Easy Earth Day Crafts for Preschoolers at Home or School

Earth Day is coming up, and I’ve put together a bunch of super simple Earth Day crafts for preschoolers. These are all toddler-tested and mess-approved (because let’s be real, that’s just part of the fun).

Most use stuff you already have lying around the house, which is perfect for teaching our kiddos about reusing and recycling!

1. Paper Plate Earth

This craft project appeals to children because it contains simple elements which create colorful results. The children enjoy making things because they can work with physical materials.

An Earth Day paper plate painted in green and blue.

Materials:

  • Paper plates
  • Blue and green paint
  • Paintbrushes or sponges
  • Paper towels (trust me, you’ll need these)

Instructions:

  1. Let your little one paint the paper plate blue for the oceans.
  2. After the first step reaches dry or semi-dry state which occurs during my impatient waiting period, you should add the green blobs which represent the continents.
  3. This artwork does not require perfect appearance because abstract Earths exist as valid artistic forms. .

2. Recycled Bottle Planters

This craft project combines two elements because it creates an attractive design while teaching children about plant growth. The project creates a dual benefit for educational purposes.

A recycled bottle planter as an Earth Day craft for preschoolers.

Materials:

  • Empty plastic bottles (water or soda bottles work great)
  • Scissors (for you, not the preschooler!)
  • Paint or markers
  • Soil
  • Seeds (grass seeds or small flowers are perfect)

Instructions:

  1. Cut the bottle in half—keep the bottom part.
  2. The child should decorate the exterior of the object using paint and markers.
  3. The user needs to create multiple small drainage holes which should be placed at the bottom section.
  4. The space should be filled with soil while the two of us will plant the seeds together.
  5. The plant needs water which will enable it to grow during the upcoming three weeks.

3. Coffee Filter Earth

The finished product appears extremely beautiful because preschoolers find the moving colors between the two colors to create magical effects.

Coffee filter earth crafts for preschoolers.

Materials:

  • Coffee filters
  • Blue and green washable markers
  • Spray bottle with water
  • Newspaper or plastic tablecloth

Instructions:

  1. Your child should use blue and green markers to color the coffee filter.
  2. The material needs to be placed flat on the newspaper surface.
  3. They should use a light water spray to watch how the colors merge together.
  4. The dried artwork should be displayed in a window because it creates a beautiful effect when sunlight passes through it.

4. Handprint Earth

This can be kept as a permanent remembrance.

A handprint Earth Day craft for preschool.

Materials:

  • White paper or cardstock
  • Blue and green paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Marker

Instructions:

  1. Use blue paint to cover your child’s palm and finger areas.
  2. Create a handprint at the midpoint of the paper.
  3. Use a brush to apply green paint once the surface has dried for creating land masses.
  4. Write “Happy Earth Day” and the date—future you will thank you!

5. Egg Carton Caterpillar

The process of creating a cute item starts with the practice of reducing existing materials and reusing them and recycling what remains.

An egg carton caterpillar.

Materials:

  • Cardboard egg carton
  • Green paint
  • Googly eyes
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Glue

Instructions:

  1. Create a strip by cutting out 4-6 egg cups from the carton.
  2. Paint them green.
  3. After the material has dried, attach googly eyes to one side using glue.
  4. Make two tiny holes on the head area to allow pipe cleaners to be used as antennae.
  5. Your caterpillar is ready to crawl!

6. Nature Collage

Get outside and make this one a mini adventure!

A collage made with leaves, flowers, small sticks and grass.

Materials:

  • Paper bag for collecting
  • Leaves, flowers, small sticks, grass
  • Cardstock or cardboard
  • Glue

Instructions:

  1. Take a nature walk and collect fallen treasures (remind them not to pick living plants).
  2. Arrange items on the cardstock however they like.
  3. Glue everything down.
  4. Talk about all the different things you found!

7. Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars

Perfect for your little explorer!

Binaculars made with empty toilet paper rolls.

Materials:

  • 2 empty toilet paper rolls
  • Paint or markers
  • Glue or tape
  • Yarn or string
  • Stickers (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Let your child use paint or markers to decorate both rolls.
  2. The two rolls should be attached together using glue or tape.
  3. Create holes on the outer edges of each roll.
  4. Thread yarn through and tie to make a neck strap.
  5. Go on a nature “expedition” in your backyard!

8. Paper Bag Earth Puppet

Interactive storytime now allows better participation from children.

A paper bag Earth puppet.

Materials:

  • Brown paper lunch bag
  • Blue and green construction paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick
  • Markers

Instructions:

  1. Make circular blue shapes and irregular green shapes.
  2. Assist your child in applying glue for the blue components which you will attach to the bag’s bottom flap designated as oceans.
  3. Add green pieces for land.
  4. You may choose to draw a happy face on the design.
  5. Use it to talk about taking care of our planet!

9. Recycled Crayon Earth Crayons

This project requires more assistance from parents yet the finished product looks amazing.

Earth crayons.

Materials:

  • Broken crayons in blue and green colors
  • Silicone muffin tin or mold
  • Oven

Instructions:

  1. The first step requires you to set the oven temperature at 250°F.
  2. Remove the wrapping from used crayons.
  3. Break them into small pieces and fill muffin cups with blue and green pieces mixed together.
  4. Bake the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes until it reaches a melted state.
  5. After cooling to room temperature you can remove the swirled Earth crayons from their mold.

10. Newspaper Earth Hat

Because who doesn’t love a craft you can wear?

A newspaper Earth Day´s craft.

Materials:

  • Newspaper
  • Blue and green paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Tape or stapler

Instructions:

  1. A simple hat shape results from folding a big newspaper sheet into two parts (look up “newspaper hat fold” if you need a refresher).
  2. Secure with tape or staples.
  3. Your child will paint the surface with blue and green to create an Earth design.
  4. The Earth Day festivities should be celebrated with this item which you can wear during the event.

11. Pom Pom Earth

The activity helps children develop precise hand movements.

A craft for Earth Day made with pompoms.

Materials:

  • Paper plate or cardboard circle
  • Blue and green pom poms
  • Glue

Instructions:

  1. Draw or obtain a basic design which shows Earth’s continents to use on the plate.
  2. Let your child glue blue pom poms into the areas of ocean.
  3. Glue on green pom poms for the land.
  4. This one is surprisingly calming for the kiddos!

12. Handprint Tree

Yet another keepsake-worthy craft!

A handprint tree for Earth Day.

Materials

  • Brown and green paint
  • White or light blue paper
  • Paintbrush

Instructions:

  1. Paint your child’s arm and hand brown.
  2. Press onto paper with fingers spread for the tree trunk and branches.
  3. Once dry, use fingerprints with green paint to make leaves.
  4. You can even add their age and the date to mark it!

Use these easy Earth Day crafts as conversation starters about taking care of our planet. Even preschoolers can understand simple concepts like “we don’t litter” and “we turn off lights when we leave a room.”

Looking for Earth Day crafts for elementary kids? Check out this post.

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