Go Green with 6 Eco Friendly Kid Activities: Fall

6 Going Green Activities for Kids

Whether you call it Fall or Autumn, the cooler weather is a great time to go green and focus on eco friendly kid activities. Going green isn't just about sustainability or recycling, it is also a great way to be eco friendly. When you use items from nature in games and craft projects, you're going green! Take the kids on a nature hike, collect twigs, leaves, and rocks and then start creating win the found materials. We've curated five beautiful and fun eco friendly activities to do with the kids that will make beautiful gifts or home decorations for fall. As always, don't forget to make it an educational experience with a companion lesson. We've included a few for you.

Whenever we do a craft, we like to pair it with a lesson. The eco friendly kid activities listed here are perfect companion craft activities for a lesson on the environment. After your nature hike, teach the kids about sustainability, going green, and even climate change. Adrian Rubin  has great articles that are perfect for high schoolers or college students to read on their own. For middle school or older elementary students, the articles, like this one on climate change and red tide, make good read alouds. Check out NASA for more in depth articles and lesson plans on global climate change.

6 Eco Friendly Kid Activities

• One of our fellow bloggers and favorite crafters, is Maggie, from Red Ted Art. She created a beautiful leaf lantern that is the perfect fall eco friendly kid activity. 

Eco Friendly Leaf Lanterns from Red Ted Art.

After you hike and create your leaf lantern activity, watch this Global Warming Climate Change video from Brainpop. If you're a teacher or homeschool parent, you'll love that you can create your own quiz or find lesson ideas here.

• Colleen from Raising Lifelong Learners, offers up an ideal going green eco friendly kid activity with these evergreen wreath craft. Click over to see how she incorporates STEM/STEAM lessons with activity. You might also like our Autumn Leaf Wreath How to Activity.

Evergreen Wreath Activity from Raising Lifelong Learners.

• Over on the Melissa & Doug blog, we found an eco friendly alphabet kid activity that is perfect for preschoolers. On your nature hike, collect smooth, flat rocks and bring them inside to create alphabet rocks. The next time you go out, place them along the path in alphabetical order to help your little one learn their ABCs. 

Alphabet Rock Walk from Melissa & Doug.

• We have a fun eco friendly mystery bag activity for a nature hike.

Collect items on a nature hike for a mystery bag activity.

• Now that you've collected all those nature items for your mystery bag activity, use some twigs and walnut or hickory nut shells to make your own eco friendly nature tic tac toe game.

Make an eco friendly tic tac toe game from found objects.

• All kids like to pick up twigs. They make great swords, don't they? They also make cool eco friendly crafts, like the Christmas Tree ornaments pictured below. Collect the twigs in the fall and gift the eco friendly ornaments during the holidays.

Eco friendly kid made holiday decorations.from Kids Creative Chaos.

For more eco friendly kid activities and sustainable ideas check out our Pinterest board on Art and Craft Activities for Kids.

Recommended Reading:

Eco Friendly Nature Based Kid Activities

Eco Friendly Kids Products on Amazon (affiliate link)

Fall Play Ideas

Meet MaryAnne from Mamasmiles, her Crafty Patchwork Doll Quilt, and Fairy Princess Costume.

Are you looking for a thoughtful, intelligent, fun blogger? Meet MaryAnne from Mama Smiles (Joyful Parenting) blog. MaryAnne studied at the University of Scotland and she has a sweet story about the birth of her first child. 

Isn't it fun how life chooses your path for you? I don't know all of the details, but she attended medical school while there. Now, Mama Smiles is a respected Kid Blogger. Life is full of surprises much like the treasures you can find while exploring Mama Smiles Blog.  

Meet MaryAnne from Mama Smiles.

  

MaryAnne is a member of The Kid Blogger Network on Pinterest. Its how I first discovered her! We also co-host a monthly linky party for Sensory Play Based Learning.  Recently, I spent some time exploring her blog. She has so many fun, educational ideas. I especially like her World Culture for Kids series. 

I chose two crafty posts to feature here. I love this little quilt for a doll. I think we all have things stashed away to make a quilt some day! Do you have a little princess? Mama Smiles Princess Dress tutorial is almost as easy as magic. In all my years of making quick costumes for kids, I've never tried this way. What a fabulous idea- you can bet I'm trying that one as soon as possible!

Patchwork Doll Quilt

Doll quilt from Mama Smiles.

Easy Instant Fairy Princess Dress Costume (Nearly)

How to make a Princess Costume.

Facts about Mama Smiles.

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Barack Obama Paper Bag Puppet: Hey When is President's Day Anyway?

When is President's Day? 

In the United States President's Day is always celebrated on the third Monday in February. We combine the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington into one special day. Here's an easy craft for President's Day or Black History Month. A Barack Obama Paper Craft for kids. Enjoy!

GET Printable Obama Puppet (Face).

Click here to print tie for Barack Obama Craft

Mayhem is a huge fan of Barack Obama so when tasked with the assignment to make a "worker" puppet for  Social Studies class she said, "Barack is a worker for America." Thus, the paper bag puppet below. In one hand he has a microphone for giving speeches (she loves to watch). In the other hand, he has a ring for his wife, Michelle Obama, because "they are married together". 

Barack Obama Craft for preschool kids.

Make a President Obama Puppet in honor of President's Day.
This one inspired the printable .

So, when I was a kid in elementary school I remember the big election doings of Jimmy Carter. He was my favorite President for years. A real life cartoon character with peanuts and Billy too boot. Shh... I guess he still is today, but don't tell any political analyst or anyone like that. I love all of the humanitarian work he does, his sense of humor, his forward thinking on going GREEN, and his smile. Hmm... I think I see a pattern here.

Who is your favorite President? Remember a particular election?  Now, if you will pardon me for rushing off... I've got to go make a Jimmy Carter paper bag puppet.

It's so cool to see your projects across the web! I love how the Paper and Glue blog turned our Obama printable into a stick puppet.

Recommended Reading:

Who Is Barack Obama? (Who Was...?)

Activities for Black History Month

100 African-Americans Who Shaped American History (100 Series)

Handprint Dream Catcher Paper Craft for Martin Luther King Day

Handprint DreamCatchers Paper Craft Activity for Martin Luther King Day

Looking for a Martin Luther King Day craft for kids? This dreamcatcher handprint craft will help you start a dialogue on multi-cultural inclusion and the importance of dreams. Hang it above your bed to catch your dreams. Write your dreams on the paper handprints. Teach about aspirations with an MLK Day Activity.

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Trace hands on multi-colored paper for this MLK Day Craft.

How to make a handprint dream catcher paper craft: 

• Grab a paper plate, cut a circle out of the center, wrap it with crepe paper attaching with tape. 
• Trace hand on several different colors of construction paper to represent different cultures. 
• Glue hands with fingers entwined as shown below. 
• To make a wreath, fold the base (palm) of the hand around the ring securing with staples. 

This is a craft for kids which offers individualism. Let them create anyway they choose and write inspiring words on each hand, drop crepe paper streamers from the paper plate hoop to make a dreamcatcher. 

They can share their handiwork and start a dialogue about what is alike with each kids' craft.

Focus: Although everyone interprets the craft a little differently we all share the ability to dream big like Martin Luther King. Click the MLK link for a companion classroom skit or stage play see stage play.

This DREAMCATCHER is designed to collect your dreams and harness them into GOALS. Remember all it takes is a Can-do attitude!

Dream Craft for MLK Day.

Recommended Reading:

Martin Luther King Skit for Kids

Barack Obama Activity

My First Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr.



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