Earth Day Printables

Earth Day Printables
Sarun Laowong / Getty Images

In 1962, the best-selling book, Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson raised concerns about the long-lasting, dangerous effects of pesticides on our environment

These concerns eventually gave birth to the first Earth Day, which was held on April 22, 1970. Spearheaded by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, the holiday began an effort to bring concerns about air and water pollution to the attention of the American public.

Senator Nelson announced the idea at a conference in Seattle, and it spread with unexpected enthusiasm. Denis Hayes, an activist, and Stanford student body president was selected as the national activity coordinator for the first Earth Day.

Hayes worked with Senator Nelson's office and student organizations across the country. The response was more than anyone could have dreamed. According to the Earth Day Network, approximately 20 million Americans participated in that first Earth Day event.

The response led to the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passage of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

Earth Day has since become a global event with billions of supporters in 184 countries. 

How Students Celebrate Earth Day

Kids can learn about the history of Earth Day and look for ways to take action in their communities. Some ideas include:

  • Plant a tree
  • Pick up trash at a park or waterway
  • Learn about recycling and begin recycling at home if you don't already
  • Learn about conserving water and brainstorm some practical ways to do so at home
  • Conserve electricity. Turn off all screens and gadgets and spend time together as a family. Read together, work a puzzle, or play board games.
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Earth Day Vocabulary

Earth Day 3

Print the pdf: Earth Day Vocabulary Sheet

Help your children become familiar with the people and terms associated with Earth Day. Use a dictionary and the Internet or library resources to look up each person or term on the vocabulary sheet. Then, write the correct name or word on the blank line next to its description.

02
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Earth Day Wordsearch

Earth Day 1

Print the pdf: Earth Day Word Search

Let your students review what they've learned about Earth Day with this fun word search puzzle. Each name or term can be found among the jumbled letters in the puzzle. See how many your children can recall without prompting or referring to the vocabulary sheet.

03
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Earth Day Crossword Puzzle

Earth Day 4

Print the pdf: Earth Day Crossword Puzzle

Continue reviewing the Earth Day related words with this crossword puzzle. Use the clues to correctly place each term from the word bank in the puzzle.

04
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Earth Day Challenge

Earth Day 2

Print the pdf: Earth Day Challenge

Challenge your students to see how much they remember about Earth Day. For each definition or description, students should choose the correct name or term from the four multiple-choice options.

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Earth Day Pencil Toppers

Earth Day 5

Print the pdf: Earth Day Pencil Toppers

Celebrate Earth Day with colorful pencil toppers. Print the page and color the picture. Cut out each pencil topper, punch holes on the tabs as indicated, and insert a pencil through holes. 

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Earth Day Door Hangers

Earth Day 6

Print the pdf: Earth Day Door Hangers Page

Use these door hangers to remind your family to reduce, reuse, and recycle this Earth Day. Color the pictures and cut out the door hangers. Cut along the dotted line and cut out the small circle. Then, hang them on the door knobs in your home.

For best results, print on card stock.

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Earth Day Visor Craft

Earth Day 7

Print the pdf: Earth Day Visor Page

Color the picture and cut out the visor. Punch holes on the spots indicated. Tie elastic string to visor to fit your child's head size. Alternately, you can use yarn or other non-elastic string. Tie one piece through each of the two holes. Then, tie the two pieces together in the back to fit your child's head.

For best results, print on card stock.

08
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Earth Day Coloring Page - Plant a Tree

Earth Day 8

Print the pdf: Earth Day coloring Page

Decorate your home or classroom with these Earth Day coloring pages. 

09
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Earth Day Coloring Page - Recycle

Earth Day 9

Print the pdf: Earth Day coloring Page

You can also use the coloring pages as a quiet activity for your students while you read aloud about Earth Day.

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Earth Day Coloring Page - Let's Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day 10

Print the pdf: Earth Day coloring Page

Earth Day will celebrate its 50th anniversary on April 22, 2020.

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Your Citation
Hernandez, Beverly. "Earth Day Printables." ThoughtCo, Sep. 3, 2021, thoughtco.com/earth-day-printables-1832851. Hernandez, Beverly. (2021, September 3). Earth Day Printables. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/earth-day-printables-1832851 Hernandez, Beverly. "Earth Day Printables." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/earth-day-printables-1832851 (accessed March 19, 2024).