Helping Young Kids Understand Climate Change - Earth Day Science
- Amy Wung Tsao
- Apr 17
- 5 min read
Quick links if you’re too busy to scroll:
Videos on Climate Change Science for Kids:
What is the Greenhouse Effect? from Suzie Hicks the Climate Chick and Sprout
What is the Greenhouse Effect? from NASA Climate Kids
Books on Climate Change Science for Kids:
Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth written by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by David Litchfield
Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival by Lindsay Moore
Mario and the Hole in the Sky written by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Teresa Martinez
Science Experiments on Climate Change for Kids:
Simple Greenhouse Gas Experiment from Clearway Community Solar
Greenhouse Gas Experiment with Baking Soda + Vinegar from Steam Powered Family
Climate Change Actions for Kids:
10 Things I Can Do to Help from Climate Kids
Write a Letter to Your Representatives with a template from Barefoot Books
Keep reading to learn more about teaching young kids all about climate change and greenhouse gases.
Global Warming & Climate Change - Earth Day Science for Kids
Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover described our home planet beautifully. “You’re on a spaceship called Earth…. In all of this emptiness, this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe. You have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together.”
As Earth Day approaches, I'm thinking about how to preserve this beautiful spaceship on Earth for future generations. I decided to buckle down and find the most kid-friendly approaches to this difficult topic. My focus here is on little kids, preschool through elementary age, because that’s how old my own kids are.
Today I’m sharing with you the best kid science videos, picture books, and science experiments that explain how greenhouse gases causes global warming. I’ve even got a couple climate actions that kids can participate in to reduce their energy use and advocate for renewable energy in their community. Keep reading to find out more!
(Just a reminder - I am never paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)
Climate Change Science Videos for Kids
What is the Greenhouse Effect? from Suzie Hicks the Climate Chick and Sprout This sweet video gives preschoolers and kindergarteners a way to understand the greenhouse effect and global warming. She explains how the glass walls of a garden greenhouse lets in sunlight while trapping heat, and the Earth’s atmosphere does the same thing for the Earth. If humans create too much greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect will make the Earth too warm - in other words, climate change!
I do want to warn anyone working with emotionally sensitive kids - the video ends with little puppet Sprout feeling so sad about climate change that she runs off. In the next video in the series, Suzie sings a song to help calm down Sprout. This might actually be a great way for a teacher to combine a science lesson with an SEL lesson, but this may be a bit too much for the more sensitive kiddos.
What is the Greenhouse Effect? from NASA Climate Kids For kids who want to learn about global warming without puppets or too many emotions, this quick two minute animation gives a scientifically sound, kid-friendly explanation of the greenhouse effect. The video goes on to show how NASA satellites can help us measure greenhouse gases and figure out where they’re coming from.
If you liked this one, NASA has a whole playlist of videos explaining the difference between weather and climate, and why sea levels rise with global warming.
Climate Change Science Books for Kids
Our Planet! There's No Place Like Earth written by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by David Litchfield
I love all of Stacy McAnulty’s planet books, and this is no exception! It gives a great kid-level scientific explanation of how humans have changed the atmosphere to be like a too hot blanket on Earth. And I love how the book gives the perfect kid-level solution: “Good news! It’s not too late! We can stop passing the gas.” (Teachers, this book teaches lots of good ideas to counteract climate change, supporting NGSS standard K-ESS3-3.)
Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival by Lindsay Moore Travel with a polar bear as it strives to survive, despite global warming. “There is not enough ice left to hunt on. Every day there is less ice to stand on.”
This is a quiet book that focuses on the impact of global warming for just one animal. This may be an easier starting point for young kids, before they can really wrap their minds around the wider impacts of climate change on all life.
Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet written by Elizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Teresa Martinez
If you were born in the 80’s like me, you might learning about the hole in the ozone layer as a kid. Why don’t we hear about that anymore? Because of scientists like Mario, who convinced countries around the world to stop manufacturing CFCs (commonly called Freon). Because of them, the Earth’s ozone layer has actually been healing! While the science of the hole in the ozone layer is different from the science of global warming, this story is an inspiring example of how scientists help drive global action to save our planet. This picture book biography is great for elementary-age kids who need a bit of hope to know that we’ve battled these seemingly intractable global problems before, and progress is possible!
Climate Change Science Experiments for Kids
Simple Greenhouse Gas Experiment from Clearway Community Solar This experiment is meant for middle schoolers, but with grown-up help I think it’s a pretty simple and really effective demonstration for younger ones as well! All you really need is a glass vase, a thermometer, and a sunny day. I don’t even think the cups of soil are strictly necessary, although they probably help kids visualize the dirt as the “Earth” and the glass vase as the greenhouse gas blanket around the Earth. For added complexity, you can spray water in the glass vase. The water will evaporate into water vapor, which is an actual greenhouse gas, and will serve the trap even more heat than the vase and make the temperature go up even higher!
Greenhouse Gas Experiment with Baking Soda + Vinegar from Steam Powered Family If you want to get even more fancy, Steam Powered Family has a version of this experiment that uses baking soda + vinegar in a mason jar to create carbon dioxide as the greenhouse gas.
Climate Change Actions for Kids and Families
Usually I stick to recommending science experiments, but I don’t want to teach kids the science of climate change just so they can feel helpless! Here are some simple actions even the little ones can take with their family’s help.
10 Things I Can Do to Help from Climate Kids Here’s a simple visual poster to help all of us brainstorm ways to reduce our impact on climate change. (Teachers, discussing all these ways to reduce climate change with your students supports NGSS standard K-ESS3-3.)
Write a Letter to Your Local Representatives with a template from Barefoot Books With a little bit of help, kids can absolutely feel empowered by writing a letter to their local government representative. Check out this letter template that is asking for more clean energy sources for the community, to help you get started.
If you’re looking for even more Earth Day kids science, check out these archive posts.
Trash & Recycling Science for Kids
When we reuse and recycle instead of buying new things, we burn less fossil fuel!
I’m so glad I get to share this spaceship called Earth with you. I hope you and the kids in your home and classroom feel more empowered this Earth Day!
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