Preschool environmental activities: 25 BEST Earth Day Activities For Preschoolers And Pre-K Kids!

25 BEST Earth Day Activities For Preschoolers And Pre-K Kids!

What do your preschoolers know about the environment? Often teachers will talk about animals or plants or other parts of the natural world. In these themes or learning times, they may talk about how to take care of the world.  April 22 is Earth Day, a natural time to talk about caring for the world. During this time teachers can also talk about recycling, reducing, and reusing. The Earth day activities range from art projects to hands on activities provide some ways to explore caring for the earth and recycling.

Earth Day Activities for Preschoolers

These Earth Day activities for kids will  not only have them learning about Earth Day, but also excited about it! From making paper plate weavings, to sensory play, and songs to celebrate these activities will definitely have your preschool kids excited about saving the planet.

Earth Day Paper Plate Weaving (Pre-K Pages) – Paper plate weaving is a fantastic fine motor challenge. With Earth Day right around the corner, this simple paper plate weaving activity is a fun way to spark discussion with your students about stewardship of the earth while encouraging creativity!

Alphabet Clean Up (Pre-K Pages) – Earth Day is the perfect time to teach children about the environment and how they can help care for our planet. Today I’m sharing a way you can help your kids learn about the environment and the importance of not littering.

Sensory Play for Earth Day (Pre-K Pages) – Animals are a vital part of planet Earth and it’s a wonderful idea to celebrate them on Earth Day. This sensory play activity for Earth Day is a great way to engage the senses while also talking about creatures that live on Earth.

8 Earth Day Songs for Kids -Need some song ideas for celebrating Earth Day in your classroom? Using songs and videos can be a great way to engage your little learners and enhance your curriculum for any theme!

Homemade Seed Paper (Pre-K Pages) – A great way to celebrate Earth Day for Kids is by making homemade seed paper. It makes a great process art activity for preschoolers, requiring very simple materials. It is also a great fine motor skill challenge and makes for fun sensory play with a little science mixed in, too.

Celebrating Earth Day (Pre-K Pages) – Most preschool and kindergarten teachers teach their students about fire safety and dental health; but teaching students to respect our planet is just as important.

Painting with Recycled Objects (Pre-K Pages) – Earth Day is a time to think about caring for the world we have. Reusing and recycling materials are ways to be responsible. In this art project activity children can recycle materials to use for painting and can explore the letters of the alphabet, too.

Talking About Recycling (Pre-K Pages) – Earth Day is a great time to teach preschoolers about recycling. Making a recycling center for the classroom is a simple way to get kids involved in caring for the environment and teaches many skills.

Upcycled Plastic Egg Music Shakers (Pre-K Pages) – Earth Day is a great time to talk about recycling and reusing (or upcycling) materials. Recycle plastic eggs after Easter and make upcycled plastic egg music shakers out of them. They are easy to make and you end up with the perfect little instruments for music time!

Simple Earth Suncatcher (No Time for Flash Cards) – With some glitter and glue your preschoolers will have a fun time making these easy Earth Suncatchers in this hands on activity.

Recycled Art (No Time for Flash Cards) – Using a collection of recycled objects this is a great Earth day process art activity.

Cardboard Tube Marble Run Building Activity (Little Bins for Little Hands) – Save those cardboard tubes instead of throwing them away and then turn them into this hands on marble run building activity.

Earth Day Snack Idea (Educators’ Spin on It) – Celebrate Earth Day with this healthy snack. Grab some blueberries, green grapes and let’s create the water and land with an Earth Day Snack! This kid made recipe can be made into individual Earth for each child or you can make one large Earth!

Recycling and Earth Activities

If you are teaching about Earth day in your classroom, then one of these activities about recycling and celebrating the holiday will help get your kids involved and excited!

Around the World Earth Day Game (Teach Preschool) – Take your Earth day unit outdoors on a bright and sunny day and play a game called, “Around the World”

Books to Celebrate Earth Day (Growing Book by Book) – There are so many great Earth Day books that have been published for children.   It’s actually pretty exciting to see this topic covered so well.  Check out this great list of Earth Day books.

Give the Earth a Little Spin (Teach Preschool) – This book is super simple and does a wonderful job illustrating ten simple ways the children can help take care of the earth. At the end of the book is a poster that you can review with the children and even take it out of the book to hang up on your wall…

Recycled Planter on a String (JDaniel4’s Mom) – This hands on activity combines the desire to plant and grow in the spring with the need to find ways to recycle items from our recycling bin. It was inspired by the book, The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling .

Coffee Filter Earths (JDaniel4’s Mom) – This Earth Day craft for kids helps illustrate that the effect doing something to or for the Earth in a big or small way can spread quickly.

Homemade Crayons (Carrots Are Orange) – Make these fun DIY Earth Day crayons. Children love crayons and most children love science. So, making DIY Crayons with kids is a sure win.

Mess Free Earth Painting (Still Playing School) –  If you are looking for a quick and easy Earth Day art project for kids then this mess free Earth craft is perfect!

Recycling and Sorting Activity (Little Pinch of Perfect) – This is a perfect hands on activity that will have your child sorting and cleaning up the Earth. Included  are some free printable recycling signs to make this activity easy to set up and fun to do!

Recycle Sorting Fine Motor Game (Stir the Wonder) – Grab some miniature recycling bins from the Dollar Store and have your preschoolers sort different objects into the bins.

Recycled Building Blocks (B-Inspired Mom) – Put recycling into action by turning cardboard tubes and soap boxes into DIY building blocks!

Landfill and Recycling Factory Play (One Time Through) – Use some common household items and recycle some old ones to create a landfill and recycling factory.

Earth Day Songs (Prekinders) – Here are some fun Earth Day songs for kids – get them moving and singing along! Earth Day songs can be hard to find, but here are nine great songs to go along with your Earth Day & Recycling lesson plans.

Environmental Sensory Activities for Preschoolers

Sensory play is the foundation of all the skills children will build upon later in their educational journey. When young children learn through multiple senses simultaneously, their cognitive skills grow. When preschoolers use their senses to explore objects, they file it way in their memories. These “sensory” memories begin the process of understanding and gaining knowledge.

Has a smell ever reminded you of a special experience? Maybe the first smell of spring brings back a memory shared with a loved one. The olfactory system, which is responsible for smell, is the sense most closed connected to the limbic system. The limbic system is the part of the brain that controls emotions.

Senses are powerful, not only for building memories, but also for building nerve connections in the brain’s pathways. By touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, moving and hearing, children retain information that can be built upon later. It is vitally important that early childhood education programs provide opportunities for children to explore through sensory play.

Our senses do not work in isolation from one another; they work together. That is why the most beneficial sensory play engages multiple senses in one activity. Engaging early learners by providing them with opportunities to actively use their senses as they explore the world around them is a great way to pair STEM with children’s developmental needs.

We have gathered a list of some terrific multisensory activities focused on nature that you can use in your classroom or at home:

Scavenger Hunts

We’re Going on a Sound Hunt from Sun Hats & Wellies Boots combines an outdoor “sound” scavenger hunt that can be enjoyed in any outdoor setting and any season.

This activity pairs hearing and movement for a multisensory experience.

Go on a Scavenger Hunt for Textures with Hands on as we Grow. Textures can be open to interpretation. Allow preschoolers to interpret their own textures as they search for smooth, rough, hard, soft, fuzzy and prickly objects in nature.

This activity pairs touch with movement for a multisensory experience.

The Inspired Treehouse has a free printable Outdoor Sensory Motor Scavenger Hunt. It is a terrific way to explore the outdoors and engage the senses.

This activity engages the sense of touch with movement.

Explore all the senses using Five Senses Nature Scavenger Hunt from Childhood 101.

Use ALL the Senses

How Wee Learn’s series Five Senses Activities for Kids Outdoors is an awesome list of creative and simple ways to explore outdoors.

This series of activities can be used together or separately to explore all the senses.

/

Outdoors Mom inspires children to explore the forest while hiking in your backyard or exploring an urban park. Check out 20 Ways to Explore the Forest Using Your 5 Senses.

This activity engages all the senses while exploring outdoors.

Incorporate Art

Did you know that playing in the mud is beneficial to children? Playing in the mud encourages creativity. It can also be soothing and relaxing to dig your fingers is smooth, silky mud. Make some Forest Faces & Mud Monsters. Cuddles & Muddles & Muddy Puddles blog will help you get started.

This activity pairs touch with sight for a multisensory experience.  

Need some inexpensive art supplies? Look no further than nature. Twigs, rocks, and acorn shells are fun to collect and free. These adorable Bark Owls are just one of the many adorable craft ideas on Fireflies and Mud Pies.

This activity combines touch with sight for a multisensory experience. 

Indoor Sensory Activities

Rhythms of Play features a listing of Nature-Inspired Sensory Bottles. This is the perfect way for preschoolers to safely investigate natural items without putting items in their mouth.

The sensory activity pairs smell with visual learning for a multisensory experience. 

Sensory Smell Bottles are a great way to incorporate smell into unit on the senses. Find essential oils such as lavender or rose that replicate smells found in nature. This is an especially helpful idea for children who have seasonal allergies and cannot smell flowers outdoors. Children can match the scent with pictures of the object from which the scent originated.

This activity incorporates smell and sight for a multisensory experience. 

Explore Seashells in Ocean Moon Dough with STEAM Powdered Family. Students will love molding the moon dough and arranging the shells. Seashells offer opportunities to explore texture, size and shape. Tie in a lesson about the animals that inhabit the shells. You can also use the shell to practice counting, sorting, patterns and number recognition.

This activity incorporates multiple textures. Try adding essential oils to the moon dough to add smell to touch.

Sensory bins are a fun way to bring the outdoors indoors. Add objects related to a theme. For example, you might create a bin with different kinds of seeds, or objects you collected from a nature scavenger hunt. You can also add a filler like sand, soil, water or shredded paper.

Students can use their imagination and explore the bin on their own, or you can incorporate a more structured activity where students need to find certain kinds of seeds or objects in the bin.

The sensory activity pairs smell with visual learning for a multisensory experience. 

Perhaps Swedish outdoor learning expert Anders Szczepanski said it best: “Outside, in real life, is where humans learn best. That’s where we make use of all of our senses by seeing, listening, feeling, smelling, tasting and discerning. It fosters curiosity, creativity and cooperation, engages our emotions and makes us care about our environment, as well as our natural and cultural history.”

Enjoy exploring outdoors and indoors with engaging sensory play!

• Bio

Rebecca Reynandez is a Marketing and Communications Consultant and Principal of Spring Media Strategies, LLC. She has worked with nonprofits for the past 10 years and currently focuses on working with environmental organizations. She is based in Minneapolis, MN.

Early Childhood, Tips for Doing PLT Activities

“Project activity as an effective method of environmental education of preschool children.” Filimonova I.Yu.

From work experience.

… The Great Book of Nature is open to everyone,

and in this great book still …

Read only the first pages.
D. I. Pisarev

The relationship between man and nature is an extremely topical issue of our time. Violation of the natural balance, deterioration of the state of water, air, land, formed as a result of production activities and as a result of a low level of ecological culture, ecological consciousness among the majority of the population, threaten the health and life of people, especially children. Forming the right attitude towards nature must begin long before a person becomes an adult. The idea of ​​introducing a person to nature, to its knowledge, has deep roots. Outstanding thinkers and teachers of the past Zh.Zh. Russo, I.G. Pestalozzi, K.D. Ushinsky saw nature as a powerful source of knowledge. nine0003

Nature has an important influence on the formation of personality, its mental, moral, labor and physical education. How our children grow up depends on us adults. We must teach them not only to take, but also to take care of nature, protect and increase its wealth. Preschool age is a valuable stage in the development of the ecological culture of the individual. At this age, the child begins to distinguish himself from the environment, his emotional and value attitude to the world around him develops, the foundations of the moral and ecological positions of the individual are formed. Traditionally, in preschool education, the general process of mastering nature includes an element of its knowledge, the development of a humane attitude towards it and conscious behavior in the natural environment. nine0003

One of the principles of the development of modern preschool education is the principle of integration of educational areas.

The integration of the content of preschool education is understood as a state of connection, interpenetration of individual areas, ensuring the integrity of the educational process.

The most interesting for children, capable of combining several educational areas and activities in general, is project activity.

Therefore, as an effective method of environmental education of preschool children, I chose project activities and the topic of self-education: “Project activity as an effective method of environmental education of preschool children. ” nine0003

Based on a student-centered approach to education and upbringing, project activities:

1. directly related to life, interesting events;

2. Involves a wide range of activities;

3. allows you to take into account the desires and interests of children in various activities;

4. gives children the opportunity to achieve results at their own pace, choose a partner and forms of interaction;

5. Allows you to develop a cognitive interest in this area of ​​knowledge, to form communication skills and moral qualities. nine0003

Project activity is an integrated activity that includes both reading fiction and artistic creativity of children, and obtaining the necessary scientific knowledge reflected in the program content.

Before starting to work on the topic, I outlined the goal: Formation in children of a scientific-cognitive, emotionally-moral, practically-active attitude to the environment and to their health.

To achieve the goal, set the following tasks:

Ø Contribute to the development of cognitive interest in the natural world;

ØCreate conditions for the formation of initial skills and abilities of environmentally competent behavior that is safe for nature and the child himself;

Ø To cultivate a humane, emotionally positive, careful, caring attitude towards the natural world and the world around in general;

Ø Reveal the lifestyle of birds, animals, insects, take care of them;

Ø Create conditions for the participation of parents in the educational process; nine0003

Ø To develop the creative abilities of children and parents in productive and musical activities.

Building a system of work on the environmental education of preschoolers, I determined the main stages of work on projects:

Ø goal setting;

Ø search for a form of project implementation;

Ø development of the content of the entire educational process based on the subject of the project;

Ø organization of a developing, cognitive, subject environment;

Ø determination of directions of search and practical activities;

Ø organization of joint creative, research and practical activities with parents and children;

Ø work on parts of the project, its correction;

Ø collective implementation of the project, its demonstration.

With the children of the younger group, we implemented a long-term project: “Birds”. In the classroom, the children got acquainted with the birds, their appearance, habitat, conversations were held: “About birds”, “Is it cold for birds in winter”, “Who is born in spring”. Children looked at illustrations about birds, made up short stories from personal experience, played mobile, didactic, verbal, educational games, painted the silhouettes of birds. Together with the children, we made feeders and fed the birds in winter, watched the birds on walks. She read works of art about birds to children, memorized poems, sang songs, used Russian folk rhymes, jokes and fairy tales about birds in theatrical activities. nine0003

An appropriate developmental environment was created in the group. Made didactic games: “Winter dining room”, “Riddles and riddles”, “Fold the picture”; designed albums: “Birds of our forests”, “Life of birds”. I compiled a card file of observations on walks, picked up poems, riddles on the topic “Birds”. I replenished the card index of physical education minutes, finger and outdoor games. Picked up video, audio materials on the topic “Birds”

With the help of parents, they organized a collection of books about nature in the book corner and opened a mini-library about birds. Also in the corner for parents placed recommendations, folding folders about birds. The final event of the project was entertainment: “Birds are our friends!”. nine0003

In the course of the project, the children acquired new knowledge about birds, their appearance, nutrition and behavior. Children began to take care of the birds and take care of them.

Also with the children of the younger group, we participated in the competition of social projects “Tales on the territory of the kindergarten.” Parents were a great help in the implementation of the project. We prepared flowerbeds, planted flowers, looked after them. Parents made the characters of the fairy tale “Gingerbread Man” from waste material. During the project, the children learned the names of new flowers and how to grow them. Conditions were created for independent cognitive activity of children. nine0003

In the middle group, on the basis of a comprehensive thematic plan, the following projects were developed and implemented: “The flora and fauna of our forests”, “Winter in the forest”, “Feathered friends”, “Insects”.

During the work on the projects, the children observed, experimented, drew, sculpted, played, listened to music, got acquainted with literary works, composed fairy tales. Children developed observation, aesthetic perception, aesthetic emotions, artistic taste, and creative abilities. The final events were: an exhibition of baby books about animals and plants of our forests, made by parents together with their children; collective composition “Winter Forest”. They also continued to repair and manufacture feeders by parents together with children and hanging them, fed the birds in winter. nine0003

In the senior group, we worked on a long-term project “We love the forest, we protect it – we strengthen our health”, which resulted in participation in the photo contest “Nature Face of the Living” of the city environmental festival “Green World”. During this period, work continues on the long-term project “Animal World of Our Forests”. In complex-thematic planning, such topics are implemented as: “The earth is our common home”; “Guys about animals”; “And he is high and mighty”; “Forest calendar”; “Let’s save the planet”; “Migratory birds”; “Kingdom of Plants”. nine0003

Organized an appropriate subject-developing environment for the implementation of the project. She made didactic games: “Guess what kind of plant”, “The fourth extra”, “What grows in the forest?”, “Who lives where?”, “Who eats what?”, Created an electronic database of environmental games. With the children, they collected the leaves of trees and shrubs and made a herbarium from them. She also designed manuals, albums on environmental topics; picked up presentations to familiarize children with the world of nature: “Flowers. What are they?”, “In the world of wildlife”, “Wild animals”, “Medicinal plants”, etc. nine0003

During the implementation of the project, we went on nature excursions with our children, organized a trip to the forest with their parents. Children got acquainted with the life of the forest and its inhabitants in the process of direct educational activities. Conversations were held: “Trees are our friends”, “Take care of the good forest – it is the source of all miracles”, “Titmouse Day”, “How people help forest dwellers”. A meeting was organized with the forester and the children were introduced to the process of growing forest trees in the nursery. The wall newspaper “Our forest!” Was published. Children get acquainted with the life of the forest through didactic, verbal, outdoor games, look at illustrations and pictures. I read fiction to children, poems about the forest and its inhabitants, and cognitive tales. The ecological fairy tale “Forest Story” was staged with the children and shown to parents and children of other groups. On the holiday “Mother’s Day” they held an ecological entertainment “Forest Journey” with health-saving technologies. Children consolidated their knowledge in productive activities: drawing, modeling, art work. nine0003

We also work with parents. Information about nature and ecology was placed in the parent’s corner, and a consultation was held for parents on the topic: “Children’s perception of the mysteries of nature through books, TV programs and museums.” Also scheduled consultation “Let’s save our native nature” and the parent meeting “Education in children of love for nature. ” Parents with children designed the pages of the albums “Medicinal plants of the native land”, “These interesting animals”. Parents actively participate in exhibitions, environmental events of the kindergarten: “Sinichkin’s day”, “Vitamins on the windowsill”, “Feed the birds in winter”, “Seed and grain in reserve”. nine0003

Parents together with their children took part in the All-Russian ecological campaign “Live, Forest!”. Posters were drawn from each family in defense of the forest.

Thus, in the process of working on projects, I bring children to the conclusion that we, people, are part of nature, that for the growth and development of living objects, not only water, light and warmth are needed, but love and respect of others.

Projects provide an opportunity to establish a position of independence, activity, initiative in finding answers to questions, systematize information, use the acquired knowledge, skills and abilities in games and practical activities. nine0003

And as a result of the work done, I want to see my children kind, patient, hardworking and merciful, able to admire the beauty of nature, and their parents – environmentally literate.

Ecological page – Kindergarten of a general developmental type No. 400

Hello, dear visitors of our site!

On this page of our website, we will introduce you to the work of our kindergarten in the environmental education of children.

“Just as a caring gardener strengthens the root of a small tree that has barely risen above the ground, on the power of which the life of the plant depends for several decades, so the educator should take care of instilling in his children feelings of boundless love for the Motherland. The upbringing of these qualities begins from the time when the child begins to see, learn, evaluate the world around him. (V.A. Sukhomlinsky)

In our time, the problems of environmental education are among the paramount and they are paying more and more attention. Why did these issues become relevant? nine0003

For centuries, man has been a consumer in relation to nature: he lived and used its gifts without thinking about the consequences. And the existing environmental changes on the planet encourage people living today to delve deeper into the essence of this problem.

This problem is of acute concern to all sane people, so 2017 in Russia has been declared the year of Ecology. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated January 5, 2016 No. 7 “On holding the Year of Ecology in the Russian Federation”

In our kindergarten, all teachers in all age groups pay great attention to educating preschoolers to respect nature. nine0003

Ecological upbringing and education of preschool children is a real problem of the time: only an ecological worldview, ecological culture can lead the living humanity out of the ecological crisis.

It is at the preschool age that the assimilation of the basics of environmental knowledge is most productive, since the child perceives nature very emotionally, as something alive. The influence of nature on a child is enormous: it meets children with a sea of ​​smells and sounds, secrets and riddles, makes them stop, look, and think. nine0003

“The beauty of the surrounding world gives rise to a feeling of attachment to the place where you were born and live, and, ultimately, love for the Fatherland.” (M. Prishvin)

The goal of environmental education is to form among preschool children and their parents an understanding of the problems associated with the ecological situation of the environment, to encourage discussion of issues and problems related to environmental protection.

Tasks of environmental education:

– the formation in preschool children of a value attitude to the world around them, nature, natural resources;

– increasing children’s interest in cognitive, creative, intellectual activities;

– increasing the activity and efficiency of public works for environmental protection, the formation of a sense of responsibility for activities that are a threat to the environment.

Education of ecological culture of preschool children is a multifaceted, multistructural process. nine0003

The content of environmental education of children must be considered within the framework of the system of continuous environmental education (scientific, accessible, humane, systematic, continuity, integration).

In accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard for Education (2013), an activity approach is assumed to determine the educational process of environmental education for preschool children. It is understood that it can be implemented within the framework of the implementation of all educational areas. Ecological orientation is defined as a form of personality activity that determines the development of ecological consciousness. nine0003

Ecological education of preschool children is carried out in two main directions:

• this is an expansion of ideas about ecology by including knowledge about new objects and phenomena and specifying information;
• is the systematization and continuity of knowledge.

Ecological education, sincere love for nature means not only a certain state of mind, the perception of its beauty, but also its understanding and knowledge.

Environmental literacy, as a vital need of a modern person, should consist of two interrelated components: value-motivational and need-effective, implemented purposefully and consistently in each age group according to a specific, scientifically based scheme.

The interaction of preschool children with nature in the process of environmental education in the light of the Federal State Educational Standard has its own specifics and is based on an active approach, activity develops the child’s psyche, motor activity and makes him physically stronger and healthier. nine0003

Environmental education should not be limited to preschool educational institutions, therefore, work with parents is one of the components of the work of a preschool institution. In working with parents, both traditional forms (parental meetings, consultations, conversations) and non-traditional forms (business games, round tables, discussions, etc.) are used.

Environmental knowledge has a positive effect on the development of a child’s personality: they develop a sense of responsibility for the nature of their native land, bring up a humane attitude towards the environment, form initial ideas in preschool children.