Introducing Sustainability to Children….Ideas and Inspiration!

There was a huge focus on outdoor play and letting kids take risks and be adventurous. There wasn't a great deal of bright plastic play equipment or fancy outdoor toys which are so obviously designed to get children using their gross motor muscles, balance and coordination and spatial awareness while still keeping them absolutely safe with no challenge at all. We had wooden climbing forts and bridges and rocks and planks and sand and mud and trees for shade and climbing. We often had mat time and singing outside under a tree or shared a picnic lunch that was homemade with very little paper rubbish to dispose of.

Sustainability and recycling is not new as you can see, involving children in sustainability practises is not just the evil work of the EYLF destined to make your life as an educator or even homeschooler difficult!

The words are more recent but the concepts remain the same and many have already engaged in these practices over the years without even realising it.

And yet somehow the mere word and the emphasis throughout the EYLF outcomes seems to be creating a constant source of stress to many educators that contact me via my facebook page or email. Why?

Personally I think it's because many are stuck in the notion of sustainability just referring to recycling, compost, vegie gardens or chooks. Once you have those things sorted for your service what else are you expected to do? How do you include the same things in your program each week?

10 Strategies to consider when introducing sustainability practices to children

1. Be a role model

Do you put food scraps into a compost bin or throw them in with the rubbish?

Do you turn lights off as you leave a room? Do you turn the taps off properly and use water play tubs and near empty drink bottles to also water plants at the end of the day?

Do you reuse the packing and cardboard from purchases you have made for craft and play? Do you involve the children in flattening the cardboard you aren't using to put in the recycle bin?

Do you encourage an interest in the environment and outdoor discovery play?

2. Be resourceful

Can they help to collect the junk mail from the letterbox and work with you to cut out some favourite pictures or use it in a postal prop box before helping you to put it in the recycling bin?

Do you dye your own rice, pasta, cornflour paint, sand and craft sticks?

Perhaps you wash and reuse small containers, plastic spoons, plates, trays and other recyclables for craft and play purposes?

3. Be Waste Wise

You probably have separate bins now for your waste provided as a service from your council. In our area we have rubbish, organic and recycling and you can ensure the children in your care understand what goes in the different bins through modelling, pictures, stories and games.

Have you thought about providing smaller child friendly bins to match your larger household ones? I have 3 small bins that are easy for the children to open. They have clear pictures on the sides and we have talked about what can go in each.

It is an ongoing process but it is now our routine to have the organic/chook food and rubbish bin on the tables at meal times so they can be responsible for sorting their own rubbish.

We then extend on this process by taking the chickens the scraps…if you don't have chickens you could be helping them visit the garden to tip into your compost bin or wrap in newspaper and place into your large household organic bin.

It's all about involving the children in the processes not just having the resources and doing it all for them.

Help them to understand why we have different bins and how they can help.

You can involve parents too by asking that they provide rubbish free lunch boxes or send home zip lock bags and wrappers in the lunchboxes each day so they too can see the amount of lunchbox rubbish accrued each day.

4. Be a Green Thumb

You don't need to be a gardener or landscaper to find your green thumb. Anyone can rake a little soil and sprinkle some seeds or plant a few seedlings!

You don't need a lot of space either, why not some pots or even old shoes or teapots to use as flower or vegetable containers. Children love to find different uses for everyday items.

Can you add a compost bin or worm farm to your environment? Do you mulch your gardens to help conserve water and keep weeds at bay? If so why not get the kids involved in helping spread the mulch with you, my kids love this job and obviously feel very important!

Consider planting some small sensory herb and flower gardens…you can use the herbs in cooking activities with the kids, we have also made ‘perfume' and made our own floral arrangements with playdough. They can be lots of fun to incorporate into sandpit cooking and are a launchpad for lots of interesting conversation and further research.

5. Be Inventive

Recycle and reuse items to make toys, outdoor play equipment, craft materials and much more. You can visit recycling centres to pick up some budget friendly pieces for your craft table, home corner table or perhaps outdoor area!

I love to use old things in new ways…

6. Be a Green Cleaner