Try our Earth Day scavenger hunt printable to get kids moving while they search for nature-based and eco-friendly items in their surroundings.
• Earth Day I spy encourages visual scanning and early math skills as kids count and identify eco-themed images like recycling bins, trees, and the planet.
• The Earth Day memory match game helps improve memory and introduces important Earth Day vocabulary in a playful way.
• Use our free Earth Day bingo printable to reinforce key Earth Day concepts—ideal for group activities and independent learning.
• Enjoy some creative thinking with our Earth Day scattergories, a language arts game that challenges kids to come up with themed words.
• Take learning outside with our forest scavenger hunt printable, which focuses on trees, plants, and natural observation.

Creative Earth Day Activities

These printable Earth Day activities for elementary students blend creativity, language skills, and science into hands-on learning. Perfect for April 22nd or any time you’re exploring environmental topics.

Use our Earth Day writing prompts to get kids thinking critically about conservation, sustainability, and protecting the planet.

Our Earth Day word search printable introduces key vocabulary in a fun format—great for practicing spelling and word recognition.

Students can color and personalize their own printable Earth Day bookmarks, combining art with a meaningful message.

Encourage creativity with our Earth Day coloring pages, ideal for sparking conversations about the environment.

Younger learners will enjoy our Earth Day color by number printables, which combine color practice with eco-friendly themes.

Try the Earth Day word scramble for a fun vocabulary challenge that builds problem-solving skills.

Our educational water cycle worksheets tie Earth Day into science by helping students understand the role of water in sustaining life.

Earth Day Crafts for Kids

Get creative this Earth Day with simple crafts that encourage kids to think about sustainability in hands-on ways.

These activities are perfect for a range of ages and use everyday, recycled, or eco-friendly materials.

• Start with our Earth Day handprint art—a fun, tactile project that lets kids leave a symbolic “handprint” on the planet while learning about conservation.
• Explore our full collection of Earth Day crafts for kids, designed to spark creativity and highlight the importance of reusing and repurposing materials.
  

For younger learners, check out our Earth Day activities for preschool, with age-appropriate crafts that make environmental learning fun and accessible.

Fun Earth Day Facts for Elementary Students

Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22nd as a reminder to care for our planet. The first Earth Day took place in 1970, when people came together to raise awareness about pollution and protecting nature.

Many families and classrooms plant trees on Earth Day because trees clean the air and provide homes for wildlife. It’s also a day to think about ways we can reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle whenever possible.

Animals play an important role too—every creature, from whales to insects, helps keep ecosystems balanced. Earth Day helps kids learn how small actions can make a big difference.

Earth Day Books for Elementary Aged Kids

We love reading in our homeschool and have books all around our home. These are the best books about Earth Day in elementary grades that we have either read in the past or have had recommended:

Earth Ninja: A Children’s Book About Recycling, Reducing, and Reusing – This one’s a hit in our house. It follows a ninja who teaches kids to reduce, reuse, and recycle in everyday life. It’s fun, lighthearted, and makes the three R’s stick without feeling preachy.

What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet – We used this as part of a mini-unit on recycling. It breaks down big topics like pollution and sustainability in a way that kids actually get. Great for curious learners who ask “why?” a lot.

One Plastic Bag – This story left a big impression on both of us. It tells the real-life story of Isatou Ceesay, a woman in Gambia who started turning plastic bags into reusable goods. It’s powerful and inspiring—and a good way to show that even small actions can change a community.

I am Earth – If your kids like books with strong visuals and a gentle tone, this one works well. It reads almost like a conversation with the planet itself and gives a nice overview of Earth’s story. We used it as a read-aloud before starting Earth Day crafts.

Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years – This one’s fun and quirky—Earth tells its own life story, complete with jokes and facts. It’s light but surprisingly informative, especially for kids who like science or geology.

Last Updated on 11 April 2025 by Clare Brown