With many science experiments and hands-on activities, children learn about the world around them. However, on Earth Day we tend to do lessons and activities that focus on helping the earth and the environment. These lessons are great to do anytime of year! This collection of 10+ Best Earth Day STEM Activities for Kids is perfect to celebrate Earth Day.

Whether you have a specific focus for your Earth Day lessons, such as clean water or appreciating nature, there are lots of ideas below to fill your days. Try a STEM challenge or outdoor scavenger hunt to make your Earth Day meaningful.

All of the activities below have a focus on Earth Day and caring for our planet, however, the ideas can be used any time of year. Look through the ideas below to choose an activity, or two, that spark you, and your child’s curiosity.

I love this collection because they teach children about important concepts in a simplified way that children will understand. Hopefully each activity encourages lots of conversations and awareness how to care for our planet.

If you’re looking for more Earth Day ideas, check out a free Earth Day Scavenger Hunt or a collection of STEM ideas that all use materials from nature in Hands-On Teaching Ideas 34 Best STEM Activities Using Nature.

Clean Water STEM Challenge

One of my favorite Earth Day STEM activities is this clean water STEM challenge. This challenge is a great way to create discussion and awareness about the need for clean water around the world.

Provide children with a few materials and challenge them to create a filter to clean the water. Children can run water through the filter a few times to test how well it works. Use the free task card to create a STEM kit.

This challenge is a great way to have children experience the difficulty of getting clean water and appreciate if they have access to clean water.

Earth Day STEM Activities – Science

This Earth Day STEM Skittles experiment for kids is perfect for a little STEM exploration at home. Kids will love watching the ‘earth’ blend and the colors run. This is a great time to watch and talk about the earth and taking care of it.

This Earth Day Science activity creates a chemical reaction that is not only visually stimulating but also provides an opportunity for kids to learn about the properties of gases.

Learn about reducing, reusing and recycling with this hands-on sensory water play. This is also a great chance to get outside!

A simple experiment to help kids learn about oil spills in our oceans and how to clean them up. This is a fun hands on environmental science experiment that’s easy to set up and involves lots of learning!

Earth Day Activities – Plantable Projects

Reuse an old nylon and create a growing creature. Teaching kids about nature and taking care of plants is a great way to encourage taking care of the earth. This grass head plant is easy to make, fun to watch grow and teaches kids about caring for nature.

I love this Earth Day project. Create something that kids can take home for Earth Day. Use old paper, shred it, and create a pulp with this recycled Earth Day card. Add seeds to the pulp and create an earth image with the pulp. Just be careful to let it dry fully quickly because the seeds will start growing quickly!

Grab bundles of paper from your recycling bin or shredder for these recycled seed balls. Use the paper to create these seeds balls that can be gifted and planted.

Earth Day STEM Scavenger Hunts

Head outside and go on a walk as you explore the outdoors and nature. Print the free Earth Day Nature Walk page and search around for various items to learn about the earth.

Explore the outdoors and all that nature has to offer. However, for this STEM scavenger hunt you’re using your senses to enjoy being outside. This is a great way to be mindful and take time in nature to notice things that we often don’t think about when outside.

Being outside and creating an appreciation for nature and the outdoors is a great way to celebrate Earth Day. Print this outdoor scavenger hunt that focuses on lots of items from nature, and encourages children to count, and find a specific number of each item.

I hope that the collection above give you lots of ideas and great ways to bring an appreciation of the earth to your classroom or home. Kids love science and hands-on learning, and it’s easy to incorporate Earth Day themes and ideas into the learning.

On their own, STEM activities encourage problem solving, critical thinking and often lots of team building, but with the focus on Earth Day themes, these challenges become even more important to our daily lives and futures.

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Earth Day Checklist

If you’re still looking for more Earth Day activities, make sure to check out the Earth Day scavenger hunt. Find items that help reduce, reuse and recycle as well as lots of nature, outdoor and earth items.

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