Earth Day Lesson Plans: Fun, Free Earth Day Games

Earth Day is celebrated each year in April. Shouldn't every day really be Earth Day?

This game can be played in a classroom by a small or large group or by a family as they sit around the dinner table or ride in the car.

Earth Day ABC Word Game:

The earth offers us an Abundant Bounty Consistently! Play the Earth Day ABC Word game to encourage thinking and sharing about the gifts of Mother Earth. This game is played by each player naming a plant beginning with the letter A proceeding through the alphabet. Encourage players to think of fruits, vegetables, trees, herbs and flowers.

This game is intended to be fun, to reinforce alphabetical order, build vocabulary skills and to teach about new plants. It is quite all right for players to help one another or use dictionaries or garden books as a resource after giving it some thought on their own. My kids have also thought to check out the spice rack for herb names when they were really stumped. Some letters are quite easy and others are more challenging. Here are sample answers:

A- Apples, Asparagus, Avocado
B- Bananas, Broccoli, Basil
C- Cauliflower, Cedar, Cantaloupe
D- Dandelions, Dill, Daisies
E- Eggplant, Eucalyptus, Elm

One of my favorite answers from a child struggling to think of a plant that started with letter E was "ears of corn."

F- Fern, Fir, Forget-Me-Not
G- Grass, Geraniums, Grapes
H- Heather, Hazelnut, Hosta
I- Ivy, Iris, Indian Paintbrush
J- Jasmine, Juniper, Japanese Maple
K- Kiwi, Kale, Kudzu
L- Lemons, Lavender, Lilacs
M- Magnolia, Marigold, Morning Glory
N- Nuts, Narcissus, Nasturtium
O- Oak, Okra, Onion
P- Parsley, Pumpkin, Peppers
Q- Queen Ann's Lace, Quince
R- Radishes, Raspberries, Rhododendron
S- Sweet potatoes, Seaweed, Sunflowers
T- Tomatoes, Tangerines, Tulips
U- Umbrella Tree
V- Violet, Verbena, Venus's Fly Trap
W- Watermelons, Walnut, Weeping Willow
X- Xanthosoma
Y- Yucca
Z- Zinnias, Zucchini

Z is tough so I have also really admired the answer "zoo animal food."

There are so many variations of for this Earth Day ABC Word game:

In a classroom or with a large group:

This game could be played in a classroom or with a large group having each learner write down an answer for as many letters as possible within a certain amount of time. It will be fun to go over list and share answers so that students can learn from one another.

When one of my students used "cattails" many other students had never heard of these plants that grow by water. At the same time, the answer "cattail" reminded others of the herb catnip.

I could really empathize with a student who was really excited to have thought of "Ucalyptus" for the letter U. He and others learned that day that Eucalyptus actually starts with E but he was highly praised for bringing up a plant that none of the rest of us had thought of.

The sharing time allows for expanded learning for everyone. Offer special kudos for students who find are the only one to have a unique answer for a letter. Queen Ann's Lace or the quince fruit are each been lone answers when I have played this game with a group.

For Families:

Families could play this game in the car or cuddled up on the couch from memory but it is also fun to play while on a walk. You may not find plants for all of the letters but it is a fun challenge to see how many you can find. We took a walk this morning and were delighted to find Apple trees, Crocus, Daffodils, Forsythia, Grass, Maples, Periwinkle and Rose bushes. My 4 year-old son gave me a laugh for the day. For letter D he found a "dead weed."

Obviously, this ABC Letter game doesn't have to be reserved for Earth Day. It would be a fun cross-curriculum game for corresponding science lessons. It would also be fun for families to play as new seasons begin to watch as the Earth's Abundant Bounty Changes.

I would love to hear any unique answers that readers have. Happy Earth Day, every day.