I have a list of 8 wild earth day facts as well as a neat tutorial for how to make a recycled robot to celebrate your commitment to protect and preserve the Earth. Also, look at my page Free Earth Science Lapbook & Unit Study Ideas for more activities.
Too, if you are looking for ways to help your child focus on earth day and ways just to be kinder and gentler to our planet in general, look below.
I have facts for you to share with them, great books, and a few hands-on activities that make it fun and highlight ways to recycle trash into unique treasures.
Trash can be turned into treasure with just a little imagination.
And you can save money on buying art supplies by pulling items before they make it to the bin and cleaning them up a bit.
Designate a tote just for these fantastic art and science treasures.
I even have a fantastic read aloud suggestion that goes great with earth day.
Grab the Wild Robot Books if you don’t already have them.
If they are sitting on your shelf now is the perfect time to read them.
We are creating a robot craft, because they fit in so well with the earth day theme.
And because I adore these books so much, I had to share them with you. We have read the first two and they are fantastic.
Earth Day Books for Kids
Besides the fact that these books are so very enjoyable they have a wonderful moral woven throughout the story.
Books to Celebrate Earth Day
Add these books to your reading day if you're learning about Earth Day.
Can a robot survive in the wilderness? When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
Shipwrecked on a remote, wild island, Robot Roz learned from the unwelcoming animal inhabitants and adapted to her surroundings--but can she survive the challenges of the civilized world and find her way home to Brightbill and the island? From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed sequel to his New York Times bestselling The Wild Robot,about what happens when nature and technology collide.
Life for Roz and the animals on their island is perfect. But when mysterious, dangerous waters surround the island, the animals are forced inland to fight over dwindling resources.
Roz calms and organizes the animals, but the poison tide takes a terrible toll on the island. So the wild robot sets out across the ocean, determined to stop the poison tide. During her journey, Roz encounters amazing geological formations and incredible creatures, and she sees the devastation caused by the toxic waters. Can the wild robot save the ocean and her island and everything she loves?
We cannot survive without the earth and the earth cannot survive if we do not take care of it.
Roz the robot relies on earth to help her survive in the wilderness and learns to care for nature at the same time.
8 Wild Earth Day Facts
- The first Earth Day was officially celebrated in the US in 1970 and it was conceived by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1969.
- 20 years after the first official earth day it went global with over 140 countries recognizing it.
- The 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill was the event that inspired the first Earth Day.
- Earth Day is celebrated the same day every year – April 22nd.
- There is an official Earth Day theme song.
- The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) was formed as the government’s response to Earth Day.
- There is a new theme for Earth Day every year focusing on the goal of reducing global plastic production by 60%.
- The United Nations dubbed it International Mother Earth Day.
Also, look at more earth day activities.
More Ways to Celebrate Earth Day With Recycling
- I just love this beautiful Recycled Water Bottle Art and think you could rescue many bottles and give them as gifts.
- How To Upcycle A Monopoly Game History to A Medieval Theme & Free Printables
- Upcycle magazines with this DIY Jewelry: Make Bracelets with Kids , turning the colorful pages into pretty beads.
- This high end looking craft is a great way to keep old out of date Cd’s from ending up in the recycle bin DVD Mosaic High Gloss Resin Tray.
- How to Make a Civil War Style Upcycled Necklace | 7 Little Women Book Facts
- Get a whole other life from your egg cartons and have a simple science lesson with an Egg Carton Sea Turtle Life Cycle Activity.
- Fun Upcycled T Shirt Library Tote Back to School Kids Craft
- Isn’t this Recycled Plastic Bottle Planters Craft a perfect and darling spring craft?
Finally, look at how to make a recycled robot. It’s so cute.
How to Make a Recycled Robot
You can rescue many items from the trash that can be used in a variety of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities.
Below are some ideas, grab a box and start saving them up for your robot project which covers several of these.
Before your child begins building their robots, ask questions like what is your robot’s main function? Does he need anything special to do that?
Questions like these will get their creative process and critical thinking skills working together.
Your robot is totally up to your child’s imagination, but I will give you a brief overview of how this one was put together.
Trash items to rescue:
- Laundry detergent bottles
- Cleaned and sanitized cans
- Toilet paper and paper towel rolls
- Clean used aluminum foil
- Cereal boxes
- Soda bottles
- Corks
- Nuts and bolts from the garage
- Pieces of coated wire
- Bottle Caps/Plastic Lids
I also added these items to the pile:
- Pipe cleaners
- Google eyes
- Buttons
- tape
First, we started out by choosing a sturdy large container for the body and covered it in our rescued aluminum foil to give our robot a shiny high-tech look.
To give our robot jointed moveable arms and legs we taped on pipe cleaners where we wanted them.
Next we slipped toilet paper rolls over the pipe cleaners and taped them into place.
Repeat the same steps for the legs.
Wrap aluminum foil around a smaller container for the head.
Add details like eyes, mouth and operational buttons with double sided tape or glue.
