Special Days in June Activities: World Environment Day

Did you know?

World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5th to help people learn about and care for the Earth. Each year has a unique theme and host country. People around the world take action by planting trees, cleaning up and working together to protect nature and the environment.

The animated poem What Happened When We All Stopped by Tom Rivett-Carnac was released in 2020 for World Environment Day. It imagines a world where everything pauses – cars, planes, factories – and nature begins to heal. The poem shares a hopeful message: with kindness and care, we can build a greener, better future together.

Recommended Activities:

🎭 Create a silent mini play based on the poem’s story. Include scenes of a busy world, the moment everything stops and nature coming back to life.

🗣️ If Planet Earth had a voice, what would it say to the human race? Prepare a short emotive speech that includes the following:

• The harm that is being done to you (e.g. climate change and deforestation)
• Your ability to recover when humans look after you (e.g. planting seeds, recycling and litter picking)

Click here for an example

🎨 Paint a picture split into two halves: one side shows a world without nature; the other side shows a bright, happy world full of plants and animals.