The Craftiest Workshop

Even in the early 1980’s I recall having garbage pick up day at school.

We were also given a tree sapling to take home and plant.

Earth Day is celebrated April 22.

These days we can encourage children to plant, recycle, clean up and conserve in order to help keep the Earth healthy.

BOOKS

It’s Earth Day by Mercer Mayer

I enjoyed Mercer Mayer books as a child and my children enjoyed them also.

The story is always simple and cute.

I liked spotting the mouse on each page.

One Earth written by Eileen Spinelli; illustrated by Rogelio Coelho

This book counts things that represent the earth going up to 10.

It then counts backwards with things you can do to preserve the earth.

Beautiful illustrations.

My Friend Earth written by Patricia MacLachlan; illustrated by Francesca Sanna

This book shows us how the earth goes through its seasons.

The pages are scalloped in the corners and sometimes has a hole to peak through to the page before or after.

Compost Stew written by Mary McKenna Siddals ; illustrated by Ashley Wolff

For every letter of the alphabet there is an object that can go into the composter.

Bright and colourful illustrations.

Inch by Inch the Garden Song written by David Mallett; illustrated by Ora Eitan

This book is about planting.

I chose it because it can be sung instead of just read.

At the back of the book is the sheet music for the song.

The Berenstain Bears Go Green written by Stan and Jan Berenstain

It is always nice to include familiar characters when choosing a book.

They get together with others in the community to clean up trash near the creek.

Earth Day – Hooray! Written by Stuart J. Murphy; illustrated by Renee Andriani

This book is about collecting aluminum cans.

It has some math concepts that can be used for older kids.

SONGS

Earth Day Song

If you love the world, clap your hands (clap clap)

If you love the world, clap your hands (clap clap)

If you love the world, really love our great big world; if you love our world,

clap your hands (clap clap)

If you love the world, yell plant trees (plant trees)

If you love the world, yell plant trees (plant trees)

If you love the world, plant new trees for birds and bees; if you love our world

yell plant trees (plant trees)

If you love our world, yell recycle. (recycle)

If you love our world, yell recycle. (recycle)

If you love our world, reduce reuse recycle, if you love our world yell recycle (recycle)

If you love our world yell do your part (do your part)

If you love our world yell do your part (do your part)

If you love our world, really love our great big world, if you love our world

yell Be Smart (Be Smart)

Down at the Park

^{tune of “down at the corner”}

Gather some objects that you might find on the ground at a park and have the children pretend to throw them away.

Down at the park where we like to play

There was lots of garbage to our dismay

Along came (child’s name) quick as a dash

He/she snatched up (piece of garbage) and threw it in the trash

I put Litter in the Garbage can

^{(tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)}

Either have objects to show that would be trash or have the children make suggestions of things that they might find that would be trash.

I put litter in the garbage can

garbage can, garbage can

I put litter in the garbage can,

To keep our world clean

I put (child suggestion of trash object) in the garbage can,

garbage can, garbage can

I put litter in the garbage can,

to keep our world clean

CRAFTS

Recyclables art

Use whatever you have available and let kids create a work of art using recyclable materials.

CD spinner

This craft is a great use of recyclable materials.

Kids can spin them and try to knock each other’s spinner out.

Take an old CD or DVD. Glue on coloured paper, a juice lid and a marble. Spin.

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Button Tree

Draw or print out a bare tree. Glue onto cardboard.

Let kids glue buttons on all the branches.

Buttons can be added below for grass or dirt.

ACTIVITIES

Plant a Seed

Offer larger seeds like sunflower or beans to see them germinate quickly.

Let children spoon dirt into the cup.

They could even paint the outside of it first.

Recycling sort (jello and pudding boxes)

Cut out pictures either from online or flyers of things that can be recycled or are trash objects. Have the children take turns picking an object and putting it in the correct bin. It is interesting how different cities have different things and ways that they recycle.

Garbage Pick Up

Take a walk in your area with the children and do a garbage clean up. For safety purposes, do a walk around the morning of to ensure there are no hazardous materials (needles, glass, cigarette butts). Give each child a pair of rubber gloves.

SENSORY

Bin with black beans, artificial flowers, sand shovels and small pots.

Add in plastic or rubber creatures that you might find in a garden.

Earth Day Playdough

Jello Playdough (Lime and Berry Blue…make one recipe of each)

1 cup flour

1 pkg. (85 g) Jell-O Jelly Powder (any flavour)

1 Tbsp. cream of tartar 

1/4 cup salt 

1 cup water 

2 Tbsp. oil

Cook in pot on stove until it starts to form a ball.

Remove from heat.

Let cool.

If sticky add a bit more flour.

Seed Bombs

When I have done this in the past, I used wild flower seed packets. I ripped up the three colours of construction paper with my hands and then wet it with water. On this website they wet the paper squares and used a food processor. Either way you have to squeeze out the excess water. Sprinkle seeds into the individual colour bowls, take a bit of each colour and squish into a ball.

I planted mine into the center of a large pot and then, once the flowers started to grow, added a few other flower plants around it.

This week I picked up the winter garbage that had collected in our cul-de-sac and the park behind our house. I made a trip to the recycling depot with bottles and took the glass jars I had accumulated to the community recycling station. I started to gently clean up the garden beds to make way for the plants I have started in the house. Soon I will rake the grass and we will start using our composter again after the long winter. These are all little things I can do to help our earth.