earth day activities for kids

Montessori Earth Day Activities for Kids

La Prima CasaEducation

Coming up on April 22, Earth Day is an excellent opportunity to get young children excited about our Planet and inspire them to take action in protecting it.

Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. It was first celebrated in spring 1970 as a way to force environmental issues onto the national agenda.

Montessori embraces the environmental consciousness promoted on Earth Day as a fundamental part of its educational philosophy.

“There is no description, no image in any book that is capable of replacing the sight of real trees, and all of the life to be found around them in a real forest.” – Dr. Maria Montessori, From Childhood to Adolescence. 

At La Prima Casa, we apply the key values of the Montessori method – such as teaching independence and having respect for the child – to our Cosmic Education. We encourage our children to respect the environment while creating a passion for protecting the planet. Every year, we hold an Earth Day Assembly where our students come together in celebration of Planet Earth.

As a parent, you can help your child celebrate the planet at home. Here are the five ways to celebrate Earth Day the Montessori way with creative and educational activities.

5 Fun Educational Activities for Earth Day:

  1. Earth Day Seed Bombs: Get crafty with your little one by creating cute little seed bombs and watch them grow! Plant them in your back yard or give them as lovely eco gifts to neighbors or friends.
    Start this project by tearing three sheets of colored paper (green, blue and white for Earth colors) into small pieces and placing them into three separate bowls. Cover each pile of paper pieces with water and leave to absorb for about half an hour. Then put the mixture into a blender (each color separately) and blitz thoroughly until it forms a wet pulp. Add plant seeds of your choice to each seed mixture and mix thoroughly. Then scoop up a small amount of the blue pulp and seed mixture and form it into a ball. Use smaller pieces of the green and white pulp and press them onto the surface of the blue ball to create the continents and the ice caps. Plant your Earth-looking seed bombs in the ground and watch them grow!
  2. Earth Day Scavenger Hunt: Have an adventurous little one? Create a scavenger hunt with Earth Day in mind, and get outside to explore! Make a list of items your child can hunt for in nature, like leaves, sticks, rocks, grass, bird feather, and more. Then ask your child to gather the items into a bucket or just check them off the list
  3. Earth Day Sorting: Challenge your child’s knowledge about compost and recycling with an Earth Day sorting game! Grab a box and ask your child to pile in as many items as they can find. Then help your little one learn how to sort items for the compost bin, the recycle bin and the garbage. Use this opportunity to talk to your child about the importance of recycling.
  4. Learning about Carbon Footprints: What’s a carbon footprint? Do you know? Here is a great kid’s activity to help explain a complex topic on a child’s level.
  1. Soil Science Experiment: Looking for an activity with a little less fuss? This simple experiment from Left Brain Craft Brain will educate your child on the different types of soil in a fun way.

Engaging your child in these and other Earth-related activities will teach them at an early age how to love and respect our Planet which will have a positive impact in the long term. As Jane Goodall said, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

To learn more about Montessori education, please call us at 305-854-8001 and schedule a tour. It will give you a chance to witness the Montessori philosophy in action and see why it is that La Prima Casa alumni consistently move on to Miami’s top schools and gifted programs!