Earth Day Fun: How Kids and Schools Celebrated Across the U.S.
Every year on April 22nd, people all over the world celebrate Earth Day, a special time to show love and care for our planet. But this week, the spotlight was on younger changemakers—students, classrooms, and communities coming together in creative and inspiring ways to help protect the Earth.
Across the United States, schools turned into centers of environmental action, learning, and fun. From planting trees to building bee hotels, kids proved that you don’t have to be a grown-up to make a big difference.
Here’s a peek at how Earth Day 2025 was celebrated by awesome kids and schools just like yours!
Planting Power: Greening School Grounds
In Portland, Oregon, students at Riverbend Elementary spent Earth Day outside with their gloves on and shovels in hand. They teamed up with local park rangers to plant over 100 native plants around their school’s butterfly garden. Some students even named their favorite saplings and plan to check in on them every week!
Over in Savannah, Georgia, third graders turned a patch of empty space behind their school into a new pollinator garden. They learned which flowers help bees and butterflies and carefully placed handmade signs that read “Please Don’t Pick Me—Pollinators at Work!”
Trash to Treasure: Recycling and Upcycling Projects
One of the most popular Earth Week activities across the country was all about turning trash into treasure.
At a middle school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, students collected bottle caps, cereal boxes, and old T-shirts to build a giant “Eco Dragon” sculpture that now stands proudly in their school’s hallway. Every recycled item used came with a fun fact about waste reduction written by the students.
In Phoenix, Arizona, an art class held an “Upcycled Fashion Show” where kids designed outfits from old materials. One student made a cape out of newspapers, and another created a skirt using old snack wrappers. It was a colorful and creative way to remind everyone to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Go Green Days: Walking, Biking, and Busing to School
This week, schools in places like Denver, Colorado and Madison, Wisconsin celebrated “Go Green to School” days, where students were encouraged to walk, bike, or carpool instead of riding in a regular car.
In one Denver elementary school, more than half of the students participated! Bike racks overflowed, and teachers gave out “Green Star” stickers to kids who took eco-friendly routes to class. Some even made it a family affair, walking to school together with signs that said, “Our Feet Are Earth-Friendly!”
Science in Action: Earth Day Experiments and Nature Walks
Earth Day also brought the outdoors into the classroom.
At a school in Asheville, North Carolina, fifth graders built mini solar ovens out of pizza boxes and used them to melt chocolate and make s’mores. They learned how solar energy works and why it's better for the planet than burning fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, students in Seattle, Washington went on nature scavenger hunts, spotting birds, bugs, and trees in their local park. They kept nature journals and wrote “thank you” notes to the Earth for everything it gives us—clean air, water, food, and fun!
Taking the Lead: Young Earth Heroes
Some students used Earth Day as a chance to speak up and lead!
In Chicago, Illinois, a group of sixth graders gave presentations during an all-school assembly. They talked about climate change, renewable energy, and how to make greener choices. Their message? “It’s up to all of us—no matter our age—to protect our planet.”
At a school in Austin, Texas, students created a “Green Pledge Wall.” Everyone wrote down one thing they would do to help the environment, like using less plastic or remembering to recycle. The wall now stretches across an entire hallway and is filled with hundreds of colorful promises to make a difference.
Big Lessons, Bright Futures
All across the U.S., Earth Day 2025 showed that young people have the ideas, energy, and passion to lead the way toward a cleaner, greener future. Whether it was through planting a tree, biking to school, or building something amazing from recycled scraps, kids proved they have the power to create real change.
Earth Day isn’t just one day—it’s a reminder that every little action counts, every day of the year. So even though the special events might be over, the movement continues. You can keep the Earth Day spirit going by picking up trash in your neighborhood, starting a compost bin at home, or simply reminding your friends and family to take care of our planet.
Because when it comes to protecting the Earth, you matter. And your actions—no matter how small—add up to something big.
Happy Earth Day, every day!
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