These 20 environmental activities for kids can help parents to educate their children about the importance of climate action while having fun.
They’ll also help teach kids about the importance of caring for the planet—not only by promoting a love for nature, but also by developing responsible habits that can last a lifetime.
Here are 20 environmental actives for kids—fun, educational games and activities designed to inspire climate awareness in children.
20 Environmental Activities For Kids:
1. Nature Scavenger Hunts
Who doesn’t love scavenger hunts? Play along with your kids and have fun! Nature scavenger hunts provide an exciting way for kids to explore the outdoors while learning about the environment.
Create a list of items for them to find, such as different types of leaves, rocks, or animal tracks. This activity not only connects children with nature but also encourages observation and curiosity. Plus it’s fun for adults, too!
2. Recycling Relay Race
Trick the kids into helping you take out the recycling on trash night by transforming the job of sorting recyclables into a fun and active game. Set up recycling bins for each category (paper, plastic, and glass). Have a relay race where the children sort items into the correct bins.
How it works:
Put the recyclables in a box or container and sit it several feet away from the bins.
Rules for multiple children:
Have one of the kids grab a recyclable, run and pass it to a sibling standing closer to the bins, and they’ll put it into the correct one.
Rules for one child:
Time how long it takes them to run and put each item into the correct bin. Keep a chart of “best times” so they can try to beat it next “trash night.”
This fun, interactive activity not only educates kids about recycling, it also promotes teamwork and physical activity.
3. Planting Adventures
This is also a great way to keep the kids busy while you’re gardening. Engage them in the wonder of growing plants by organizing a planting adventure. Provide seeds, soil, and small pots. Have each child plant their own seeds.
As they witness the growth of their plants, they’ll develop an understanding of the life cycle and the importance of nurturing the environment.
4. Upcycled Art
Encourage creativity while teaching the principles of upcycling by organizing art projects using recycled materials. In the evening before “trash day,” take the kids on a walk around your neighborhood in search of interesting items being thrown away.
This will create a deeper understanding of how an object “in the trash” can be recycled into something useful or beautiful. Talk to them about the state of our landfills or garbage in our oceans while you work on the projects.
5. Earth Day Pledges
Celebrate Earth Day by having children create personalized pledges to care for the planet. Provide them with sample papers outlining simple actions like reducing water usage, recycling, or picking up litter. Allow them to decorate their pledges using images cut out of magazines, markers, colored pencils, stickers, etc.
This makes the pledge more important to them as it’s uniquely their own. Hang them somewhere as a reminder of their pledge.
6. Trash to Treasure Fashion Show
Turn environmental education into a creative event with a “Trash to Treasure” fashion show. Have children design and create outfits using recycled materials such as newspapers, plastic bags, and cardboard.
This activity not only emphasizes the importance of reusing materials, but it’s also a fun time for everyone. Have them walk “the runway” like they’re in a real fashion show.
Take pictures of the kids wearing their creations as a reminder of the memories made that day.
7. Animal Habitat Dioramas
Deepen children’s understanding of ecosystems by having them create dioramas of animal habitats. This hands-on activity allows them to explore the unique environments different animals call home.
Prior to creating the dioramas, take the kids for a walk in nature to point out habitats of different animals (holes in the ground created by groundhogs, bird nests in the trees, a dam in a stream created by beavers, etc.).
As they build the dioramas, talk to them about things humans do that impact animals’ homes and how we’re responsible for protecting species from going extinct.
8. Environmental Story Time
Libraries aren’t as busy as they used to be, but they still have events for kids. Check your local library’s events page on the website for environmental activities for kids or other events.
You can also take the kids to pick out environmental books on topics they’re interested in reading and learning about.
This activity combines literacy with valuable lessons about the planet.
9. Water Conservation Challenge
Teach children about the importance of water conservation with this hands-on challenge. This activity empowers children to take direct action toward sustainability and it helps them understand the finite nature of resources.
Show them how much water is used to wash dishes or brush their teeth. Time how long it takes them to brush their teeth, then set the timer and watch the water run for the same amount of time. When they’re not distracted by a task, the amount of water wasted by having the faucet on while they brush their teeth becomes extremely clear.
Don’t scare them by talking about how there might not be enough water for everyone someday or telling them about the “Water Wars” predicted in the future.
10. Waste Audit
Provide each child with a small waste basket for their room and then on trash day, go through them together and point out things that should be recycled vs. thrown away. This activity teaches kids about things that should be recycled, but it can also be helpful for them to see how much waste is generated by just one person in a week.
Discussing ways to reduce waste and promote recycling can help kids develop a sense of responsibility when it comes to what they throw away.
11. Bird Watching Excursions
Introduce children to the world of birdwatching by organizing a trip to a local park or nature reserve. Provide binoculars and bird guides, encouraging them to observe and document the bird species they see. Connecting with nature on a personal level sparks an appreciation for biodiversity.
One way to turn this activity into a game is to have the kids mark each bird they see in their guidebooks as a challenge to see who will be the first to find every type of bird. (Obviously you’ll want guides specific to your country and location).
Set aside a month over the Summer and visit a new location each weekend.
12. Energy-Saving Home Challenge
Educate children about energy conservation by organizing a challenge. If they have a habit of leaving bedroom or bathroom lights on, explain why it’s important to turn lights off when leaving a room and award little prizes for anyone who remembers to turn the lights off for an entire week.
13. Environmental Science Experiments
Make learning about the environment exciting with hands-on science experiments. There are many different science kits you can purchase for kids that make learning fun with experiments. Check out Amazon for a wide selection of kits.
14. Community Clean-Up
Contact the local government to see if any public spaces nearby are in desperate need of clean-up. If you live near a beach, that’s an excellent place to start. There is garbage washing up on shore from the ocean as well as trash left behind by beach visitors. Take this time to talk about the dangers certain types of trash pose to wildlife—from seagulls to sea life.
15. Eco-Friendly Cooking Classes
Teach children about sustainable food choices, such as using locally sourced ingredients or reducing food waste. Cooking activities not only instill a sense of responsibility but also teach practical life skills.
Instead of organizing formal classes, you can also find a selection of recipes for the kids to choose from. They’ll be more motivated to make food that they actually want to eat afterwards!
16. Eco-Friendly Crafting Workshops
Make craft projects focused on eco-friendly materials and sustainable practices. Using items like recycled paper, fabric scraps, and natural dyes, children can create artwork while learning about the environmental impact of different materials.
17. Nature Tours
You can take the kids on virtual journeys to learn about ecosystems all over the world on the internet. However, you’ll see more engagement if you take them outdoors on a hike, or to the local aquarium to see underwater species. Kids will enjoy being there in person more than watching it on a computer screen.
18. Environmental Awareness Games
Turn learning about the environment into play time with educational games. Whether it’s a board game focusing on conservation or interactive online quizzes, incorporating gamified elements makes environmental education enjoyable and memorable for children.
19. Eco-Friendly Fashion Design Challenge
Inspire eco-conscious thinking in the realm of fashion by organizing a design challenge. Have children create outfits using sustainable and recycled materials, emphasizing the importance of making environmentally friendly choices in the fashion industry. Have them put on a fashion show where they walk the “runway.” Afterwards, ask them to pose like models as you take photos.
20. Earth Guardians Club
If you have a lot of free time and you’re ambitious, you can create something for all of the kids in your community. Establish an Earth Guardians Club where children actively participate in environmental projects and initiatives. This club provides a platform for collaboration, idea-sharing, and taking collective action to make a positive impact on the environment.
Provide space in your home or backyard where the kids can meet and engage in fun activities together. This is also an excellent way to get to know other parents in the community.
The adults could organize climate action protests or educational events in the community. You’d be surprised how many people simply aren’t aware of how dire the climate crisis is.
Nurturing Tomorrow’s Environmental Activists
These environmental activities for kids promote different aspects of environmental responsibility while they’re having fun. They educate them on the state of our planet while also preparing them to take care of it in the future.
The younger generations are more passionate about climate change, gun reform, and world peace than their predecessors. They are activists at heart and each generation that follows will be more educated and motivated to save our planet and act responsibly.
There are extreme weather events and wildfires occurring earlier in the season, and increasing in number. The 20 environmental activities for kids on this list will prepare them for the tough road that lies ahead. Especially when it comes to dealing with the inaction of our government.
Are your kids too old for these activities?
That’s okay! You can have conversations with them instead. Be prepared to have difficult conversations with older children who might ask questions like, “Why did you continue using fossil fuels after scientists warned that you were damaging your only home?” (There is no planet B).
There’s no great answer to that question other than an honest one, “The only people who are able to make changes like that are in government. Unfortunately, corruption causes them to choose profit over doing the right thing most of the time. The only way to change that would be to elect Presidents and Representatives who will do something about climate change.”
If you want to be completely honest, you can add how misinformation about climate change has a lot of people in the country believing it’s not a real issue. Without a majority of the population coming together to elect the right candidates, electing the right people won’t be possible.
Provide hope and optimism by adding how progressive the younger generations are and as they grow up, they’ll take over as leaders who will do something (if it’s not too late. (But don’t say that part.)).
Encouraging environmental awareness in children goes beyond imparting knowledge; it involves fostering a deep connection and sense of responsibility toward the planet. By engaging them in hands-on activities that blend education with creativity and fun, we sow the seeds for a future generation of environmental activists.
These environmental activities for kids empower them to understand their role in caring for the Earth and inspire a lifelong commitment to sustainability.
As we nurture their love for nature, we equip them with the tools to become advocates for a healthier and more sustainable world. We must try to think positively about the state of the planet and the government policies that may or may not have changed for the better by the time they are adults.
As children ourselves we would envision what the world looked like in the future. Most of us imagined flying cars and a more technologically advanced world by the year 2000 and we’re now in 2024. Society did not move forward and embrace change— which is a requirement for progress.
If you have ideas for other environmental activities for kids not included in this list, please leave your ideas in the comments below so they can be added to our list.
Bonus Resource
An infographic that parents can use to teach their kids about the different types of renewable energy sources.
