by Alyx Grayson

Created on: March 17, 2009   Last Updated: April 22, 2009

Earth Day activities for children must include elements of the natural world whether it's a craft, a field trip or a movie. The following three activities are a great way for elementary aged children to learn more about Earth Day and what it means to them and the world.

Earth Day Scrapbooking and Collages

This is a great activity for kids who cannot go outside on Earth Day or who are at school. Collect several magazines and have kids hunt through them for pictures of animals, nature scenes, plants and more. The challenge is for them to find pictures of the creatures or people who live on the Earth. They can focus on land, air or sea if they prefer. As they create their scrapbook page or collage, have them write down why that animal, plant or natural scene is important and what they can do personally to protect it. It can be as simple as dolphins are important because they are creatures who live in the sea. I can protect them by not polluting the oceans and working to protect the oceans from pollution. The scrapbook pages and collages will be more sophisticated for older children, but the purpose of the activity is to encourage them to think.

Earth Day Field Trip

Earth Day is a great day to take kids outdoors to conservation areas such as aquariums, zoos, arboretums and more. For example, the Dallas World Aquarium features an indoor tropical rain forest with life from the world's watery areas being represented. It's a fantastic field trip opportunity for young children. They learn a little bit about the world around them, develop an appreciation for the animals and experience a new viewpoint of the world. This is a wonderful field trip opportunity for classes as well as an outing for parents with children. Take advantage of the day to really appreciate the natural world and to find something that kids can do to preserve that natural world.

Earth Day Movies

In 2009, Disney is releasing the large screen experience film: Earth. Other films that are appropriate for watching include March of the Penguins and Arctic Tale. Younger children may be more inclined to enjoy films such as Happy Feet, Surf's Up and Madagascar. Ultimately, whatever film is chosen for watching on Earth Day is to focus on the elements saving the planet and saving nature. Be sure to engage them in discussion following the films about what they and their families can do to make life on Earth a better place to be.

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