Want to find kindergarten-friendly videos that hit the mark in April? Here is a list of teacher-recommended videos for Earth Day.
It can be fun to change up our normal routine in the classroom (or via distance learning) for Earth Day and add a video or two into our lesson plans.
For example, you just might need a learning video to supplement what you're teaching or a brain break video that can help get the wiggles out.
Whatever you need - here are Earth day-themed books read aloud, brain break videos and some learning videos that can help you teach.
Earth Day-themed stories
These stories are good read-alouds for Earth Day. They are fun and nod to Earth Day while sticking to what is age-appropriate for kindergarten.
Earth Day: An Alphabet Book
Explore the creatures and things of the Earth while expressing being thankful for them all in this sweet ABC book. From acorns, coconuts and beagles to yaks, yams and zebras - this book covers a bunch in just under 3 minutes.
I Am Earth
Find out how the Earth is a perfect planet and how it works (in simple terms) to have the things we count on: seasons, gravity, day and night.
Earth Day Every Day
A little girl finds ways to plant trees, conserve energy and reuse items families don't need anymore. This book is told from the perspective of a little girl in school and is wonderfully relatable for young students.
Miss Fox's Class Goes Green
Help students understand the meaning of "going green," a phrase that students hear a bunch in regards to Earth Day. They will also recognize some small things people do to contribute to keeping Earth well-taken care of.
Brain breaks
Brain breaks give students the opportunity to break from focusing by moving to music in order to recharge.
If I Were a Tree
This repetitive song encourages kids to jump when the song says "trunk," stick out their arms for branches, whooosh their hands for "leaves, reach for apples and then repeat each action as the song lists more and more tree parts.
It's created for a Jewish holiday (the mention of Happy Tu B'shevat the last 3 seconds of the video), but I think it could work in the classroom too.
If You're a Kid... [Earth Day Remix]
What's a kindergarten video list without a Harry Kindergarten video? To get kids moving - create a dance movement to match each thing kids can do to conserve energy.
Learning videos
These videos are meant to help you teach mini-concepts in the classroom. They focus on how plants grow, the planet Earth and knowing the continents on the planet.
This way students are encouraged to know more about the planet which can empower them to come up with their own meaningful ideas on how to care for our Earth.
How Do Seeds Become Plants?
Students learn how seeds grow into plants by covering important basics quickly (all in under 4 mins) like seed coats, germination, roots and shoots.
The perfect video before you plant seeds as a class!
Watch a Seed Grow Into a Plant
Now that the previous video covered the basics - watch them happen fast!
I think this video of a seed time-lapsed as it's growing over 25 days is beautiful. It's a great way to see the roots, sprout and minute changes that happen when a seed grows into a plant.
Peep Plants a Seed
Peep learns just how much work can go into tending for growing a seed into a sunflower.
This quick video shows how sunlight and water are required and great encouragement while waiting for those seeds you planted in your sprout houses to sprout.
The Planet Earth Song
This funky-town sounding song explains what our Earth is composed of, how it rotates and how it's "just right" for life. I like that the words are shown on the screen and that it's just over 2 minutes long.
This is Our World - a Song for Earth Day
This song would be perfect to sing for a class performance for Earth Day. It repeats, "This is our Earth, this is our home, this is our time, this the place we belong."
Seven Continents Song
I think that learning the names of the continents is a great way to expand their understanding of the Earth. I think learning the 5 oceans is a great idea too.
Plus, it's not even a 2-minute video which means you can show it again. You know they will want to watch it again. Don't they pretty much say that for every video? {wink}
Kinder-friendly version
Do you want to make this list available to your students in a kinder-friendly way?
Use this Earth Day videos page on CoolKindergarten that links to most of these videos and five bonus Earth Day-themed free games online.
Conclusion
There you have it - videos that teachers are using for Earth Day in their kindergarten classrooms.
I hope that these books read aloud, exercise videos and learning videos are helpful as you teach.
Thanks to all of the kindergarten teachers who chimed in to share their favorites on the KindergartenWorks facebook page!
What videos did I miss that you love to share with your class for Earth Day? Tell us in the comments.
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