Earth Day was observed for the first time on April 22, 1970. At the time, about 20 million people across the United States rallied to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. (You can read more about the history of this holiday on the Earth Day Network.)
Along with talking to your kids about environmental issues that are important to your family, let them make one or more of these easy Earth crafts for Earth Day.
How to Make a Con-Tact Paper Earth Craft
Cut two pieces of contact paper, each one about 8-inches square. Peel the backing off one of the pieces of Con-Tact paper and place it, sticky side up, on your work surface. Use pieces of tape on the corners to hold it in place. Tear small pieces of green and blue paper and place them in the center of the Con-tact paper to form a picture that looks like Earth. Once all of the paper is in place, cover it with the second piece of Con-Tact paper. Cut it into a circle shape, punch a hole into the top, and use a piece of twine to hang it up.
How to Make a Coffee Filter Earth Craft
Start out by pressing the coffee filter flat on a plate or a piece of wax paper. Use blue and green food coloring to make land and water designs on your coffee filter. You can simply hold the food coloring bottle over the coffee filter and squeeze out a drops. Spread about 3 drops of greens around the coffee filter and then fill in the white spots with the blue. If you want a more detailed Earth (like the one in the picture), apply the food coloring strategically using a paint brush. Once you are done, let the coffee filter dry and then it is ready to hang up.
How to Make a Paper Plate Earth
Let your kids try their hand at painting the back of a paper plate to look like the planet Earth. Have them use acrylic or tempera paint and a paint brush, or they can use finger paint and fingers. Your kids can give their Earth either a happy face or a sad face by simply gluing on large wiggle eyes and a mouth cut out of black paper.
How to Make a Paper Mache Earth
Start out by blowing up a round balloon. Mix up a batch of paper mache paste by pouring a cup of flour into a large bowl and mixing in about a cup and a half of water. You will want it to be the consistency of thick, white glue. Add more water or flour if necessary. Tear newspaper into strips that are about an inch wide and 6-inches long. Dip a piece of newspaper into the glue and lay it on the balloon. Continue this until the entire balloon is covered. Add two more layers of newspaper, letting each layer dry completely before adding the next. Once your balloon is completely dry, paint it to look like the earth.
How to Make a Mosaic Earth
This fun craft project is posted on Crafts by Amanda blog. Amanda explains how you can transform a recycled piece of cardboard into a cool work of art. Print out the earth pattern provided, transfer it to the cardboard piece, and use squares of colored paper to fill in the pattern on the cardboard. Use a piece of yarn and some pony beads to make a fancy hanger for your mosaic Earth and you can display it in a window. Check out this tutorial: Mosaic Earth craft.
I hope you enjoy making all of these easy Earth crafts, and then go out and find an Earth Day activity in your community to participate in.