Supporting Children to Understand Sustainability
Definition (EYLF v2.0)
Sustainability is defined, seeking to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations (Brundtland Report 1987). Contemporary understandings of sustainability span environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Environmental sustainability focuses on helping children to recognise they are part of ecosystems and have a role to play in preserving, protecting, and improving the environment. Social sustainability addresses issues of social justice and equity, respect for diversity and inclusion, active citizenship, and a sense of community. Economic sustainability focuses on fair and equitable access to resources, conserving resources and reducing consumption and waste. The 3 dimensions are interconnected and necessary for a sustainable world (Department of Education, 2022).
Teaching sustainability to young children involves fostering their natural curiosity about the world around them while developing their sense of responsibility as environmental stewards. Children are naturally drawn to exploring nature and understanding how things work, making this an ideal time to introduce sustainable practices and environmental awareness.
What is Sustainability?
Sustainability is about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In early childhood education, this involves developing children's understanding of their interconnectedness with others and the environment.
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Environmental sustainability centers on protecting, preserving, and enhancing the natural world, ensuring that ecosystems remain healthy and capable of supporting life.
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Social sustainability involves fostering inclusive, respectful, and equitable communities that promote peace, resilience, and fairness at both local and global levels.
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Economic sustainability relates to practices that encourage growth and development while ensuring they do not compromise environmental or social sustainability.
What Sustainability Means to Me
For me, sustainability is about caring for the environment and making thoughtful choices that protect the world for future generations. It means respecting the natural world, reducing waste, and finding ways to reuse and recycle resources. I believe sustainability is also about teaching children to value and protect their surroundings so that they grow up with the knowledge and skills to live responsibly.
How to Include Sustainability in the Everyday Lives of Children
Sustainability can be introduced into children’s daily lives in meaningful, age-appropriate ways. For example, engaging children in gardening activities helps them understand where food comes from and fosters a sense of responsibility for the environment (Davis & Elliott, 2014). Encouraging children to recycle, reuse materials in craft projects, and conserve water and energy teaches them practical habits that contribute to sustainable living (Edwards & Cutter-Mackenzie, 2011). Storytelling, nature walks, and play-based provocations can also spark curiosity and respect for the natural world (Elliott & Davis, 2018). By making sustainability a natural part of everyday routines, educators help children form positive attitudes and behaviours that they can carry into adulthood.
Play Based Experience 1
Garden to Table Experience
Create a small vegetable garden where children can plant seeds, water plants, and harvest vegetables. This hands-on experience teaches children about food cycles, reduces food waste, and connects them to natural processes. Children can then use the harvested vegetables in cooking activities, understanding the journey from seed to plate.
Play Based Experience 2
Recycling Sorting Game
Set up different colored bins with clear picture labels for various recyclable materials. Children can sort clean recyclable items while learning about waste reduction. This can be extended into art projects using recycled materials, demonstrating how items can be repurposed rather than discarded.
What changes can you include in your household?
Recycling and Reducing Waste
Parents can start by making recycling and composting part of everyday family life. Setting up clear bins allows children to sort their own waste, while collecting food scraps for compost helps them learn about responsibility and caring for the environment (Edwards & Cutter-Mackenzie, 2011). Families can also create a worm farm where food scraps are fed to worms, producing nutrient-rich liquid fertiliser often called “worm wee.” Children love helping with this process and seeing how scraps turn into something useful for the garden. These simple routines encourage children to understand the importance of reducing waste and reusing resources.
Saving Energy
Families can save energy by switching off lights and appliances when they’re not in use, making the most of natural light, and opening windows for fresh air instead of relying on air conditioning. Even small actions show children how everyday choices can help protect the planet (United Nations, 2015).
Conserving Water
Water is one of our most valuable resources. Encouraging children to take short showers, turn taps off when brushing teeth, and use rainwater for watering plants teaches them how to use water wisely. These habits help children understand that water should not be wasted (ACARA, 2023).
Sustainable Food and Lifestyle Choices
Food and lifestyle choices are another way to live more sustainably. Growing herbs, fruits, or vegetables at home gives children a hands-on understanding of where food comes from. Cooking meals with fresh, local produce shows the benefits of eating sustainably, while reducing food waste through meal planning or reusing leftovers reinforces responsible habits. Families can also shop second-hand, walk or cycle instead of driving, and enjoy upcycling projects that turn old items into something new. These small actions create fun learning experiences and help children see sustainability as a natural part of family life (Davis & Elliott, 2014).
"The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.”
David W. Orr (Ecological Literacy: Educating Our Children for a Sustainable World (The Bioneers Series))
Helpful Links about Sustainability
ABC Kids – Sustainability and Nature
ABC Kids offers a variety of early‑education media—including short films, podcasts, gardening guides, and nature-based activities—geared toward inspiring sustainability in preschoolers and families.
https://www.abc.net.au/abckids/early-education/sustainability-and-nature
Containers For Change
Another great initiative for families in Australia is the 10-cent container refund scheme, such as Containers for Change in Western Australia. Through this program, eligible bottles and cans can be returned for a 10-cent refund, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill while encouraging recycling. Children can get involved by collecting cans at home, school, or in the community and helping to sort and return them. Many families use the refunds as pocket money for children, while others choose to donate the earnings to local charities or school fundraising projects. This program not only teaches children about environmental responsibility but also helps them understand the value of recycling and making sustainable choices in everyday life (Sustainable Schools WA, 2023).
https://www.containersforchange.com.au/wa/
Cool.org Sustainability Teaching Resources
Curriculum-aligned and ready-to-use teaching tools—including lesson plans, case studies, and themed units—spanning primary to secondary levels with cross-disciplinary approaches
This beautifully illustrated picture book introduces young readers to the idea that small actions can make a big difference. From turning off lights and recycling to planting trees and caring for animals, Change Starts With Us empowers children to see that they play an important role in looking after the world. It’s simple, colourful, and perfect for sparking conversations at home or in the classroom about everyday sustainability.
You can purchase a copy of this book from Change Starts with Us by Sophie Beer | 9781760505820 | Booktopia
In this fun Charlie and Lola story, Lola becomes inspired to win a recycling competition at school. With her enthusiasm, she collects and sorts all kinds of materials to recycle, showing children how enjoyable and rewarding it can be to reduce waste. The book makes recycling exciting, teaching kids that being eco-friendly is not only important but can also be a fun challenge that involves the whole family.
You can purchase a copy of this book from
Charlie and Lola by Lauren Child | We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers | 9780803733350 | Booktopia
This rhyming alphabet book introduces children to sustainability concepts in a playful and easy-to-understand way. Each letter highlights a positive action or idea—such as “R is for Reduce” or “W is for Water”—giving children simple steps they can follow. The catchy rhymes and cheerful illustrations make it an engaging read for younger learners, helping them connect language and literacy with caring for the planet.
You can purchase a copy of this book from ABCs of Sustainability - Let's Help The Planet!: Rhyming Book For Kids Ages 1+ : Thomas, R.: Amazon.com.au: Books
Page References:
ACARA. (2023). Australian Curriculum: Cross-curriculum priorities – Sustainability. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Australian Government Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia V2.0. Australian Government Department of Education.
Beer, S. (2019). Change starts with us. Little Hare Books.
Brundtland Commission. (1987). Our common future. Oxford University Press.
Child, L. (2009). We are extremely very good recyclers. Puffin Books.
Davis, J. M. (2015). Young children and the environment: Early education for sustainability (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press
Davis, J., & Elliott, S. (2014). Research in early childhood education for sustainability: International perspectives and provocations. Routledge
Edwards, S., & Cutter-Mackenzie, A. (2011). Environmental play and learning in early childhood education. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 36(1), 51–59.
Elliott, S., & Davis, J. (2018). Early childhood education for sustainability: Foundations of a sustainable future. Routledge.
Green, C. (2021). ABCs of sustainability: Let’s help the planet! Rhyming book for kids ages 1+. Independently published.
Niche Quotes. (2025). 100 sustainable education quotes. https://nichequotes.com/sustainable-education-quotes
Sustainable Schools WA. (2023). Sustainable Schools WA program. Department of Education, Government of Western Australia. https://myresources.education.wa.edu.au/programs/sustainable-schools-wa
Sustainability and the EYLF - Environmental Education in Early Childhood. (2023, May 21). Environmental Education in Early Childhood. https://www.eeec.org.au/sustainability-and-the-eylf/
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
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