Earth Day Lessons for Preschoolers
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Earth Week is a great opportunity to teach the next generation about the impact that they make on the planet.
How do you explain Earth Day to a child?
It can be daunting to figure out where to start to teach young learners about such an important (and sometimes scary) topic. But the first step can be understanding where your kids are starting from. Consider these questions before you jump straight into cutting plastic can holders for sealife and making DIY birdfeeders.
Do you know what planet we live on?
Do you know that this is the only planet we have? And people who lived long ago were using the same resources that we use today?
Where do you think food, water, and air come from?
How do wild animals survive?
Starting out with these basic questions, will allow you to decipher if you should approach Earth Day from a basic (animals, air, recycle) standpoint or a more advanced version where you start the discussion about resource supply and what we can do to help the planet for the future.
Check out these resources to help you teach your kids about the planet:
Bug Lessons for Kids
My kids land somewhere in between. For this reason, we will be doing basic crafts and “fun” activities that spark a respect and love for the world that they know. For example, BUGS. My kids love dirt, so they know bugs well. So this is where our Earth Week lessons will begin.
Here are some resources that we use and love to make these activities engaging and educational. And following that list is a list of activities that we will work on.
Supplies:
Kiwi Co. Bugs Box for bug cards - similar matching bugs game printables (print + laminate)
Magic Playbook bug printout (from a past subscription, but they have great products!) - you could freehand draw something similar on construction paper
Bug Letter Match printables via No Time for Flash Cards
Crinkle paper - blue and green
Dry beans
The Backyard Bug Book for Kids
Fly swatter
Magnifying glass
Activity/Lessons:
1. Sensory bin: Assemble the beans and crinkle paper into a dirt, grass, sky layout. Have you children tell you where the bugs are usually found.
2. Use the big printout in many ways! Try writing numbers on the bugs and have kids draw the correct number of spots. Write simple addition and have the kids work through those equations using spots again. Have kids design an AB pattern to decorate their bugs. Write the uppercase of a letter and have your child write the lowercase. The possibilities here are endless!
3. Bug Letter Match. Cut and laminate (if you want) the letter bugs. Have kids match the uppercase and lowercase letters. I really amped this game up by throwing all the bugs on the ground and screaming at the top of my lungs like I was scared of them. Then I asked the kids to help me get the bugs back in the correct jars. It was funny for them and a great lesson in teamwork.
Use the same printables and give the kids a fly swatter. Yell out a letter and have them swat it.
4. Syllable count: Put a bug in the free jar printable. Talk about the bug and clap out the syllablles.
5. Land or Sky: Have your child categorize bugs that fly in the sky and ones that walk on the land. Are there any that do both?
6. Backyard Expedition: Send the kids in the yard with their bug book and magnifying glass to find some bugs. Let them get dirty.
Also, check out the back of this book! It has more activities for kids!
Earth Day Shows + Videos for Kids
Ask the Storybots Recycle Episode - full episode available on Netflix
Sesame Street visits Recycling Center
Waffles + Mochi - Any episode of this Netflix series will explain how our food comes from the Earth.
Magic School Bus Rides Again - Netflix series
Easy Earth Day Snacks + More Activities
Head to my Pinterest for Earth Day snacks + activities galore!
Check out this Instagram Reel with 4 Easy Earth Day Snack Ideas
