It’s time to start planning some fun activities for school-age children to celebrate Earth Day! This year, Earth Day falls on Saturday, April 22nd, and is a great opportunity to teach young students about the importance of taking care of our planet. Whether you’re an educator or parent looking for ideas, we’ve got some great suggestions below that your kids will love!
One fun activity for teachers to implement is to have a schoolwide recycling challenge. Ask students to bring in items they can recycle, such as plastics, paper, and tin cans. Then, have each class compete to see who can collect the most recyclable materials. At the end of the month, you can use these items for other Earth Day projects or crafts.
You can also teach students about the importance of conserving energy by having a “No Electricity Day.” During this day, have your students turn off all electronics and lights in the classroom, except for when they are absolutely necessary. This will help students understand how much electricity we use on a daily basis and why it’s important to conserve it whenever possible.
Finally, no Earth Day celebration would be complete without a bit of outdoor exploration! Take your students to the park or local nature center and have them explore the natural environment around them. Ask them to look for plants, animals, and other signs of life in their surroundings. This will help create an appreciation for our planet and its rich biodiversity.
These are just a few ideas for celebrating Earth Day with your school-age kids. There are plenty of other ways to get your students involved in the festivities – from planting trees to creating artwork, and more. Get creative and have fun this Earth Day!
We can all do our part this Earth Day including bus drivers! In New York, legislation is in the works to make all new school buses purchased in NY powered by electricity by 2027 and all diesel-fueled buses across the state replaced with electric vehicles by 2035! So this month, keep Earth Day in mind as you celebrate with your children and perhaps consider a new career driving a school bus today!
