Save the Planet
Just like you go to the doctor for checkups to help you stay healthy,
our planet needs to be taken care of, too.
Home to more than 7 billion people and about 8.7 million species, Earth is big. It’s easy for us to feel small and not know how to help, but there are lots of ways you can give back to this place we call home.
Ready to Make a Difference?
Check out our Activity Finder to find ways to help near you or projects you can do from home.
Create an account so you can favorite activities and track your impact.
Keep reading to learn about facts, how you can help, our nonprofit partners, recommended books to read, additional resources, and lesson plans.
Did you know…
4 pounds of trash is created on average by each of us every day.
47,000 trees could be saved if we all swapped out one roll of regular toilet paper for a recyclable roll.
200 years – the average amount of time it takes for one plastic straw to decompose.
5.25 trillion – the number of pieces of plastic polluting our oceans. Every piece of plastic ever made still exists, and only 9% has ever been recycled. We must take action now.
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How can you help?
Waste and pollution aren’t just hard on us – they’re hard on plants and animals, too. Everything from the air we breathe to the water we drink can be affected.
Here are a few ways you can reduce waste and pollution where you live:
- Try the “Zero Waste Week Challenge.” Reducing your waste at home is a great way to start giving back to the earth. Here are some tips to get you started – and who knows? Maybe once the week is over, you’ll be ready for a Zero Waste Month.
- Switch to recyclable toilet paper. Using recyclable toilet paper can help save everything from trees to water. Plus, it’s easy to find at almost any grocery store. Learn more. (Switch to recycled paper towels too for an even bigger impact!)
- Recycle the right way. Did you know dirty items might not get recycled, and that it only takes one contaminated good for the whole bin to get thrown out? Check your local recycling center’s guidelines to make sure you’re recycling the right way.
- Find a cause near you. Pick an issue or project in your community that speaks to you – and speak up for what matters. Start your search now or get the Give Back App.
- Give up plastic straws. It’s important to have products at home that can be used again and again, instead of plastics that can be used once. Start by swapping out plastic straws for ones made with a reusable material, like stainless steel.
Our Nonprofit Partners
These are just some of the inspiring partners we work with to help save the planet:
Los Angeles
They are an environmental nonprofit dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds of Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy, and clean.
National
Have unwanted crayons at home? Start a collection at school, so those crayons get reused and don’t end up in landfills.
San Jose
They provide community leadership for the development and active use of the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens through education, advocacy and stewardship.
Boston
They were started in 1998 to maintain, restore, and protect seven parks in Boston so that everyone can explore, use and enjoy them.
Recommended Reading List
The bad news: The planet needs your help.
The good news: There’s lots of information out there on how to give back. Here are just a few resources. As an Amazon Associate Project Giving Kids earns a small commission from qualifying purchases. *
Elementary
S is for Save the Planet: A How-To-Be Green Alphabet
by Brad Herzog
True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin
by Todd Parr
by Dr. Seuss
by Sophie Ambrose
Middle School
The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth
by The Earthworks Group
Down to Earth: How Kids Help Feed the World
by Nikki Tate
by Piers Torday
by Mindy McGinnis
High School
Dr. Art’s Guide to Planet Earth: For Earthlings Ages 12 to 120
by Art Sussman, Ph.D
Green Careers: Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future
by Jim Cassio
How Bad Are Bananas: The Carbon Footprint of Everything
by Mike Berners-Lee
by Barbara Kingsolver
Additional Online Resources
Interested in learning more? Check out these organizations and their websites for more information!
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Get classroom resources for students of all ages, plus activities for young planet protectors.
Meet the Greens
This is a site made just for kids looking to save the planet, with games, downloadables, and great information.
National Wildlife Federation
Learn new ways to get outside and become an advocate for the environment.
Get Green Now
From what plastic straws do to the environment to why saving water matters, learn the ins and out of helping the earth.
*The books, websites, charities, and/or other entities we share does not imply explicit endorsement by PGK, nor does PGK have any responsibility for the content provided by other organizations or websites. Content on this site is provided for informational purposes only.
Educational Materials
Teachers and parents can teach kids about helping animals in the classroom or at home with our educational materials.
Choose the grade level below to find a lesson plan.
Elementary School Lesson Plan
Overview
This lesson will focus on saving the planet by “going green.” There will be an exploration of the 5 Rs (refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot) and how applying these actions to our daily lives can help our environment be healthy.
Objectives
- Students will discuss how to help save the planet by adopting actions that support the 5 R’s (refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot)
- Students will reflect on habits they can change to reduce the negative effects on our environment
Middle School Lesson Plan
Overview
This lesson will focus on saving the planet by finding ways to reduce our carbon footprints.
Objectives
- Students will explore the definition of a carbon footprint and contributing factors
- Students will examine how their actions and choices contribute to their own personal carbon footprint
- Students will reflect on ways to help save the planet by reducing their carbon footprints
High School Lesson Plan
Overview
This lesson will focus on saving the planet by finding ways to reduce our carbon footprints.
Objectives
- Students will think about changes in our planet that negatively affect nature and wildlife caused by human behavior
- Students will examine their personal carbon footprints
- Students will explore ways to save the planet by reducing our carbon footprint through daily choices and actions we make