April 14, 2024
This Earth Day, inspire your students to care for the environment with this fun recycled items planter activity for kindergarten! Use recycled materials to create your own eco-friendly planters, then use the FREE printable to write about the steps needed to plant and how to use recycled items. Keep reading for all the info and grab your copy!
Check Out These Related Articles to Earth Day STEM Activity for Kindergarten:
GRAB THIS ACTIVITY AND EVERYTHING ELSE FROM SIMPLY KINDER INSIDE THE UNLIMITED PRINTABLE MEMBERSHIP HERE!
This fun hands-on activity is great for STEM because it gets students thinking about the scientific process of how to plant seeds, decide what environment is best for them to grow in, and manipulate different recycled items to make sure they will work well for plants! You can also turn it into STEAM by adding an art element where students decorate their containers however they wish.
It would be great to involve students in the whole process! Send home a letter to caregivers explaining that we will be using different recycled materials in class for a fun activity. Ask them to send in soda bottles or cans, milk jugs, egg cartons (so perfect for right after dyeing Easter eggs!), etc. Use the FREE writing page to have students draw the recycled container they brought in, and write about why they think it’s good to use as a planter.
It’s so easy to make the World a little more GREEN this Earth Day! Here’s all it takes:
1. First, cut the containers down to a small size and clean them entirely.
*Student Question Time* Using the free printable, you can have the students discuss what steps they think it takes to make seeds grow. Ask them what you need. (Soil, seeds, water!)
2. Fill the container almost full of potting soil. Then, dig a few small holes about an inch deep with their fingers before placing the seeds in the holes.
3. Cover the seeds with potting soil and smooth out the top.
*Student Question Time* Ask the class, “Why do you think we need to dig the holes?” Make sure they know the seeds need to have room for the roots to grow and soil covering them so there is room to sprout.
4. Water the seeds and place them in a sunny area! Now it’s time for a little bit of patience! Depending on the type of seed, it can take 2-14 days for them to sprout! Set your containers aside and check them occasionally.
5. Follow up with the Planting Plants-Life Cycle Interactive Science unit to go along with watching their little seeds grow!
Did you know that Simply Kinder has an ENTIRE bundle of Kindergarten science experiments? Your students will love completing these all year long! Low-prep, themed, educational, and hands-on makes it the perfect resource for you! Your students are going to LOVE the planting plants experiment which goes hand-in-hand with this activity! Get the entire bundle from Simply Kinder when you click here or from TpT by clicking here!
Ready to get this Earth Day planting started? Use this FREE science printable to have students demonstrate the entire process. Use the writing extension to draw a picture of a recycled material to use for planters! Grab it on Simply Kinder + Printable Membership instantly here! Learn more about Simply Kinder + Printable Membership and join for free here now!
We would LOVE to see your experiment results. Make sure you tag #simplykinder if you share any photos on Instagram. Or tell us in a post on our Simply Kinder Teacher Group Facebook Page.
This post was written by Johanna, an experienced early elementary teacher who loves learning about new teaching ideas for preschool, kindergarten, and first grade!
With Unmatched Printables & Engaging Classroom Ideas, Simply Kinder is your TRUSTED TEAMMATE.
Get our emails loaded with free resources, teaching ideas, and so much more!
You might also like:
