An Earth Day Craft for Preschoolers (and Kindergartners and Grade Eights…)

Earth Day is just around the corner – so I thought I would reshare this Earth Day Craft we did last year. I am happy to say we have avoided any horrible bugs this year, and that the boys are a bit better at taking medicine as well. So if you are in the mood for a bit of a story and some process art too, this post is just perfect for you.

Happy Earth Day!

Well – it has been too long! I am sorry to have left this space quiet for as long as I did, but I am back with one rocking Earth Day Craft for preschoolers!

The kids came down with a horrible, horrible bug. The worst I think I have ever seen. For a full 8 days they were both down and out with incredibly high fevers and feeling just plain miserable.

Along with that, came the need for medicine. And those boys of mine … well, I will simply say that they do not take medicine gracefully. Not with a spoonful of sugar, not with bribery, not with anything short of a battle of the century.

Why is that important to this Earth Day craft? Well, it really isn’t. BUT, that is why we had the medicine syringes on the counter. And since Madeline was doing some crafting, it wasn’t long until there was paint beside the medicine syringes. So, clearly, as soon as the boys were better we popped that paint right inside the syringes and got to some Earth Day process art.

This process art I am actually going to do a version of in the classroom (bit with washable markers and spray bottles – just like this Coffee Filter Art over on Little Bins for Little Hands)

But with only 3 little ones (well, I suppose 1 big and 2 littles) this syringe process art was very manageable. And super fun! I just love art projects that are great for all of my kids – and that is a tough find with a 3 year old, 5 year old, and 13 year old to impress.

I began by watering down some acrylic paint. I would say I used about 1 part paint to 3 parts water (but I really just eyeballed it, making the paint just thin enough to get sucked up by the syringe, but not so thin it ran right off the coffee filter).

Then, the kids got to squirting!

We put a coffee filter into a plastic container and the kids took their syringes, filled them up with the watery paint, and squirted away.

We used green and blue to make the coffee filter look just like Earth. Well, maybe not just like Earth, but there is certainly a resemblance.

I think I will have the kids write an “I will” statement on them, or beside them, promising to make a change in their behaviour to help Earth. Maybe they will recycle more, help with more composting, plant a tree, or pick up litter. I think it’s important that children feel they can make a difference.

And there is nothing quite like a good, messy art activity after an illness in the house. A little fun was certainly in order! And letting them use those dreaded medicine syringes for playful fun was quite cathartic I do believe.

Perhaps it has helped them both turn over a new leaf. Maybe next time they are sick, they will think of this fun Earth Day art and take that medicine in the syringe with a smile.

Or maybe not.

I hope your week has been lovely and you are staying healthy friends. Thank you for reading!