Earth Day is a great time to teach children some light environmental lessons, and crafts are a good way to introduce them. This Earth Day, spend some time getting crafty with the kids.

Observed every year on April 22, Earth Day is all about appreciating the environment and showing support for environmental protection. Here are three Earth Day-themed crafts that are fun and easy to make and that use upcycled materials as well.

Egg Carton Flowers

This quick little craft commemorates Earth Day while celebrating the beautiful blooms of spring. It results in a lovely bouquet that kids will want to put on display.

What You’ll Need:

• Egg carton
• Wooden skewers
• Paint
• Paintbrushes
• Glue gun
• Scissors

What to Do:

1. Cut the individual egg cups out of the egg carton.
2. Cut a variety of different petal shapes into each cup. Consider using pictures of real flowers as inspiration.
3. Paint the flowers in a variety of colours to create a vibrant bouquet.
4. Paint the wooden skewers green.
5. Use the glue gun to put a dab of glue on the bottom of each egg cup. Hold the end of a skewer in the glue for a few seconds, then set it aside to dry.
6. Gather the individual flowers together into a colourful arrangement.

Plastic Lid Wind Chime

The lids found on plastic water bottles and other such containers are typically too small to recycle. You can upcycle these lids instead to make a colourful wind chime.

What You’ll Need:

• An assortment of plastic lids
• One larger plastic lid (about the size of your palm)
• String
• Beads
• Jingle bells
• Hammer
• Nail
• Needle
• Pliers

What to Do:

1. Use the hammer and nail to make four holes around the edge of the large plastic lid and two in the center.
2. Tie a bead to the end of a string and thread a large needle through the other end.
3. Poke the needle through a small plastic lid and use pliers to pull it out the other side.
4. Thread the string with more beads, jingle bells, and plastic lids until full, leaving some excess string at the end.
5. Repeat for three more strings.
6. Tie each string to one of the holes along the edge of the larger lid.
7. Loop a piece of string through the two centre holes and hang in a place that receives a nice breeze.

Plastic Bottle Hanging Planter

Celebrate Earth Day by getting some dirt under your fingernails. This craft uses an old plastic bottle to create a unique hanging planter.

What You’ll Need:

• Plastic bottle (with lid)
• Scissors
• Paint
• Paintbrushes
• String
• Scissors
• Craft knife

What to Do:

1. Cut the bottom third of the bottle away.
2. Paint the bottle in whatever colours and designs you desire.
3. Cut four holes an equal distance apart around halfway down the bottle.
4. Thread strings through the holes, tie a knot at the end of the strings inside the bottle so that they hold, and tie the string tops together above the bottle.
5. Fill the bottle with soil, plant a flower seed or seedling, and help your child take care of it as it grows.

Making crafts that encourage kids to reuse old items rather than throw them away is a wonderful way to mark Earth Day. Start gathering your materials for a crafty celebration.