Earth Day 2025 Teaching Resources
Teach students about Earth Day in 2025 with printables, worksheets, activities, crafts, and more about being kind to our earth and living a more sustainable life.
This collection of teacher-created resources for ELA, math and science teachers touches on a variety of eco-friendly themes, including sustainability, environmental impact, and recycling. Most resources are curriculum-aligned and editable so you can differentiate work for individual students, and each has undergone rigorous review by an expert teacher on the Teach Starter team.
Teaching Earth Day for the first time this year, or need a quick guide to the 2025 holiday? Read on for tips from our teacher team!
When Is Earth Day 2025?
Earth Day is held on the same day each year, which means this year the holiday will be on April 22, 2025. This is a Tuesday, so schools should be in session!
What Is the Theme of Earth Day 2025?
Following the Earth Day theme — chosen annually by EarthDay.org — can help you focus your lesson planning to save time and have the greatest impact on your students.
The 2025 theme is Our Power, Our Planet, opening the door to talk about renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and tidal, to generate clean electricity for everyone.
How Do You Explain Earth Day to a Child?
Depending on the grade level you are teaching this school year, explaining the state of our planet can be a challenge. So, how do you touch on the importance of being green and sustainability in kid-friendly ways?
First, you may want to consider why it's so important that our students learn about Earth Day in the first place. Earth Day is an important opportunity for children to learn about the environment, the importance of conservation and sustainability, and to understand their role as active citizens.
Among the issues kids are learning when you teach about Earth Day in the classroom:
- Environmental education: Learning about Earth Day helps students understand the importance of protecting the environment and preserving natural resources for future generations.
- Climate change: Understanding the impacts of climate change and how to reduce carbon footprint can be started in elementary school and have a real impact as kids grow up
- Active citizenship: Children learning about Earth Day are learning about how they can make a difference in their own community, such as recycling, conserving energy, and protecting endangered species.
- Interdependence: Learning about Earth Day also helps children understand how everything in the world is interconnected, and how our actions can have a direct impact on the planet.
- Encouraging curiosity and creativity: Earth Day promotes curiosity and creativity in children, leading them to want to explore and learn more about the world around them.
What Can Students Do on Earth Day?
This collection is full of activities you can use with your students this Earth Day, and here are some things elementary schools can do to mark this important annual event:
- Get Planting at School — If you don't already have one, Earth Day is the perfect time to create a school garden and teach students about the benefits of planting fresh plants, flowers and trees.
- Clean-Up Litter Around the Community — Organize a clean-up event to pick up litter in the school's community.
- Amp Up Recycling Efforts — Encourage your students to do more to keep trash (especially plastic!) out of landfills by setting up recycling stations around the school or in your classroom.
- Conserve Energy — Educate your students about energy conservation and encourage them to turn off lights and unplug electronics when they're not in use.
- Enjoy Nature — Organize a nature walk around the school or in a nearby park. Your class can learn about different types of plants and animals while they enjoy fresh air.
- Bring in a Guest — Invite an expert to speak to the class about environmental issues and what kids can do to help.
- Get Creative With Reuse — Your class can make artwork using recycled materials and learn about how these items can be transformed into something new and beautiful.
- Experiment — Conduct a science experiment in your science classes related to an environmental issue, and learn about how we can make a difference.
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Carbon Footprint Draw and Write
Help your students be more eco-conscious by having them complete a carbon footprint worksheet.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Earth Day Foldables
Display different ways to conserve resources with a set of fun recycling–based foldable interactive notebook templates.
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Helping the Earth Flipbook - Primary
Use this printable recycling flipbook with your students to teach them about ways to help Earth.
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Recycling Writing Prompts - Earth Day Worksheets
Differentiate writing instruction in primary grades with informational writing prompts about recycling and conservation.
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Reduce Reuse Recycle! - Printable Earth Day Read-Alouds
Teach your students to reduce, reuse, and recycle with a printable 3 Rs Mini-Book.
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Earth Day Mini Book
Help your young students learn and write about Earth Day with a printable Earth Day book for kids.
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How to Reduce Waste - School Lunch Project
Investigate the waste produced from school lunches and create a plan of action to reduce waste with a school lunch waste analysis project.
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Sustainability Activity - Caring for the Environment Sort
Promote sustainable living with a sustainability sorting activity.
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What Can We Recycle? Cut and Paste Worksheet
Remember what to recycle with a cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Being Water Wise - Saving Water Poster Project
Learn and demonstrate knowledge about water conservation with a "Being Water Wise" poster project.
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How to Save Water Poster and Worksheet Pack
Teach your students ways to save water with a printable poster and worksheet pack.
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The World Without Water – Natural Resource Worksheet
Imagine and depict what a world without water would look like with a drawing prompt worksheet.
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Water Use Timeline Worksheet
Observe and explore the ways water is used throughout the day with a printable water timeline worksheet.
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Sprinkle Kindness Activity Book Template
Encourage students to write about ways to be kind to people and the planet with a printable sprinkle kindness activity book.
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How Can We Help Our Planet Mini Book
Make an Earth Day mini book that your students can complete to explain how they can help the planet.
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My Promise to the Earth - Flipbook Template
Make a promise to protect the planet with a printable Earth Day flip book.
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Great Barrier Reef - Comprehension and Note Taking Worksheet
Learn about The Great Barrier Reef with a comprehension and note-taking activity.
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Recycling Writing Prompts - Primary
Show off your procedural writing skills with a pack of recycling writing prompts.
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How is Plastic Recycled? – Recycling Worksheets
Explore the process of recycling plastic with a printable recycling worksheet.
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Recycling Card Game - SNAP!
Use this card game to reinforce the correct containers to be used for recycling, composting, and discarding waste.
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Earth Day Craft - 3 Rs Mobile Template
Inspire your students to reduce, reuse, and recycle with a fun Earth Day craft project.
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Trash, Recycle, or Compost Sorting Activity
Learn about recycling, composting, and sustainable practices for waste management with a fun sorting activity.
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Natural Resource Use - Instructional Slide Deck
Explore how natural resources are used by humans in the 21st century with an instructional slide deck.
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Oil Spill Science Experiment
Investigate water pollution and discover the effects of oil spills on wildlife with a hands-on science lab!