Tomorrow (April 22, 2012) is Earth Day. Many families, classrooms and even places of business have great things planned to celebrate the day. In the even you are looking for something to do with young children, here are some cure Earth Day printable activities that you can download and print out.
Just in case the name Eric Carle doesn’t ring a bell, he is the award winning beloved children’s author who wrote such classic stories as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
Below you will find a coloring page, maze and even a cute certificate that you can print out and award to your little one when they accomplish something that would be considered “Earth friendly”.
Trying to explain the impact humans have our our environment might be a bit too complex for young children. However there are things you can teach even the youngest member of your family. Here are a few suggestions;
Plant a leafy tree– Use this time to discuss how/why trees help clean the air we breathe and why that matters. You can also teach children about what creatures call the tree their home. Teaching them to care for the tree would also be beneficial.
Separate the recycling together – Explain the purpose and benefits of recycling. Little ones might also fun recycling to be a fun activity.
Turn off the water when brushing teeth – Let kids know why saving water is so important. If they happen to take showers or baths on their own encourage them to not waste water.
Resist the urge to stomp that spider! – I know MANY people are not to keen on this idea. As creepy and gross spiders are they ARE good for our environment. Explain to your child (or grandchild) that there are many different types of spiders and they all eat other insects. They also help to keep balance and provide pest control. In fact, you should encourage children NOT to automatically insects when they see them. Not all insects are bad. I nice idea might be to buy one of those “bug vacuums” that gentle suck bugs into the chamber. Then have your child release the bug back “into the wild” (aka – the backyard).
Share your Earth Day plans – The best way to encourage and inspire others to make a difference too is by sharing with your family what your Earth Day plans are.
These are just a few ideas. If you have additional ideas on things you can do with little ones to not only celebrate Earth Day, but also to encourage them to be more “Earth Friendly” please feel free to leave a comment and tell me about it.
To download and print out each items simply click on the images below.
For more FREE downloadable activities, fun family projects and great ideas check out the World of Eric Carle on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. You can also check out the official website, www.Eric-Carle.com (click on the Very Hungry Caterpillar to enter the site).
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I am simply sharing this information for the enjoyment of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
Kate F. says
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing.
Sandy VanHoey says
This would be great to print out for the kids to take to school and share with classmates. Thank You!
Tammy S says
Thanks for sharing. I will make sure and tell my friend who is a kindergarten teacher. I know she has her lesson plans for the week based on Earth Day.
jamie braun says
love, love, love Eric Carle! we planted flowers this morning for earth day
June M. says
Very cute printables. These would be great for young children 🙂