Opportunities for early childhood environmental education

QECSN believes early childhood learning for sustainability is about having a vision, thinking for the future, empowering change and positive and practical learning for and about sustainability.
QECSN stands for Queensland Early Childhood Sustainability Network. it was established in 1997 and holds professional development days and network meetings.
 

Our aim is to build a strong collaborative network of support and inspiration for those who are working with young children by providing opportunities to share and learn together. We are planning to organize formal get-togethers, centre visits, workshops, and share initiatives, resource development and an informative quarterly newsletter.
Visit their site

AT EARLY PLAY AUSTRALIA we have many bloggers who are passionate about getting kids outdoors and understanding and loving nature. Please have a look at some of their posts:
A DIY worm farm and a Stinging Nettle frittata recipe
Junior Landcare on Wattle Day
an accidental crop
Earth Day for children
Weekend Wanderings - Sandpits & Seeds!
"What does it mean?": Rock Stacks
spring planting

You might also be interested in:
 Nature Benefits for Children
Early Childhood Environmentalists: shared responsibily for the environment

Eco friendly blogs

Little eco footprints

Bowerbird Blue

baby bees house

earth sky sea child

Caro & Co

 

Gooseberry Jam

Celebrating Summer with kids

• At our beach, at our magic beach... at SunSpirits Steiner Inspired Playgroup
• Nature as Teacher – building resilience and memories about an Australian summer holiday at Caro & Co
• Water Play Safety at Today at Play
• Photos of a beaut Aussie day at the beach, complete with Kangaroos at Happy Whimsical Hearts
• How to set up a water play activity at early play
• Simple Homemade Lemonade Recipe at Learning 4 Kids
• DIY Scoop-ball Game at Aspiring Mum
• Toddler Tongs and Water Play at Mummy Musings and Mayhem
• Summer Days at Mother Who
• All this … and more! about summer and the cyclone at lavendilly

Explore and rejuvenate

children require long, uniterrupted periods of play and exploration:  Piaget.

Hope you are enjoying your holiday.
We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves otherwise we harden: Goethe

Early Childhood Environmentalists:shared responsibily for the environment

Children can contribute to saving the planet against climate change. A research student from Stellenbosch University explained this recently at a seminar on exploring ecological learning in early childhood development.
Here in Australia, in the field of early childhood, we already appreciate this and incorporate much outdoor learning and love of nature in our days with young children.
Here are just a few Australian resources for you:

Bowerbird Blue:

• Junior Landcare on Wattle Day
• Growing Bird Seed
• Sow. Give. Grow. Guerrilla Sunflowers

52 Days to Explore:

• Create a scarecrow for your garden
• Gardening with young children
• Nature detectives: mini beasts
• Beautiful Bees
• Explore tidepools

Caro & Co:

• Sowing the seeds of future passions: gardening
• Plants kids can play with
• Library: list of books

Irresistible ideas for play based learning:

• exploring metamorphosis
• spring planting
• natural and recycled materials

Ants of the Top End poster
Autumn Leaf Display at CSIRO
Bring back the nature table at Play Ideas
Creating a lizard garden at earth sky sea child
Environmental books for children: large list
How big is your ecological hand print? at little eco footprints
Landcare Dung Beetle Dictionary
Ecological literacy: Noongar way from Early Childhood Australia.
Growing a Pizza Garden at Outdoor Classrooms
Spring and winter celebrations at SunSpirits Steiner Inspired Playgroup
Vegie Garden Guide: what to plant where and when by Gardening Australia

WaterWise Preschool Education Program