Earth Day Unit: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Free Printables

This week our Earth Day Unit studies are focused on the theme: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!  

The kiddos have really been enjoying the activities.  

Besides Earth Day themes, I threw in a few splashes of Spring.  

It is finally arriving here where we live.

Earth Day Unit: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Play-Dough Mat

All three kiddos have weak hand and arm muscles and are in OT because of this, (and several other things).   

Dinomite knows how to write all of his capital and lower case letters. 

Bulldozer and Princess, not so much.  (Although Princess can write a lot of her upper case letters.)  

I love how working with play-dough helps them strengthen these muscles and helps them learn things like letters and such at the same time.  

Our letter of the week is R.

Source: I created this printable.

Days of the Week Identification, Abbreviations & Sequencing

One of the kiddos favorite circle time songs is "Days of the Week."  Not only do we sing the song, but we watch a little music video as we do it to help with the kiddos need for visual cues and learning.  

We also review them as we do calendar every day.  

My hope is that all three kiddos can put the words in order along with numbers by the end of the week.

The abbreviations are for Dinomite, as he's ready to be introduced to them.

Source: I created these cards.

Introduction to Suffixes

One of Dinomite's IHIP goals this year is to learn his suffixes and prefixes.  Well, we've done almost everything else, except this, so it's time.  However, learning rules and applying them to writing is quite difficult for Dinomite.  

Applying rules like this to reading is a little easier for him.  In fact, he seems to get confused often when he sees the lettter "s" at the end of a word, and especially "es."  So here's our intro activity to suffixes. 

The activity does not include the endings -ing or -ed.  Those will come next.  (Once I figure out how to present them so he'll understand.)

The activity printable is actually two activities in one.  

There is no way Princess and Bulldozer are going to understand all the rules of suffixes, so for them this is just a simple singular/plural match up activity.  

They're enhancing their vocabulary and observing what letters are different etc.  Princess really liked it today.

Dinomite will separate the matched cards according to rule and ending.  My hope is as he studies the letters of the cards, he'll start to feel more confident with the concept and then we can work on writing etc.

 Source:  I created these cards.

Montessori Suffixes Printable Pack

If you're looking for a resource about suffixes, this product was created much later than this post was written. It includes some fantastic resources when teaching suffixes.

Color-By-Size Recycling Bins

The kids have been begging for a coloring activity for a couple weeks now, so they were thrilled to see this activity on the shelves.  Dinomite chose it first thing and was thanking me endlessly for a chance to color.

Source:  I found this activity as part of a free Earth Day Packet at Royal Baloo.

Recycling Bin Addition

This activity includes 3 blue recycling bins along with several addition problems you sort into the bins.

Another one of Dinomite's IHIP goals is to learn his addition and subtraction facts. He seems to do really well with addition and likes it.  

Princess is actually enjoying them too.  As long as she has the counters, she can get the answers correct.  Its' not going to be long before she starts memorizing them.

Source: I found this activity as part of a free Earth Day Packet at Royal Baloo.

Recycling Bin Subtraction

Dinomite is just starting to feel confident and comfortable with his subtraction facts.  Hopefully with more practice he'll have them by the end of the year as planned.

Source: I found this activity as part of a free Earth Day Packet at Royal Baloo.

Sorting Trash

It's been a while since we've had a scissors and glue activity.  Princess did fabulous with it today, not needing any help to cut, sort the pictures, or anything.  It's amazing all she's capable of at only 3 years old.

Source: I found this free printable at All Students Can Shine.  (You may have to scroll down a little to find it.)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

This week I wanted to find a way to really teach the kids the difference between reducing, reusing and recycling, so I designed a sorting activity (with some pretty cool pictures) to help them out.  

Dinomite chose it first thing off the shelves!  I was very excited.  

Bulldozer joined us as we went through it for the first time.

Dinomite's work.

Source:  I created these cards.

Recycling Sensory Bin

Bulldozer has been asking for a sensory bin.  It took a while to come up with this idea, but I LOVE how it turned out.  One may not be able to tell the contents of the bin from the picture, so I'll elaborate.

• Shredded/Torn Construction Paper
• Shredded/Torn Tissue Paper
• Shredded/Torn Magazine Paper
• Shredded/Torn Poster Board
• Square Cardboard Box Pieces
• Baby Food Jar without lid
• Flat Clear Glass Beads
• Circular Clear  Glass Beads
• Aluminum Foil Squished into little balls (so it won't be sharp to the touch)
• Small Tomato Paste Can, with wrapper taken off
• Mini Plastic Water Bottle with lid taken off

I'd love to add a few more items, but I just haven't come up with any I like yet.  The kids love it just the way it is, especially with the addition of the baby food jar and water bottle. 

They poured and stuffed and shook, etc.  It was great!  And the textures... with all the different types of paper products, there are so many things to feel.

Food Compost Sorting

We started composting last year, not in the way one might think, but a very simplified version with one purpose.  There are a few wood chucks that live in the area.  They love our flowers, previous gardens (we don't even try to have one anymore), and garbage.  

It has been 6 years since we moved here and there's really no way to get rid of them.  There are several of them all up and down the street.  

Last year, after trying so many other ideas, I decided I'd try to befriend the animals, in hopes that they'd leave my flower beds alone.  

We dumped our compost safe items in a destroyed bed of flowers on a daily basis.  Sure enough, they loved them AND left my flowers alone.  

The kids have named the wood chucks and they really have become part of the family, as they come out to eat about the same time we eat dinner.  So, thanks to the wood chucks, our kids have learned about compost!

I couldn't resist adding a food sorting activity to help them learn what's okay and what's not okay to compost.

We celebrated Earth Day today by leaving our first compost for the wood chucks this year.  I'm sure they'll be happy as always.

Reducing Energy Use-Air Drying Clothes

In keeping with our them this week, I wanted to teach the kiddos a practical life skill that would help them help the environment.  We don't have a clothes line as we live in the right part of the city where clothes would be stolen, if we did hang them up.  

The kids had such a fun time trying to hang up clothes.  Dinomite even went as far as learning how to fold them up when he took them down and placed them back in the basket.  Bulldozer was so proud of his work, he showed his OT when she showed up.

Dinomite's work.

I used newborn sized clothing so it would be easy for the kiddos to manipulate, including items:  pants, shorts, shirt, jacket, dress, and socks.

Spring Butterfly Dropper Activity

I've been saving this activity for Spring, and couldn't resist adding it this week.  I used purple water in the dropper, especially for Bulldozer.  His favorite color is purple to the point of obsession.

Arranging Flowers

Yet another Spring activity, I couldn't resist.  Actually the flowers were decorations for Sunshine's adoption party last weekend.

Flower Bead Stringing

Again, with flowers, because of the season.  We just had snow fall here on Saturday, so I guess you could say I'm really trying to bring on Spring, if not outside, than at least in our minds.

Spring Pencil Sharpening

As the year is coming to an end, I've noticed we're running short on pencils.  Since the kiddos love sharpening them so much, I figured I'd give them the task of preparing them for use.

Finger Paint, Hand Painting Earth Art Activity

Our art project for the week is this beautiful palm print Earth, surrounded by finger print people.  I love how it incorporates so many things.  

The kids will receive some sensory input as they paint their palms and fingers the proper colors, in preparation for leaving prints on the paper. 

They'll mix paint as they select specific colors they want for their finger people.  Then, once all has dried, they are able to draw hair, faces, etc. on their fingerprint people. I can't wait to see how they turn out.

Source:  I found this project online.

Musical Instruments

The kiddos are always begging me to use the musical instruments, so I figured I'd give them some free time with them this week.

Decorating Recycling Bins

Princess decorating her bin.

Our last project for the week, we actually did today.  The kids decorated recycling bins for our back porch. 

We have always recycled, it just hasn't been as organized as I'd like it.  As I've been sorting and getting rid of bins of clothes in our attic, there just happen to be three empty bins available for use.  SCORE!  

I thought about the kids painting and really beautifying the bins, but knowing they'll be on the porch and it snows here at least 50% of the year, I figured crayons would be my best bet.  

They LOVED the activity. Even Sunshine, almost 18 months joined in with her own bin.

Bulldozer decorating his bin.

Dinomite's bin. I am so impressed with his art work!

Princess' bin.

Bulldozer's bin.

Next week we continue our Earth Unit, learning about endangered species.  I'm super excited!

For more holiday themed learning activities be sure to subscribe to our free newsletter by clicking the link below.

Click HERE to Subscribe to our Free Newsletter

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the resources below.