10 Environmental Education Activities for Children (1)

Updated in 2026: This article was one of Explora Natura's most consulted guides for years. We have revised it to retain useful environmental education ideas for children and add new suggestions adapted for classroom use and nature outings.

If you're looking for specific ideas for this season, you can also check out our guide:
15 environmental education activities for spring in Primary and Secondary School

In this blog post Explore Nature, We want to show you 10 environmental education activities for children. We've divided them into two parts to make them easier to read. Often, and increasingly so, science books don't include environmental education activities. Lots of theory and little practice.

We hope you find these activities interesting, and they can be done both in the classroom and at home. These activities and guides will encourage school-aged children to adopt a healthier, greener lifestyle at home and at school.

By teaching children at a young age to be aware of the importance of knowing and preserving the environment, you are building lifelong habits that are sure to make a difference for the future of planet Earth.

The activities and resources include methods for reducing waste, information on consuming products responsibly, recycling tips, facts to reduce pollution and learn about its effects on the environment, statistics on global warming, worksheets on different ecosystems, and many projects for students to complete inside and outside the classroom.

1. 
   

   Our natural world

   
   

Age group: Childhood, adolescence

Aim: Discovering our relationships with the natural world

Description:

1. Begin the activity with an outdoor excursion, such as to a park, forest, river, or countryside.
2. Give each participant paper and a pencil. They should then draw a three-column table with the following titles: components of the ecosystem we are visiting, things we have in common, and how they help people and influence the other components of the ecosystem.
3. Invite participants to observe their surroundings. They should find animals, plants, rocks, etc., in nature and describe them. Be sure to help them complete their observations with any elements that haven't been mentioned by any of the participants. In this way, they are learning to observe and interpret nature in a more comprehensive and profound way.

For example:

• Tree. We both have an outer layer for protection (bark/skin). The tree provides oxygen.
• We both have minerals. The soil helps grow my food and the food of the other animals in the ecosystem.
• We both need shelter. It's nice to watch them.

4. Finally, share the results of the individual observations. Help them discover that this personal connection is where our commitment to the Earth begins.
5. 
   

   Collect and recycle

   
   

Age group: Childhood, early adolescence (8-15)

Aim: Raising awareness about respect for the environment

Description:

1. Preparations for this activity should begin a week or two in advance, so that participants can familiarize themselves with the recycling and reuse options available in our community. We will visit a location in any natural area where trash is commonly dumped. Roadside ditches, for example, are often filled with garbage.
2. Travel to the site. Have the group observe the trash-strewn area and record their thoughts and feelings about the situation. Give each group member a trash bag so everyone can help clean up until the area is as clean as possible.
3. A contest can be held to see who can collect the most trash in 5 to 10 minutes. Advise the group to be careful when picking up sharp, rusty, or unsanitary objects. It is recommended that participants wear gloves for this activity.
4. Divide the participants into pairs and have them design a plan to sort the trash on their next camping trip.
5. 
   

   Respect for wildlife

   
   

Age group: Childhood, early adolescence (8-15)

Aim: Raising awareness about respecting wildlife

Description:

1. Go to an urban park with wildlife, a wildlife viewing area, or show the group pictures or slides of animals in the wild. Ask the group why loud noises and sudden movements are stressful for wildlife. Ask if there are particularly sensitive times of year for wildlife. Also, explain how animals survive periods of extreme weather, such as very cold winters or very hot summers.
2. Have the group observe nature and make a list of things that might bother each type of local inhabitant. Ask them to list things they could do to minimize their impact on the environment.
3. Have each participant share their observations and what they would do to minimize their impact on nature. What negative effects would there be if these rules were not respected in nature?.

Explaining to the group how to observe animal species from a distance (such as using binoculars) is more convenient because it does not disturb their normal behavior and they are not forced to flee.

4. 
   

   Building an animal pond

   
   

Age group: Late childhood, early adolescence (8-15)

Goals:

• Provide opportunities to observe nature.
• Raising awareness about respect for and conservation of the environment

Description: Build a small pond to attract birds, amphibians, and small mammals to it.

1. Dig a shallow pit with hoes and shovels and cover it with heavy-duty plastic. You can also use cement, although this will increase the cost.
2. Fill the container with water.
3. Put some aquatic plants inside. The animals that use them will do the rest.
4. Make a list of the animals that use the pond.
5. In a short time you will be able to observe a large number of different animals and it is likely that birds that have not been seen in the area for a long time will be attracted.
   

   Promote Earth Care

   
   

Age group: Childhood, adolescence (8-18)

Goals:

• Raising awareness about environmental conservation
• Improve the environmental quality of the area
• Involving young people in nature conservation actions

Description:

A) Cleaning Campaign

1. Examine the areas where trash accumulates most frequently, and the location of trash cans in your town or neighborhood.
2. Prepare posters that emphasize the need for a cleaner community and place them in authorized locations throughout the area.
3. Photograph the locations before proceeding with the cleaning.
4. Show these photographs or bring them with you when you conduct the survey to determine which households are willing to help clean their own street.
5. Announce the cleaning date in the local press and send a cleaning team to inform people of the day the cleaning will take place.
6. Photograph the cleaning process.
7. It invites other streets to participate in a second cleaning campaign.
8. Consider the locations of the containers and their decoration.

6. Building nest boxes

Age group: Childhood and early adolescence (8-15)

Goals:

• Raising awareness about bird protection
• Provide the opportunity to observe birds

Description:

Construction of nest boxes to encourage the breeding of small bird species in the area.

• Leave parts of the wood unsanded so that the birds can hold on to both the inside and outside of the nest box.
• If we make the roof hinged, we will have easier access to carry out control and cleaning activities.
• Mount with corrosion-resistant screws.
• It is recommended to place the nest boxes in wooded areas and in areas that are not easily accessible to avoid vandalism.

7. Cooking with tires

Age group: Childhood – early adolescence (8-15)

Aim: Raising awareness about solar energy

Description:

1. Non-renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly scarce. However, there are others, like solar energy, that are virtually limitless. But can we use the sun's heat to cook food?
2. Take an old inner tube. It needs to be inflated for this activity, so if it's punctured, you'll need to patch it. Inflate the inner tube and place it on a wooden board.
3. Use an aluminum cooking container with a lid. Paint the outside black to help retain heat. Put water in the container.
4. Place the cooking container inside the chamber. Then, cover the chamber with a piece of smooth glass. After about three hours, check the water temperature.
5. How does this happen? The space inside the hollow of the pot is like a sealed cavity. Air can't get in or out. The sun's rays enter the glass and concentrate. Slowly, the temperature of the cooking vessel rises and the rice cooks.

8. Preparing tree cuttings

Age group: Adolescence (12-18)

Aim: Raising awareness about environmental conservation

Description: Trees provide shelter and shade for people, animals, and smaller plants. A single tree can make a garden 5°C cooler. We should all plant at least two trees a year, because they will be used in one way or another, even if they don't produce any fruit. Fruit trees, however, are especially valuable. It's very important to involve young people in growing, planting, and protecting trees. Creating a tree nursery can be an activity that promotes environmental awareness, is great fun, and turns the youngest members of the family into naturalists.

Materials:

• Large plastic bottle (2 liters)
• Scissors
• Heavy-duty tape
• A mixture of soil, compost, humus…
• Seeds
• Water

What needs to be done?

1. We take a walk encouraging young people to look for trees growing in the surrounding area.
2. Ask the owners for permission to collect their seeds.
3. Prepare some old two-liter plastic bottles.
4. It's time to prepare the seedbeds:
   1. Cut a bottle
   2. Fill the bottom with soil
   3. Plant the seed
   4. Add water until the floor is flooded
   5. Carefully secure the top of the bottle with tape.
5. The mini seed tray is ready, put it in a nice, sunny place.
6. Water once a week.
7. The seed should take approximately four weeks to grow.
8. After three weeks of growth, put it in a plastic bag filled with good soil.
9. When the tree is 30 cm tall, give it to someone who promises to care for it and plant it in soil with plenty of compost. New trees need to be watered during their first two years of growth.

9. Marking an Educational Nature Trail

Age group: Adolescence (12-18)

Goals:

• Raising awareness about environmental conservation
• Involving young people in environmental conservation actions

Description:

Young people can participate in the design and signage of nature trails.

This can be a fantastic educational activity.

Nature trails are an excellent way to get people to look around, exploring and discovering the natural environment.

Municipal parks, youth centers, campsites, or schools offer opportunities for young people to mark nature trails for the benefit of the community.

1. Start by involving young people in an in-depth study of the trail's features.
2. Ask an expert to help you identify places, plant specimens, etc., that are of environmental interest; that is, places where groups can meet to observe interesting things such as: trees, wildflowers and interesting plants, signs of animals, streams, soil types, competition between species, habitats within an ecosystem, life cycles, etc.
3. Prepare a project and raise funds and technical support to help implement it.
4. Post signs to show directions and indicate strategic points of interest (with panels providing the necessary explanations for observation). Indicate potential hazards (poison ivy, wild bees, wasp nests, overhanging branches, etc.). The trail must be safe to walk on even in heavy rain.
5. Make a trail guide with a map indicating the different stations and necessary lists of things you shouldn't do and things you should do.
6. Promote your nature trail: opening day, documentation in schools and youth centers, etc.

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