Earth Day 2025: Activities to inspire the young generation
What's the story
Earth Day, celebrated every year on April 22, is the perfect opportunity to encourage students to think critically about the environment—and to take action!
Whether you teach in a classroom, lead a homeschool group, or run extracurricular programs, these hands-on, meaningful Earth Day activities will spark curiosity, promote stewardship, and inspire lifelong environmental habits.
Activity 1
Plant a classroom garden or tree
Nothing says Earth Day like putting your hands in the soil!
Why does it matter? Well, students see the power of nurturing life and learn about ecosystems, food sources, and sustainability.
For this simple activity, start a small herb or veggie garden in pots, or partner with your school to plant a tree on campus.
Activity 2
DIY recycling science experiments
Turn your classroom into a mini-lab with recycling-focused experiments that are both informative and enjoyable.
Ideas include: Making paper from recycled scraps, creating plastic bottle bird feeders, or building a simple water filtration system.
With these brilliant and easy-to-do ideas, the younger generation can learn how waste can be reused and why reducing waste matters.
Activity 3
Plastic audit challenge
Here's another interesting activity that children of all ages will enjoy participating in.
Have students collect and track all the single-use plastic they use in a day or week.
Once done, ask them to brainstorm alternatives, discuss packaging, and design posters encouraging change.
This links perfectly with the 2025 Earth Day theme: "planet v/s plastics."
Activity 4
Community gardening or composting project
If you have outdoor space, a garden or composting project is a perfect hands-on Earth Day activity.
Activity ideas: Start a compost bin with organic waste, build raised garden beds or container gardens, or plant native species to attract local wildlife
Learning goal: Students understand the life cycle of plants, the importance of healthy soils, and the power of composting in reducing waste.