Year 2025 | Vol XVI | Issue No. 1 (August – November 2025)
Author: Rashi Oberoi
Abstract
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are often relegated to curriculum checklists, treated as isolated topics rather than transformative frameworks. This article argues that sustainability must become an integral, lived experience in early education, woven into daily learning, language, and practice from ages 3 to 6 years. By immersing young children in sustainability through real-life experiences, systematic simulations, and creative innovation, the article progresses to show how we can foster lifelong habits and mindsets that transcend the classroom. The article outlines strategic sustainability goals for early years, proposes practical approaches for embedding them, and recommends digital tools and apps to empower educators and facilitators in making sustainability a living, breathing reality for young learners.
INTRODUCTION
The urgency of sustainable development is undeniable. Yet, in many educational settings, sustainability is reduced to a series of lessons, activities, or annual projects far removed from the daily realities and lived experiences of students. This approach risks creating a disconnect – students learn about sustainability but rarely live it. To truly prepare the next generation for the challenges ahead, sustainability must be more than a curriculum goal. It must become the fabric of early childhood education, shaping the way children think, speak, and act from their earliest years.
Why Sustainability Must Be More Than a Curriculum Goal
The Pitfalls of a Curriculum-Only Approach
- Superficial Engagement: When sustainability is a box to check, students may memorize facts without internalizing values or behaviours.
- Lack of Continuity: Stand-alone lessons rarely translate into sustained action or meaningful change.
- Missed Opportunities for Innovation: Children’s natural curiosity and creativity are stifled when sustainability is not part of their daily explorations. The Case for Integral Learning in the very early years
- Habits Are Formed Early: Research shows that core values and habits are established in the first five years of life.
- Language Shapes Reality: When children speak the language of sustainability, they begin to see themselves as change agents.
- Real-Life Application: Embedding sustainability in daily routines and projects makes it tangible and relevant.
Strategic Sustainability Goals for Early Years (Ages 3–6)
Below are suggested sustainability goals tailored for early childhood, designed to be woven into daily learning and play:
| Goal | Description | Example Activities |
| Resource Awareness | Understanding the value of water, energy, and materials | Watering plants, turning off lights, recycling games |
| Waste Reduction | Recognizing waste and practicing reuse/recycling | Sorting recyclables, upcycling crafts |
| Nature Connection | Building empathy for living things | Gardening, nature walks, observing insects |
| Healthy Living | Choosing sustainable foods, hygiene, and movement | Preparing healthy snacks, composting, exercise routines |
| Community & Sharing | Learning about fairness, sharing, and helping others | Group projects, sharing circles, collaborative art |
| Problem Solving | Innovating solutions to everyday challenges | Building with recycled materials, “fix-it” workshops |
| Sustainable Language | Using words and stories that reflect sustainable values | Storytelling, sustainability-themed books, and role-play |
Embedding Sustainability: Practical Approaches for Ages 3-6 years
Weaving Sustainability into Daily Routines: Morning Circles
Begin each day with a “sustainability moment” – a question, story, or challenge related to the environment.
Examples:
- Monday: “How is the weather today? How do plants feel when it rains?”
- Tuesday: Share a picture book like “The Great Kapok Tree” and discuss why animals need homes
- Wednesday: “Sustainability Challenge: Can we remember to turn off the lights when we leave the room today?”
- Thursday: Show photos of local wildlife and ask, “How can we help the birds in our playground?”
- Friday: “Gratitude Circle: How and why are you thankful to nature this week?”
Classroom Jobs
Assign roles like “energy saver,” “recycling leader,” or “water monitor.”
Examples:
- Energy Saver: Deetya checks that classroom lights are off during outdoor time and reminds friends to unplug the tablet charger.
- Recycling Leader: Himank sorts paper scraps into the recycling bin and teaches new students which items can be recycled.
- Water Monitor: Prabhgun makes sure taps are fully turned off after hand washing and reminds classmates not to let water run while brushing teeth.
- Plant Caretaker: Arjun waters classroom plants and reports if any plant needs extra care.
- Compost Captain: Ajitesh collects fruit peels from snack time for the class compost bin.
Snack Time
Discuss where food comes from, compost scraps, and encourage reusable containers.Examples:
- Apple Day: “These apples grew on a tree! Let’s save the cores for our compost bin and watch them break down into soil”
- Carrot Sticks: “Carrots grow underground. See these green tops? We can plant them in our garden!”
- Container Show & Tell: Children bring reusable lunch boxes and water bottles, explaining how they help reduce waste.
- Local Food Friday: Feature snacks from nearby farms and discuss how food travels to our table.
- Cooking Activity: Make trail mix, discussing how nuts grow on trees and dried fruit comes from fresh fruit.
Real-Life Experiences and Simulations Mini-Ecosystems
Create animal herds, classroom gardens or worm farms to observe cycles of growth and decay.
Examples:
- Windowsill Herb Garden: Plant basil, mint, and cilantro in recycled yoghurt containers; use herbs in cooking activities.
- Worm Bin Observation: Feed vegetable scraps to worms and observe them creating rich soil over weeks.
- Bean Sprout Experiment: Grow split green gram beans (moong daal) sprouts in clear jars so children can watch roots and shoots develop.
- Butterfly Garden: Plant flowers that attract butterflies and document the life cycle when caterpillars visit.
- Terrarium Building: Create closed ecosystems in clear containers using local moss, soil, and small plants.
Role-Play
Simulate real-world scenarios (e.g., a market, recycling center, or farm) to solve problems collaboratively.
Examples:
- Farmers Market: Set up pretend stalls with play vegetables, discuss seasonal eating, and practice using reusable bags.
- Recycling Center: Sort classroom materials into different bins. Role-play as workers processing recyclables.
- Eco-Friendly Store: Create a shop selling only sustainable items; children practice being mindful consumers.
- Community Garden: Pretend to be neighbours sharing tools, seeds, and harvests
- Wildlife Rescue: Role-play helping injured animals, discussing how pollution affects wildlife.
Field Trips
Visit local parks, farms, or recycling centers to see sustainability in action.
Examples:
- Nature Center Visit: Meet live animals and learn how they adapt to environmental changes.
- Community Garden Tour: See how neighbours grow food together and share resources or visit a home garden.
- Recycling Plant Field Trip: Watch how materials are sorted and transformed into new products.
- Farm Visit: Feed animals, pick seasonal produce, and learn about composting on a larger scale.Beach or Park Cleanup: Collect litter while discussing how trash affects plants and animals.
Experimentation and Innovation Tinkering Spaces
Provide materials for children to invent new uses for “waste” items.
Examples:
- Cardboard Construction: Build houses, cars, and robots from delivery boxes and egg cartons.
- Bottle Planters: Transform plastic bottles into self-watering planters for herbs.
- Fabric Scrap Art: Create collages and puppets from old clothing and fabric remnants.
- Tin Can Telephones: Make communication devices from cans and string.
- Plastic Lid Matching Games: Use lids to create memory games and counting activities.
Challenge Days
Pose open-ended problems – “How can we save more water?” – and encourage creative solutions.
Examples:
- Water Saving Challenge: “Our classroom plant is thirsty, but we want to save water. What can we do?”
- Solutions: Collect rainwater, reuse water from washing paint
- brushes, create a drip irrigation system.
- Lunch Waste Reduction: “How can we have less trash after lunch?”
- Solutions: Use reusable containers, compost food scraps, and share uneaten portions
- Energy Conservation: “The sun is shining brightly. How can we use less electricity?”
- Solutions: Turn off lights, use natural light for reading, and play outdoor games instead of indoor electronics.
- Transportation Challenge: “How can we get to school without using a car?”
- Solutions: Walk, bike, take the bus, carpool with friends.
Documentation
Use photos, drawings, and journals to track progress and reflect on learning.
Examples:
- Growth Charts: Weekly photos of plants showing their development over time.
- Sustainability Journals: Children draw pictures of their eco-friendly actions with simple captions.
- Before/After Comparisons: Photos of the classroom before and after implementing energy-saving measures.
- Problem-Solution Books: Class-made books showing environmental challenges and children’s creative solutions.
- Reflection Circles: Weekly discussions about what worked well and what they want to try next. Fostering a Sustainability Language Speaking Sustainability
Introduce vocabulary: “renewable,” “reuse,” “compost,” “community.”
Examples:
- “Renewable”: “The sun gives us energy every day – it’s renewable! Wind is renewable too because it keeps blowing!”
- “Reuse”: “Instead of throwing away this jar, let’s reuse it as a pencil holder!”
- “Compost”: “Our apple cores will become compost – food for the soil to help new plants grow!”
- “Community”: “When we share our bikes with friends, we’re being a good community!”
- Songs and Chants:
- “Reduce, reuse, recycle too! That’s what we can do!”
- “Turn off the lights, save energy bright, that’s how we do it right!”
Drawing and Visualizing Ideas- Invite children to draw solutions to environmental problems.
Examples:
- “Draw Your Solution”: Children illustrate how to help animals find food in winter.
- Collaborative Murals: Class works together
- to create a wall-sized picture of their dream sustainable school.
- Story Posters: Children draw sequences showing how to properly compost food scraps.
- Puppet Shows: Use recycled materials to create puppets that teach friends about saving water.
- Problem-Solution Flipbooks: Children create small flipbooks showing an environmental problem on one page and their illustrated solution on the next.
Tools and Apps to Accentuate Curriculum Delivery
The digital landscape offers a wealth of resources to support sustainability education for young children. Here are some standout tools and apps for facilitators:
| Tool/App | Purpose | Features |
| EcoKids | Interactive games on environmental themes | Quizzes, activities, printable resources |
| Gro Memo | Teaches recycling and environmental care | Animated games, child-friendly interface |
| Green Screen by Do Ink | Create sustainability-themed videos | Easy video editing, creative storytelling |
| Earth Cubs | Global citizenship and sustainability | Animated stories, games, teacher resources |
| Toca Nature | Explore ecosystems and biodiversity | Virtual nature play, creative exploration |
| Class Dojo | Track sustainable behaviors and habits | Digital portfolios, parent communication |
| Recycle Hero | Teaches recycling through play projects | Sorting games, real-life scenarios |
| Seesaw | Document and share sustainability | Multimedia portfolios, family engagement |
Ideas for Facilitators Digital Portfolios:
- Sustainability Show-and-Tell: Invite children to bring in items from home that can be reused or recycled and share stories about their choices.
- “Green” Storytime: Curate a library of picture books focused on environmental themes and read them regularly.
- Family Sustainability Challenges: Send home simple challenges (e.g., “collect rainwater,” “make a compost jar”) and celebrate results in class.
- Community Partnerships: Collaborate with local environmental organizations for workshops or guest visits. celebrate sustainable actions, creating a sense of achievement and continuity. Overcoming Challenges: Addressing Resistance
- From Staff: Provide professional development on sustainability pedagogy and the use of digital tools.
- From Families: Communicate the benefits of sustainability education and offer practical tips for the home.
Ensuring Equity
- Adapt activities for children with diverse needs and backgrounds.
- Use low-cost or recycled materials to ensure accessibility.
Conclusion
Sustainability cannot remain a mere curriculum goal. It must become an integral, lived experience, especially in the formative years of schooling. By embedding sustainability into language, routines, and real-life experiences, and leveraging innovative tools and apps, educators can cultivate a generation of creative, empowered, and environmentally conscious citizens. The journey begins not with isolated lessons, but with a holistic, immersive approach that makes sustainability second nature for every child.
REFERENCES
- Central Board of Secondary Education. (2022). Handbook on Experiential Learning: Elementary Stage (Classes I-VIII). CBSE Academic. https://cbseacademic.nic.in
- Ministry of Education, Government of India. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf
- TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute). (2018). Green School Programme: Resource Manual for Teachers. https://www.teriin.org
- UNICEF India. (2019). Sustainability Starts with Education: Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs). https://www.unicef.org/india
- Lung Care Foundation. (2021). Saaf Hawa Aur Naagrik: Toolkit for Environmental Engagement in Schools. Lung Care Foundation and UNIC India.
- UNESCO New Delhi. (2021). Teaching Sustainable Development Goals in Indian Schools. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https://en.unesco.org/fieldoffice/ new delhi
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rashi Oberoi
Rashi Oberoi is an educator and administrator with experience in curriculum development. She has worked closely with agencies such as United Nations India Collaboration (UNIC), Lung Care Foundation at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Central Board of School Examination (CBSE) on environment campaigns.
