In reality, God commanded his people to steward the earth, caring for it.
In the first chapter of the book of Genesis, God created the heavens and the earth. In six days, he created the sky, oceans and rivers, trees and vegetables, and planets and stars. Then, he created creatures in the waters, in the air, and on land. After God made man and woman, he gave a mandate–a command to his people:
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” – Genesis 1:28, ESV
There are three things to notice in Genesis 1:28, the Creation mandate.
- We have a relationship with out great God, who blesses his people.
- We are made to procreate, to have babies inside the marriage covenant God established between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24).
- We are to subdue / have dominion over / care for the earth and its creatures.
Earth Day may be the invention of a largely pagan world, celebrating the creation rather than the Creator. For Christians, though, it can be a good reminder to point our children to the Creator of All Things, and to his Creation mandate–his command that we care for and cultivate his creation.
Here are some fun ways to help kids learn about God’s command that we care for his earth:
Teach your 8-12 year olds about the doctrine of Creation with this fun, puzzle-based, award-winning Bible study!Earth Day Activities for Kids
Teach kids about God’s care for them!
As children read Wonderfully Made: God’s Story of Life from Conception to Birth, they will learn how God formed and cared for them week-by-week in the womb! Take your 5-11 year old on a journey through science, Scripture, and 40-weeks of developing life in the womb as they learn about how our Creator God lovingly formed them. They are indeed wonderfully made!
Check out these activities to help kids learn about how God created them, and about his great plan for their new life in Christ.
Teach kids about God’s creation of the earth.
Your 8-12 year old kids will love working through their own copies of the puzzle-based Bible study, Bible Investigators: Creation.
With 6 units and 90 brain-teasing puzzles, your children will work through 40 Bible passages and 30 truths about God’s Creation. Grab a FREE sample here!
There are a lot of great Creation crafts and activities around the web. Below are some you will find at Thinking Kids that will help make your class’s study of Creation truly memorable.
More ways to learn about caring for our God’s great creation.
1) Go for a walk in the woods, on the beach, or just in your neighborhood. Talk about the different things you see and how God created each one.
2) Visit the aquarium and point out how many different kinds of fish God made. Over snack, talk about how our God created a variety of each type of creature. Look up beetles or spiders and see if you can count how many different kinds there are. Talk about how God made people in all different shapes, colors, and sizes, too, because he loves variety!
3) Are you looking for a way to incorporate a hands-on approach to catechism? My friend Tauna Meyer has a wonderful theology program for kids through grade 3. Based on the Westminster Catechism and a Reformed theology, the program incorporates: a lesson plan, devotions, copywork and notebooking pages, memory verse posters and coloring sheets, Bible stories, discussion questions, and craft and activity ideas. Unit 2 is all about Creation.
4) Check out this fun Days of Creation printable pack from Proverbial Homemaker.
5) Make these cute Earth Day seed bombs from How We Play & Learn.
6) Kids will love this Foldable Earth Day Notebook from Wonder at the World. They can record four ways they will work to steward God’s good creation.
7) Do you have littles? Make these fun and easy stained glass earth plates from Low Lift Fun.
8) Learn about soil layers–and have a great snack! Teach Beside Me has a great way to look beneath your garden–in a glass!
9) Start a garden.
10) Make these cute Earth Day Cookies and talk to your kids about how God made the earth and everything in it.
11) Sing “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” and make this Handprint Earth Craft.
12) Make one of these neat Earth Salt Dough necklaces. It would be neat to write Genesis 1:1 on the back before baking it!
13) Kids will love these Egg Head Planters from Playdough to Plato!
There you have it. Just a few things you can do on Earth Day with your kids. Enjoy teaching your kids to steward the earth well for the Lord!
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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Puzzle-Based Independent Bible Study for Kids!
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2, ESV
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- Observe: They pay attention to what they’re reading.
- Interpret: They figure out what the Bible means in that section.
- Apply: They decide how the truth of God’s Word impacts their life today.
There are a great many truths in life to be found—some interesting, some boring, and some that really matter. You can be the kind of investigator who spends time puzzling out important truth so that you can know all the knowable knowledge that God has given us. That’s right. God, the Creator of the Universe, gave you a great big letter from him to explore and study so that you can discover the truths that really matter to your life!”
Bible Investigators: Creation, (The Good Book Company, 2024), page 7
The Bible Investigators: Creation Bible study for kids, written by Danika Cooley and published by The Good Book Company, is 272-pages of learning, puzzles, and fun activities designed to help your kids become amazing independent Bible investigators–observing, interpreting, and applying God’s Word as they learn what the Bible teaches on a particular subject.
Bible Puzzles for Kids
Middle grade kids, aged 8-12, love puzzles. After all, their brains are just built for figuring things out and memorizing facts. Puzzles are a wonderful way to help kids develop logic skills and retain important information. And, the book is written in a fun, conversational tone your children are sure to love!
What types of puzzles and activities will you find in Bible Investigators?
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- Word Searches
- Crosswords
- Rebus Puzzles
- Dot-to-Dots
- Logic Puzzles
- Missing Letter Puzzles
- Cryptograms
- Word Sudoku
- Mazes
- How-to-Draw Pages
- Matching Pairs
- Word Scrambles
- Journal Pages
Every child is sure to find activities they’ll love!
Elementary-aged kids need hands-on middle grade resources that engage them and equip them to process important truths.
Bible Investigators is the perfect resource to teach your kids about an important biblical doctrine, while helping them apply God’s Word to their lives today.
Books Make Great Gifts!
Teach the kids about the Bible and Christian history…
…with fun books they’ll love reading!
Introduce your children to engaging stories written in an engaging narrative they’ll want to read. As they learn more about God’s Word and gain real-life heroes, they will learn to apply Scripture to their own lives. And, give yourself the gift of a book that will help your kids learn and love the Bible.
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