Teaching Sustainability Through Art: Earth Day Projects for the Classroom

April 1, 2024 Spectrum

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April is a great month; the world is full of positive energy and sunshine; things start to awaken and bloom after the long winter. It’s also the month Earth Day takes place, a day we can all take time to appreciate this planet we live on, and bring awareness to how we can do more to keep it happy and healthy. A great way to do this is to involve your kids in earth friendly art projects that promote recycling and reusing.

Teaching Sustainability Through Art

(image source: https://www.mombrite.com/egg-carton-flower-bouquet/)

A nice way to introduce this to students is to challenge them to look at the everyday products in their home and how much of it is just tossed away.

A nice way to introduce this to students

(image source: https://happyhooligans.ca/egg-carton-flower-craft/)

Open their eyes to the creative ways these things can be reused or upcycled into something else.

Make a plan with your class, assign each student with the task of bringing in an item they would like to creatively turn into something else.

Open their eyes to the creative

(image source: https://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/things-to-do/egg-carton-turtle/news-story/515a7cd2a15dd9db49f0b9e03b4903d0)

Younger students can look at decorating egg cartons, turning them into flowers with chenille stems or popsicle sticks and some paints, markers or crayons. These egg cartons can also be made into cute critters using wiggly eyes, chenille stems and paints, markers or crayons and construction paper and white glue.

Younger students can look at decorating egg cartons

(image source: https://www.whereimaginationgrows.com/egg-carton-snail-craft-kids/)

Using toilet rolls to turn into “binoculars” again can be decorated with paints, markers, crayons, or break out the glue and add beads and foam shapes. Rolls can be held together with rubber bands (another reusable item) or glued together. Poke holes to add a string strap and kids are off to use these on many adventures.

(image source: https://homanathome.com/2017/08/binoculars/)

Older kids can even turn toilet rolls into decorative pen/pencil holders for their desks. They can use construction paper to cover the roll turning it into a seamless colourful tube, they can decorate any other way they choose. Use bristol board traced to the circular end of the tube and attach to close off one end.

Older kids can even turn toilet

(image source: https://gigglesgalore.net/diy-paper-roll-pencil-cup)

(image source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbW_YbcDe1U&lc=Ugh0sa3eksgKeHgCoAEC)

Older kids can even turn toilet

(image source: https://lc.pandahall.com/articles/3461-pandahall-video-tutorial-how-to-make-toilet-paper-roll-pencil-holder-for-kids.html)

Since April is also the time we all start wanting to get outside again, turning these toilet rolls into bird feeders is another simple, but impactful craft.

(image source: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/89157267604083578/)

Punch two holes in one end of the tube, evenly across from each other. Cut string or twine to desired length and tie through these two holes to use for hanging. In the other end of the tube punch four more holes evenly across from each other, with one set of holes slightly higher than the other. Task your students with finding two sturdy sticks, these will be used as perches inserted into those four holes. Push the sticks through crisscrossing each other on the inside, leaving enough of each one out for the birds to use. Now, kids can have fun and get messy slathering peanut butter and sticking birdseed to their roll!

Punch two holes in one end of the tube

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Another innovative way to upcycle, is to use plastic bottles creatively turning them into decorated planters. This project is great as it can use any size or shape bottle; anything from water or pop bottles to empty laundry detergent bottles. Students can really take creative control. They can simply punch holes and tie string to make a hanging planter or cut larger bottles into shapes such as animals. Bottles can be painted, or decorated with glue and beads.

Another innovative way to upcycle