Earth Day is April 22nd which is a great opportunity to teach the kids about the planet and earth (and potentially, the solar system) as kids LOVE learning about outer space and other galaxies as well as cutting, drawing, and making arts and crafts! I personally know that children adore outer space as my five-year-old daughter is utterly obsessed with the moon, stars, and sun. It’s all so fascinating for a young, developing, and curious brain!
If you’re anything like me and have construction paper, scissors, and glue sticks, then you likely already have everything you need to make this cute and SUPER EASY paper earth man! I love easy and inexpensive crafts like this because they don’t cost a lot and turn out super cute (not to mention, kids LOVE this earth man craft!)
Earth Day is a great opportunity to teach kids about our planet and activities we can do to help take care of Mother Nature, such as recycling, picking up trash, or planting seeds or a garden. This is the perfect craft for daycare, preschool, kindergarten, even older children. It is the perfect springtime homeschool preschool kid’s activity.
My toddler girl and I created this fun and preschool-friendly craft and I used this opportunity to explain to her that we live on the earth and that there are other planets that are far away in outer space. I explained that the green paper on the earth is the land—where we live—and the blue is the ocean. I told her that most of the planet is water and she appeared quite curious to hear all of this.
Items needed to make an Easy Paper Earth Day Man
Construction paper. You will need blue, green, and red construction paper to make this craft.
Round object. You’ll need to find a small round object to trace such as the bottom of a measuring cup or small glass.
Pen. A pen is needed to draw on the paper before cutting.
Scissors. You’ll need a pair of adult and or kid scissors to make this.
Glue stick. Glue sticks help stick the paper together. I always use glue sticks when sticking paper to paper as they tend to work the best.
Googly eyes. Googly eyes can be found at Michaels, Walmart, or here.
School glue. School glue is needed to glue the eyes on your Earth Day man.
Easy step-by-step tutorial
STEP 1: Trace the bottom of a bowl or plate on blue paper, and then cut it.
STEP 2: Use a pen to draw some continents on the green paper, then cut them.
STEP 3: Cutting lengthwise down a sheet of green paper, cut three one-inch-wide strips. Better yet, have the kids do the cutting as kids love to cut and they also get to participate in a fun fine motor activity. Cut one of the strips in half. Accordian fold all four strips; the two shorter ones will be the arms and the two longer strips will be the legs.
STEP 4: Use a glue stick to stick the continents on the blue earth. Apply school glue (such as Elmer's) and stick the googly eyes on the earth. Cut a red mouth out of the red construction paper and use a glue stick to stick the mouth on the face. With the glue stick, stick the arms and legs to the back of the earth.
Benefits of Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers
Fine motor skills are critical for toddler development; toddlers and preschoolers should be practicing their fine motor skills daily. As a parent, you play a key role in your kid’s fine motor skills development. It is important to give your child activities that are fun and engaging. Developing fine motor skills in early childhood is crucial as kids learn to write and care for themselves.
Fine motor skills involve using the small finger and hand muscles. Further, fine motor skills develop and improve as kids age. Toddlers and older children can easily use fine motor skills by drawing, painting, writing, cutting paper with scissors and making crafts, and engaging in sensory activities that include pinching and grasping instruments, etc. My three-year-old daughter’s preschool teacher recommended I have her play with play dough every day to help improve her fine motor skills. Playing with pom poms, blocks and Lincoln logs, magnet tiles, puzzles, and dressing dolls are all fantastic fine motor activities.
Self-care activities such as tying shoes, zipping and buttoning jackets and pants, cutting food, pouring liquids, brushing teeth, and using the toilet are all critical skills needed to live independently, and are all fine motor activities.
Easy Paper Earth Day Man
Materials
- construction paper blue, green, and red
- 1 round object to trace such as the bottom of a small measuring cup or glass
- pen
- scissors
- glue stick
- googly eyes
- school glue
Instructions
- Trace the bottom of a bowl or plate on blue paper, and then cut it. A 1/4 cup measuring cup works great.
- Use a pen to draw some continents on the green paper, then cut them.
- Cutting lengthwise down a sheet of green paper, cut three one-inch-wide strips. Better yet, have the kids do the cutting as kids love to cut and they also get to participate in a fun fine motor activity. Cut one of the strips in half. Accordian fold all four strips; the two shorter ones will be the arms and the two longer strips will be the legs.
- Use a glue stick to stick the continents on the blue earth. Apply school glue and stick the googly eyes on the earth. Cut a red mouth out of the red construction paper and use a glue stick to stick the mouth on the face. With the glue stick, stick the arms and legs to the back of the earth.
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