On this page
This save the earth coloring page has one big, clear message. Two hands reach up from the bottom of the sheet and hold our planet, with North and South America facing you. A green sprout grows out of the top of the globe, and a long ribbon below reads SAVE THE EARTH.
Small stars, leaves and clouds fill the space around it, so even the background has things to color. Ages 5 to 12 can do it in about 25 minutes, and it makes a strong poster or a class bulletin board piece.
Use this save the earth coloring page to find your home
Start with a little geography before you pick up a crayon. Ask your child to put a finger on North America, then on South America. Where do you live? Mark it with a small heart or a star. Children connect with a big idea far better when they can find their own place in it.
The oceans make up most of the planet here, just as they do in real life. About 70 percent of the surface of the Earth is water. Show a globe if you have one, and spin it to see how the view changes.
Coloring the land and sea
Blue and green are the plain choice for any save the earth coloring page, and they work very well. Use a strong blue for the ocean. Press harder near the rim of the globe and lighter near the middle to make it look round. The land can go in two greens with a touch of tan in the dry parts, such as the southwest.
Clouds can stay white. The hands can match your child's own skin, or take any color at all, since these hands belong to everyone. A class can make that point with a whole wall of them, each one a different shade.
Keep the ribbon bright. Yellow or orange will draw the eye to those three words.
A round look in four steps
- Color the land first so the blue doesn't run into it.
- Follow the curve of the globe with your strokes.
- Add a darker blue crescent on one side for a shadow.
- Leave one small white spot near the top for a shine.
How Earth Day started
The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970, in the United States. About 20 million people came out to teach, march and clean up. It was started by Senator Gaylord Nelson after a major oil spill off California. Today people in nearly every country take part. This history of Earth Day has more of the story.
Kids often like knowing that students were at the heart of that first event, since many of the teach-ins were held at schools and colleges.
Write a planet pledge
When the page is done, flip it over and write a promise. Keep it small, so it really happens. I will turn off the lights. I will walk to my friend's house. I will use both sides of the paper. One clear promise beats ten big ones.
A teacher can gather these into a class pledge book. Every child adds a finished sheet with their promise on the back, and the book stays on the reading shelf. Look back in a month and ask who kept theirs.
Try a family swap
Pick one thing at home you can swap for a better one this week. A cloth towel can stand in for paper towels at dinner. A water bottle can replace a throwaway one in the lunch box. Your child gets to choose, and you get to follow along. Doing it together teaches more than any poster will.
If you have a younger child, keep it even simpler. Go outside, pick a spot and look for three things that are alive. Name them and talk about what they need.
See more of our planet
Younger kids may prefer the smiling planet page. Add the planting a tree scene for a real action to take, then explore all our Earth Day coloring pages.
Questions
Which part of the world does the globe show?
It shows North and South America. The shapes are simple, but kids can still find the United States and Mexico.
Is it good for a poster?
Yes. Print it large on two sheets, or use it as the middle of a class Earth Day poster.
What grades can use it?
It works from kindergarten up to grade 6. Older kids can add a pledge in the space around the planet.
