STEM Activities

Free Earth Craft Activity: Strengthening Little Hands

For Earth Day or any day: colour a printable Earth with torn paper or finger paint, and add a heart for the planet. Tearing and stamping both build hand strength.

Updated 5 September 2023

Earth craft: a printable Earth template coloured blue and green with a red paper heart

Quick answer

Print the free Earth template, then fill the land green and the water blue with torn paper or finger paint, and glue a red paper heart on top. Ages 3 to 6, about 20 minutes.

Whether it is Earth Day or you just fancy an Earth craft, here are two ways to make a picture of our planet with a free printable template: a torn-paper version and a painted one.

When a child tears paper they are not just having fun; they are building endurance in the small muscles of the hand that handwriting, buttons and zips all depend on. Finger painting, or stamping with a pom-pom held in a peg, works the same muscles.

Finished Earth picture made with torn blue and green paper and a red heart

1. Earth picture

Colour a printable Earth template with torn paper or finger paint, and add a red paper heart for our planet.

Best forTearing, stamping and learning about the Earth
Age3 to 6
Time20 to 30 minutes
Mess levelMedium
DifficultyEasy
CostUnder £2

You will need

A printed Earth template
Blue and green paint, or blue and green paper
Glue (if using paper)
Red paper
Scissors

How to set it up

Print the Earth template.
Talk about which areas are land and which are water.
Paint option: dip a finger, or a pom-pom held in a peg, in paint and stamp the land green and the water blue.
Paper option: tear or cut blue and green paper and glue it onto the template.
Cut a heart from the red paper and glue it on to show some love for our planet.

Why it helps

Tearing paper builds endurance in the small hand muscles that children later need for handwriting, buttons and zips. Finger painting or stamping with a pom-pom in a peg works the same muscles, and talking about land and water is a first geography lesson.