Kid Activities
1000's of Ideas for Childcare Professionals & Teachers!

Earth Day-Every Day! Menu

March 27, 2012 20:04 by Barbara Shelby

 

This category consists of several  sections...click on the one you'd like!

•Earth Theme: Art, Crafts and Games

•Earth Theme: Litter, Recycling and Coins

•Earth Theme: Nature and Science Activities

•Earth Themed Snacks and Variey of Ideas

•Earth Themed Music Activities

•Seasonal Earth and Green Ideas!

•Earth Friendly Ideas for Middle and High School

32 Green Things to do at Home...

•Earth Friendly and 'Green' Contact Resource List

•Gardening Theme

•Bird Theme

•Worm Theme

•Insects/Creepy Crawlies

Also see crafts, art and games made from RECYCLED MATERIALS

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Earth and Green Theme Menu 


Graduation Song Ideas

May 16, 2011 23:37 by Barbara Shelby

SOME SONGS TO USE FOR GRADUATION!

Many to choose from for Pre-K through High School...Some also good to put together for a Graduation Party!

♥Use music to play during a slideshow...
During any transitions...
While audience is entering and leaving

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Alice Cooper-- School's Out

Amy Grant-- I Will Remember You

The Bangles-- Hazy Shade of Winter

The Beach Boys--Be True to Your School

The Beach Boys-- Graduation Day

The Beatles-- In My Life

The Beatles-- With a Little Help from My Friends

The Bee Gees--Don't Forget to Remember

The Who--My Generation

Bill Medley-- (I Had) The Time of my Life
 
Bob Dylan-- The Times They are A-Changin'
 
Billy Joel-- Moving Out
 
Billy Joel-- This is the Time
 
Bo Bice-- Remember Me

Boston--Don't Look Back
 
Boys II Men-- It's Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday
 
Charlotte Diamond--Each of Us Is a Flower

Carrie Underwood-- Whenever You Remember

Celine Dion--Because You Loved Me
 
Chris Isaak-- Graduation Day
 
Christina Aguilera-- These are Special Times

Cyndi Lauper--True Colors

Corey Smith--I'm Not Gonna Cry

David Cook--Time Of My Life

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young--Teach your Children
  
Crosby Stills and Nash-- Wasted on the Way
 
Diana Ross-- I'm Coming Out
 
Dido-- Here With Me

Elton John--Circle of Life
 
Eve 6-- Here's to the Night

Everyly Brothers--Dream

Faith Hill-- There You'll Be

Frank Sinatra--High Hopes
 
Green Day--Time of Your Life

Gwen Stefani--Running

Hoobastank-- Remember Me
 
Indigo Girls-- Closer to Fine

Irene Cara--Fame

Jack Hartmann--Together

Jim Croce--Time in a Bottle

John Denver--Leaving on a Jet Plane (Also by Peter, Paul and Mary) 

John Mayer--Time Is On My Side
 
Josh Groban-- You Raise Me Up

Judy Garland--Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Also Somewhere Over Rainbow/What a Wonderful World by Iz (Israel Kamakawwiw'ole

Kanye West-- Graduation Day

Kelly Clarkson--A Moment Like This
 
Kelly Clarkson-- Breakaway

Kool and the Gang--Celebration

Lady Gaga--Just Dance
 
Lee Ann Womak-- I Hope You Dance
 
Lenny Kravitz-- Again
 
Madonna-- This Used to be My Playground
 
Mariah Carey--Make It Happen

Marvin Gaye--Ain't No Mountain High Enough
 
Matchbox 20-- Closing Time

Michael W. Smith--Friends
 
Michael Tolcher-- Kings in Castles

Miley Cyrus--The Climb
 
Natasha Bedingfield--Unwritten

Nickelback--If Today Was Your Last Day

Night Ranger-- Goodbye
 
Paula Cole-- I Don't Want to Wait

Phil Collins--On My Way

Phil Collins---You'll be in my Heart
 
Pink Floyd-- Another Brick in the Wall
 
Porter Wagoner- Graduation Day
 
Queen-- We are the Champions
 
R. Kelly-- I Believe I Can Fly
 
Rascal Flatts- My Wish
 
REM-- It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)

Rembrandts--I'll Be There For You

Rod Stewart--Forever Young
 
Sarah McLachlan-- I Will Remember You

Scorpions--Winds of Change
 
Semisonic--Closing Time
 
Simon and Garfunkel-- Bridge Over Troubled Water
 
Simon and Garfunkel-- Hazy Shade of Winter
 
Simple Minds-- Don't You Forget About Me

Smashing Pumpkins-- Today

Smokey Robinson--Really Gonna Miss You

Steve Miller Band-- Fly Like an Eagle

Stevie Wonder--A Place In The Sun

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Earth Friendly Projects for Grades 6 to 12

July 16, 2009 02:46 by Barbara Shelby

 

 Write letters to members of congress to support environmental legislation.

Raise money through various contests to support conservation causes. Example, class competitions.

• Have high school and middle school students present environmental information to middle and elementary schools.

Volunteer locally to do habitat preservation, adopt a roadway or beach to remove litter, or recycle wastes in the community.

• Volunteer at a recycling center.

• Get students involved on local media programs of radio and T.V. which focus on environmental concerns.

• Begin recycling programs in your school or analyze the ones already in place and suggest improvements.

Encourage teachers to duplicate on both sides of papers.

Plan a field trip to sewage treatment, sanitary landfill, zoo, arboretum, or nature center.

Invite a director or president of local environmental organizations to your program. Learn what the organization does—as well as finding out why these people volunteer their time and how they became interested in the environment.

Interview local businesses to find out about economic conflicts associated with environmental issues.

• Volunteer and spend time at a local elementary school-facilitating projects made from recycled materials. Volunteer time setting up a litter campain or collection for rain-forest, etc. with elementary school programs.

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BE GREEN DURING SCHOOL YEAR! 

•Ride your bike or walk to school.
•Use last year's school supplies.
•Buy a canvas and cardboard binders instead of plastic.
•Buy recycled paper.
•Use reusable water bottles instead of plastic.
•Use a lunch box, not paper bags.
•Donate last year's clothes instead of throwing them away.
•Buy online to avoid driving.
•Buy organic food.
•Turn your computer off when you're not using it.
•Decorate your lunchbox.
•Make your own bookmarks.
•Organize a clothes swap with your friends.
•Carpool to sports.
•Use refillable pens and pencils.
•Reuse your backpack. Decorate it with cool patches.
Tips from
NationalGeographic

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 GREEN MAPPING...GREAT IDEA for middle school to adult!
Pretend you are the first person to explore your home or school neighborhood. Draw a map of what you find. This idea with a Community Service/Green Bend is Green Mapping.
 
Green Mapping is catching on across the globe as kids and adults around the world participate in diverse and unusual mapping projects. Green Mapping looks at the community using the map as the medium.
The map could examine environmental issues or look at community resources and needs with a critical eye. Green Maps can be computer generated or hand drawn and can include poems, narrative text, photos, and background information.
Children and adults from around the world have mapped a wide variety of diverse projects.
Consider ideas such as:

  • Where are bike trails, farmers’ markets, or wildlife habitats in your town?
  • Are there good walking tours to recommend?
  • What are the cultural resources for children in your area? Are there enough?
  • Are there toxic waste sites or environmental hazards in your community?
  • Are there rivers or streams that are at risk in your area?
  • Where are the green spaces in your community? Should there be more?
  • What is youth-friendly in your neighborhood?
  • What does your neighborhood need?
    Click Here to Learn all about Green Mapping.

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 CANCEL SALES CATELOGS!
Read about a school that started "The Catalog Canceling Challenge" in 2007-- and since then other schools and scouts have joined the fun. So far 5,000 kids in fifteen states have canceled almost 40,000 unwanted sales catalogs! It saves trees, water, energy, and our climate. In fact, these kids have saved 1000's of trees so far! 

 It's a pretty straightforward idea that kids enjoy. Click here if your program would like more information.

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ANIMAL SAFETY

This is good reminder to include in a newsletter or at an Earth Club meeting...

Sometimes plastic ring-type holders found on six-packs of aluminum cans can end up in the water... fish and other animals that live there can get caught in them. Help your child make these holders less hazardous by using scissors to cut through each ring in the holder before throwing it away.

I was in Traverse City one summer; at the Hotel's water edge was a duck with plastic ring wrapped around his beak. I was told that it was there for at least a day. The duck was frantic and trying to remove it. Several hours later...someone was finally able to get it off...(Photo is of duck with six-pack rings caught on head)

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START COLLECTING OLD ATHLETIC SHOES

Put out notices and containers—and start collecting!!!
Ever thrown out a pair of worn-out athletic shoes? Did you know that IT TAKES ABOUT 1,000 YEARS for those sneakers to biodegrade? Wondering what to do with the ones you've already got? RECYCLE THEM.
 
Every year, millions of pairs of athletic shoes are thrown away, not only wasting landfill space, but wasting tons of reusable material. Since 1993 Nike has been running a program called Reuse-a-Shoe. Since 1990, they've used over 25 million pairs of athletic shoes to create sports surfaces. It’s part of the "Let Me Play" campaign, one of Nike’s longest-running environmental and community programs, where worn-out athletic shoes of any brand are collected, processed and recycled into material USED IN SPORT SURFACES like basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds for young people around the world.

For information visit their website.

To keep recycling equipment running smoothly, there are guidelines:
• Athletic shoes only (any brand)
• No shoes containing metal
• No cleats or dress shoes
• No wet or damp shoes

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PLAN A  RECYCLING EFFORT...

  • Contact an agency to see if it would be willing to remove your items for recycling. Find out how they must be sorted and stored.
  • Collect and recycle everything you can.
  • Donate the proceeds if you turn recycled items in for cash.
  • Contact for publicity; perhaps others will join the recycling effort!

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COLLECT LITTER

Set a Collection Goal and Keep Track on a posted litter-meter.
Be sure all wear protective disposable gloves.

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WASTE WATCHERS! Introduce recycling to your school by having youth set up a recycling bin for paper in your program area. Ask school officials to set up bins in the cafeteria for plastic, aluminum and glass. Students can help educate their schoolmates about recycling by designing posters that describe what can and cannot be place in each recycling bin.

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 ADOPT SOME RAINFOREST…

Collect money (Coins for the Rainforest) and “adopt” a bit of Rain Forest. 2500 square feet can be purchased from Arborday website for $10.00 in the program section of the aborday site. Just search Rainforest Rescue. ***Place containers about the building and office/lounge areas. Be sure to put an article in your newsletter and promote the project verbally and with posters.

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SET THE MOOD for Earth& Green Activities with Music! Any of these ' songs, would be wonderful used during 'Earth Week' or for a Nature Theme! Learn the words to such songs as This Land is Your Land and use others as background and listening music!

 • The Three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) by Jack Johnson
 • Green, Green Grass of Home by Tom Jones
 • Earth Song by Michael Jackson
 • What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
 • This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie
 • And The Green Grass Grows All Around by Traditional
 • Down to Earth from Wall-E by Peter Gabriel
 • Moondance by Van Morrison
 • Garden Song by John Denver
 • Sunshine On My Shoulders by John Denver
 • Mother Earth by Neil Young and Crazy Horse
 • The Flower That Shattered The Stone by John Denver
 • Emergency on Planet Earth by Jamiroquai
 • Planet Earth by Duran Duran
 • Edelweiss from The Sound of Music
 • Moon River by Henry Mancini
 • Wildwood Flower by The Carter Family
 • Where Have All The Flowers Gone? by The Kingston Trio
 • Cross The Green Mountain by Bob Dylan
 • Planet Earth by Prince
 • Red River Valley by Traditional 
 • River Flows In You by Yiruma
 • Where The River Shannon Flows by James I. Russell
 • Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller
 • Mother Earth, Sister Moon by Carol Klose
 • Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven

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Many  ideas from other categories will also work with older youth. Check out:

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