As school holidays go, Earth Day often flies under the radar. Valentine’s Day and Halloween—with their cute decorations and gift-giving traditions—get far more attention. But Earth Day activities for students are worth the effort! Not only does Earth Day remind us to protect our planet, but it’s also a great opportunity to teach students green habits that will last a lifetime.
Why Celebrate Earth Day at School?
“Every little bit helps. If kids learn at home and at school to do something small like recycle, pick up after themselves outside, and put their leftover snack on the save table instead of throwing it away, all of those little extras empower them to feel like they’re doing something for the planet,” said Carol Stewart, director of school program development for The FruitGuys Farm-to-School Program. “All of those little things add up to big things if everybody does their part, and it also teaches them to be responsible adults.”
Ultimately, Earth Day is a time to celebrate the beauty and bounty of our planet and teach students how to help protect it.
Here are a few ways to celebrate Earth Day (April 22) at school. If you can’t squeeze in one of these Earth Day activities for students on the day itself, choose another day in April (aka Earth Month) and celebrate all month long.
1. Write Green Habit Reminders
Teach students simple green habits like turning off lights when they leave a room, turning off the water while they brush their teeth, recycling, choosing package-free snacks, and taking short showers. Then, work together to make reminder cards with green tips that they can post in relevant places at home, like the bathroom mirror, near light switches, or near the recycling bin.
2. Teach About Nature’s Role in What We Eat
Students will value nature more if you can show them the role it plays in their daily lives. A great way to do that is through food! Talk about the role of pollinators (did you know that honeybees are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat?), why healthy soil matters, and how the climate impacts what farmers can grow.
If your school uses The FruitGuys Farm-to-School Program, use our complimentary nutrition education materials to give your lesson a boost. The Where Does Your Food Come From?, Bug Out, and Curious About Climate posters are great options available on our Client Portal.
3. Make an Earth Day Collage
Ask students to bring in natural items like leaves, twigs, and pebbles, then use them to make an Earth Day collage. They can glue the bits and pieces to paper to create a scene of their favorite outdoor place or make a picture of planet Earth!
If your students live in an urban area, consider partnering with a local garden center or plant shop—they’d likely be happy to provide natural items for free. You could also ask students to collect wrappers and other trash at home for a few days, then use those items in the collage. While you craft, teach about upcycling and the importance of reducing waste.
4. Grow Something
Planting a tree is a classic Earth Day activity, but a smaller planting project can also help students appreciate nature. Spend time in your school’s community garden if you have one, or start seeds in a sunny spot in your classroom.
“You can start seeds really easily in leftover toilet paper rolls. Just cut them in half, put dirt in them, and poke the seeds in. After they sprout, you can plant them right in the ground and the rolls will compost,” Carol said.
If your school uses The FruitGuys Farm-to-School Program, use the How Does Food Grow poster on our Client Portal to explain how seed germination works. Choose fast-growing seeds like radishes or beans so students can see results quickly.
You can also turn growing something into a craft that students can take home! Scroll to the bottom of this page for instructions on how to make Native Wildflower Seed Bombs.
5. Launch a Trash Pickup Challenge
Challenge students to green up the school by picking up trash during recess! You can ask each student to pick up a certain amount or see who can gather the most. If you do the latter, consider offering a prize like a reusable water bottle or a few points of extra credit to the winner.
6. Taste Nature’s Bounty Together
Remind your students of the bounty our planet produces with a fruit or vegetable tasting! You can stock up on local produce to keep transport emissions low (a great teaching moment) or bring in more unique items to open students’ minds to the amazing things nature has to offer.
Consider ordering produce for delivery through The FruitGuys Farm-to-School Program and using the How to Conduct a Tasting guide on our Client Portal to make planning the event easy.
7. Host an Eco Fair
Invite your school’s eco-friendly vendors to campus for an Earth Day event! You can also bring in local environmental nonprofits and eco-friendly local businesses to talk to your students, hand out samples, and offer fun experiences. This is one of our favorite Earth Day activities for students because it helps them engage in the community and sustainability through a local lens. (If you’d like The FruitGuys to attend your event, contact us to check our availability.)
8. Plan an Earth Day Scavenger Hunt
Encourage your students to get outside by assigning them an Earth Day scavenger hunt. Ask them to look for easy-to-find things like leaves, bugs, bikes, and twigs or more complex ones like birds native to your area. You can also bring the hunt indoors by adding things like recycling bins and reusable water bottles to the list. You can make your own hunt or use a free printable like this one or this one specific to California.
9. Set Green Goals Together
You can help students get more personally invested in green habits by setting goals together at the individual, classroom, or school level. Try asking each student to set and track an individual goal for all of Earth Month (like keeping their showers to just five minutes) or come up with a classroom goal together (like making sure nothing recyclable ends up in the room’s trash can).
You can even look beyond the classroom and petition for change at the school level. Do your students want to start a compost program, eliminate single-use plastic in the cafeteria, or start a school garden? Do what you can to help them make it happen!
10. Become an Earth Day School
For more guidance on Earth Day activities for students, visit the official Earth Day website and sign your school up as an Earth Day School. Once you sign up, the folks behind Earth Day will share resources with you, like lesson plans, activity ideas, and more that teachers and staff can use.
Bonus: How to Make Native Flower Seed Bombs
Adapted from Run Wild My Child
Help feed your local bees during Earth Month by making and planting these native flower seed bombs.
SUPPLIES
Wildflower seeds (make sure to choose varieties native to your area)
Clay powder
Potting soil
Water
Bucket (for mixing)
DIRECTIONS
- In a bucket, combine five cups of potting soil with two cups of clay powder.
- Add water slowly while mixing until the mixture holds together and is about the texture of cookie dough.
- Form the mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball. As you form the balls, tuck 3-5 seeds into each one.
- Let the balls dry in a sunny place.
- Plant your seed bombs by throwing them in bare areas and waiting to see what grows!