Earth Day Craft and Free Writing Prompt for Kids

This Earth Day craft for kids is a very engaging and easy craft for kids ages 2+. Kids will love making and using homemade puffy paint to create a blue and green Earth-shaped heart. Pair it with a book or the included Earth Day writing prompt for a great literacy-based activity for older children.

After reading an Earth Day book it is great to talk about the child’s part in taking care of the Earth. Brainstorm a list of ways that they can help depending on their age.

Then for a toddler/preschooler literacy connection, you can have them dictate ways they can help the Earth (show the Earth love) and write them on the writing prompt sheets. Older children (Kindergarten and up) can sound out their words and write them themselves on the attached writing sheets.

The books  “Biscuit’s Earth Day, Recycling Day, and I am Earth” are some of our personal favorite books to help teach children about Earth Day and the importance of taking care of the Earth.

Another great follow-up activity would be to give your little one plastic gloves and a grocery bag and have them pick up trash or any other form of litter around the home, parks, or school.

Scroll down for directions on how to make the cutest Earth Day craft for kids. If you are looking for more fun Earth Day-themed activities be sure to check out the planting sensory tray in my spring sensory bin post.

How to make homemade foam puffy paint

To make the homemade puffy paint for the Earth-shaped heart you will only need three ingredients: liquid glue, shaving cream, and food coloring. All you need to do is mix 1 part liquid glue to 1 part shaving cream. Next, add 1-2 drops of food coloring and stir it all together. Apply with a paintbrush.

*If the paint seems too sticky and isn’t mixing well you may need to add more shaving cream.

Additional Earth Day Writing Prompts

The attached sheet is perfect for a dictated writing prompt (Kids tell you the answers and you write them down) for ages 3-5. It works great for Kindergarten-1st grade students to practice sounding out and writing an answer on their own. Second graders and up could write an answer as well as a reason why. Attached are some additional ideas for writing prompts for Earth Day for any age.

• What can you do to help the Earth? How can you do this?
• Why is it important to keep our Earth clean?
• What could happen if our Earth isn’t taken care of?
• Why should we grow plants and trees?
• What does it mean to recycle? Reduce? Reuse?
• Name three items that can be recycled, reduced, or reused.

Earth Day Craft for Kids

Materials

• White Card Stock
• Scissors
• Glue Stick
• Liquid Glue
• Shaving Cream
• Food Coloring
• Black Construction Paper
• Attached Writing Prompt (Optional)

Activity:

1. Cut a large heart out of the white cardstock that will fit on the top half of the black construction paper. If you have a toddler (or just wanted to do the project) and plan on leaving out the writing prompt you can make your heart the size of the whole cardstock piece if desired. 

2. Mix together your puffy paint by adding 1 part liquid glue to 1 part shaving cream. Add 1-2 drops of food coloring and mix together. Do this twice to create blue and green paint.

3. Paint blue puffy paint over the whole cardstock heart.

4. Paint 4-7 green puffy paint spots on top of the blue to create the land on the Earth. Let dry completely (This may take a few hours).

5. Print out the template PDF at the bottom of the post.

6. Have your child dictate an answer or sound out and write an answer to the writing prompt: “What can you do to show the Earth love?”

7. Cut out the half sheet writing prompt and glue it to the black construction paper leaving a small amount of room on both the bottom and sides.

8. Glue your dry Earth heart to the top of the page.

*Steps 5-7 are optional as you can also do the craft without them.