Each year everyone in the family looks forward to celebrating Earth Day and decides and implements one new way our family can help our planet.

Our Earth Day: Reducing Activities for Kids with Free Printables have been a great way to introduce all of the ways to reduce, providing the kids with options on how they will contribute in helping our planet.

What I love most about these activities and printables is that they are so kid friendly and include beautiful true-to-life images.

If you're looking for ways to teach children how to reduce in your Montessori preschool or elementary classroom, this is for you!

And remember reducing isn't just something we learn about and do on Earth Day. These activities and printables can be used any time of year! They work so well as part of your science studies.

Earth Day: Reducing Activities for Kids with Free Printables

Reducing Do-a-dot Pages

There are so many ways to help our planet by reducing. These do-a-dot pages introduce each concept in a simple way for kids to understand.

This particular do-a-dot page introduces the concept of reducing water use. 

Kids place the blue glass beads on the dots to represent water droplets. One could also add tweezers to the activity for an extra challenge.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Reducing Syllable Counting Cards

Just like the do-a-dot pages, these syllable counting cards introduce the different ways to reduce. 

What I love about the syllable cards is that they introduce new vocabulary and provide a way to for kids to learn to pronounce each word correctly.

Kids say each word aloud, clapping syllables as they go. Once they know the answer, they mark it with a clear glass bead.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Reducing Writing Strips

Some kids learn new vocabulary through speaking. Others learn it through writing. 

These writing strips are yet another way to reinforce and practice new vocabulary about all of the ways one can reduce to help our planet.

When I use these writing strips I laminate them and then provide a dry-erase marker to write with, along with a cloth to wipe the writing strips when finished.

If you have a child who struggles to write, you can use the tracing cards. 

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Ways to Reduce Sorting Activity

This activity takes all of the concepts from the previous activities and breaks each one down into logical kid-friendly ways to help the planet.

Kids place reducing cards out, and then place the correct sorting cards underneath them. My older kids loved this activity when we did it, as it gave them practical ways to help the environment that weren't too hard.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Reducing Waste During Play

Some children want to know what they can do on their own to reduce waste. This activity introduces the idea of reducing waste through toy choices. 

Kids sort out cards, putting them under the correct heading: Toys that Reduce Waste or Toys that Create Waste.

This activity provides a fabulous opportunity to talk about choosing items that are made of plastic versus natural materials like wood.

It also introduces ideas like second hand and homemade items.

This activity could easily be followed up with an opportunity to create a toy from items found at home or in the classroom.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Reducing Waste and Creating Waste at Mealtime

Another way children can choose to help the environment is through reducing waste at mealtime! It is so much fun to empower children to make choices that help the planet.

In this activity kids sort cards to show how to reduce waste and how to create waste at mealtime.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Reducing Waste at Lunch  Time

We also used the reduce waste cards at mealtime in a matching activity. I gathered items that reduce waste from our home and put them in a basket. Kids matched up items to the cards. 

As I introduce this activity, I allowed kids to touch and try items included in the basket.

We use all of these items in our home. 

The kids really enjoy the metal straws. Sunshine has owned the lunch containers for years and they're still going strong. Even the silicone reusable storage bags have lasted years.

Changing how meals are packed for on the go can make such a huge difference!

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Reduces Waste and Creates Waste during Hygiene Tasks

Another aspect of daily life where children can reduce waste is through their hygiene routines. This can occur at home and school.

This activity introduces the ways waste is created and reduced during hygiene tasks. 

Kids are often surprised on how many little changes can be made to help the earth. 

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Reducing Waste during Hygiene Tasks 

Once all of the ways to reduce waste during hygiene tasks are introduced, it can be really fun to introduce items and have kids use their senses as they interact with them.

When I introduced these items to Dinomite, Bulldozer, and Princess a few years back, they had so much fun testing and trying each item. 

When all was said and done, they ended up LOVING the brush and comb and use them to this day.

They weren't huge fans of the toothpaste tablets and wooden toothbrush due to sensory sensitivities.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

They also enjoyed trying different shampoo, conditioner, and soap that was more earth-friendly. 

If the products had been unscented, they would probably still be using them. 

Unfortunately some of our kids end up with headaches when around scented items like their mom, so we did stop using these products.

If you enjoy scented products, they are heavenly!

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Alternative Energy Sources Nomenclature Cards

Another aspect of reducing to help the earth is through the use or alternative energy sources. This activity introduces those energy sources through nomenclature cards.

We chose to use the alternative energy source cards as a memory game, but they can easily be used the traditional Montessori way.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Earth Day: Reducing Printable Pack.

Alternative Energy Sorting Cards

Once alternative energy sources have been introduced, we used these fabulous alternative energy sorting cards. They also come with a description card for each energy source!

Kids will enjoy sorting cards that help them understand and recognize each alternative energy source.

Source: The Alternative Energy Sources Sorting Cards are a subscriber only freebie. For your copy, be sure to follow the directions below.

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another message with the Subscriber Only Freebies Link.

6. Click on link.

7. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and voila!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Subscriber Only Freebies page, along with the password in case you forgot it.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy the resources below.