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As you may already know, we love Earth Day in our home! It is a wonderful occasion to bring about dialogue on a big and important topic. Using earth day activities or earth day crafts to invite conversation is the perfect way to help kids learn about and celebrate the earth.
This paper plate earth brings together beautiful green and blue colors.
Earth Day Facts for Kids
- Founded in 1970, Earth Day occurs annually on April 22nd
- In NYC, the United Nations celebrates Earth Day by ringing the Peace Bell, a gift from Japan, at the exact moment of the vernal equinox.
- Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin announced the concept of Earth Day at a 1969 conference in Seattle.
- Grassroots efforts helped Earth Day become a success
- On the first Earth Day, 22 million people gathered to celebrate
Earth Day Paper Plate -Materials
- Scissors
- Blue tissue paper, cut into 1-inch squares
- Construction paper, cardstock or paper plate
- Map template
- Glue
Paper Plate Earth Day Craft – Process
- Have the kids cut the tissue paper into small squares
- Then, the kids can bunch or pinch the blue tissue paper into small bits
- Print the Map Template file of your choosing for the activity
- If printing with a cutting machine, make sure to upload the correct file to your software.
- Resize the images to fit 6 ½ inches wide and 11 inches long.
- Select to print and cut. Be aware that the SVG and EPS files are in black and white. If you choose to print in color, you will need to set those colors within your software manually.
- Allow children to create the globe by gluing the tissue paper to the paper plate.
- Then, add the map to the top layer of the tissue paper.
- Wait until the paper plate earth dries completely
Benefits of this Craft for Kids
- Using scissors to cut the tissue paper is a fantastic fine motor activity.
- Add the pinching and tearing of the tissue paper and this activity might be a perfect way to help develop fine motor and early writing skills.
- Add this activity to the Practical Life or Geography or Art area of the classroom
Earth Day Activities & Resources
Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators | US EPA
Photo Credit:
www.epa.gov