Grounded in Wonder: Embedding Nature & Sustainability in the Early Year
Grounded in Wonder: Embedding Nature & Sustainability in the Early Years
Support Group - Thursday 14th August 2025
6:00pm - 8:00pm AEST (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania)
6:30pm - 8:30pm South Australia, Northern Territory
6:00pm - 8:00pm Western Australia
Individual - $119 - Team - $499
Tax Deductible, Certificate received for Professional Development
Overview:
Nature is not just a setting — it’s a living, breathing teacher. This session empowers educators to embed sustainability and nature connection authentically into their programs, environments, and relationships with children. Through the lens of developmental theory, we’ll explore how natural play, eco-literacy, and environmental responsibility support children’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and social growth.
Educators will walk away with inspiring ideas, provocations, and frameworks to cultivate a culture of care, curiosity, and environmental consciousness — all while aligning with the EYLF v2.0 and NQF standards.
What Early Childhood Educators Will Learn:
Understand the importance of nature and sustainability in early childhood development
Embed sustainability practices meaningfully in everyday environments and routines
Link natural learning to key developmental theorists and the five learning outcomes
Design provocations and experiences using natural materials and eco-conscious thinking
Reflect on how to foster children’s environmental identity and responsibility
Topics:
1. Why Nature & Sustainability Matter
Explore how early connections to nature build empathy, resilience, and respect for living systems. Discuss sustainability as a way of being, not a one-off activity.
2.. Theorists in the Garden
Connect developmental theory to natural learning:
Maslow: Meeting basic needs through calm, sensory-rich natural spaces
Erikson: Building trust and initiative through caring for plants and animals
Piaget: Discovering cause and effect through water, sand, and nature play
Vygotsky: Scaffolding knowledge through shared nature investigations
Gardner: Supporting naturalistic intelligence through nature journaling and inquiry
Bronfenbrenner: Exploring our relationship with the wider ecosystem
Montessori: Real, purposeful work — composting, planting, sorting, caring
Bowlby: Developing secure attachment through rhythmic outdoor routines
Reggio Emilia: Seeing the environment as a co-teacher and nature as provocation
3. Nature-Based Provocations
Ideas for each learning area:
Home Corner: Natural kitchen play, mud pies, pretend garden shop
Art Area: Leaf rubbings, clay with natural textures, ochre and pigment painting
Book Corner: Stories about country, environment, lifecycles
Outdoor Area: Bug hotels, bush cubbies, water play with pipes and rocks
Group Time: Seasonal circles, sustainability pledges, mindfulness walks
Block Corner: Branches, pinecones, seed pods and recycled loose parts
4. Sustainability in Everyday Practice
Embed real-world sustainability into:
Routines (waste sorting, reusing materials, composting)
Curriculum (gardening, weather watching, seed-to-plate projects)
Family partnerships (clothing swaps, garden days, local eco-initiatives)
5. Age-Appropriate Nature Play & Learning
Tailored experiences for each age group:
0–12 months: Sensory nature baskets, tummy time outdoors
12–24 months: Watering plants, barefoot exploration
2–3 years: Nature treasure hunts, bug watching
3–5 years: Gardening, nature-based provocations, building mini habitats
5–8 years: Sustainability projects (e.g. worm farms, eco clubs, upcycling)
6. EYLF, NQF & Reflective Practice
EYLF Outcomes:
Outcome 1: Strong sense of identity
Outcome 2: Connected with and contribute to the world
Outcome 3: Wellbeing
Outcome 4: Confident and involved learners
Outcome 5: Effective communicators
NQF Quality Areas: QA1 (Program), QA3 (Environment), QA5 (Relationships), QA6 (Partnerships)
Reflection Prompts
What message does our environment send about nature?
How do we model sustainability for the children?
What opportunities are there for real-world nature connection in our service?
Which theorist’s ideas come alive in your outdoor or nature-based play?
Support Group - Thursday 14th August 2025
6:00pm - 8:00pm AEST (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania)
6:30pm - 8:30pm South Australia, Northern Territory
6:00pm - 8:00pm Western Australia
Individual - $119 - Team - $499
Tax Deductible, Certificate received for Professional Development
Overview:
Nature is not just a setting — it’s a living, breathing teacher. This session empowers educators to embed sustainability and nature connection authentically into their programs, environments, and relationships with children. Through the lens of developmental theory, we’ll explore how natural play, eco-literacy, and environmental responsibility support children’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and social growth.
Educators will walk away with inspiring ideas, provocations, and frameworks to cultivate a culture of care, curiosity, and environmental consciousness — all while aligning with the EYLF v2.0 and NQF standards.
What Early Childhood Educators Will Learn:
Understand the importance of nature and sustainability in early childhood development
Embed sustainability practices meaningfully in everyday environments and routines
Link natural learning to key developmental theorists and the five learning outcomes
Design provocations and experiences using natural materials and eco-conscious thinking
Reflect on how to foster children’s environmental identity and responsibility
Topics:
1. Why Nature & Sustainability Matter
Explore how early connections to nature build empathy, resilience, and respect for living systems. Discuss sustainability as a way of being, not a one-off activity.
2.. Theorists in the Garden
Connect developmental theory to natural learning:
Maslow: Meeting basic needs through calm, sensory-rich natural spaces
Erikson: Building trust and initiative through caring for plants and animals
Piaget: Discovering cause and effect through water, sand, and nature play
Vygotsky: Scaffolding knowledge through shared nature investigations
Gardner: Supporting naturalistic intelligence through nature journaling and inquiry
Bronfenbrenner: Exploring our relationship with the wider ecosystem
Montessori: Real, purposeful work — composting, planting, sorting, caring
Bowlby: Developing secure attachment through rhythmic outdoor routines
Reggio Emilia: Seeing the environment as a co-teacher and nature as provocation
3. Nature-Based Provocations
Ideas for each learning area:
Home Corner: Natural kitchen play, mud pies, pretend garden shop
Art Area: Leaf rubbings, clay with natural textures, ochre and pigment painting
Book Corner: Stories about country, environment, lifecycles
Outdoor Area: Bug hotels, bush cubbies, water play with pipes and rocks
Group Time: Seasonal circles, sustainability pledges, mindfulness walks
Block Corner: Branches, pinecones, seed pods and recycled loose parts
4. Sustainability in Everyday Practice
Embed real-world sustainability into:
Routines (waste sorting, reusing materials, composting)
Curriculum (gardening, weather watching, seed-to-plate projects)
Family partnerships (clothing swaps, garden days, local eco-initiatives)
5. Age-Appropriate Nature Play & Learning
Tailored experiences for each age group:
0–12 months: Sensory nature baskets, tummy time outdoors
12–24 months: Watering plants, barefoot exploration
2–3 years: Nature treasure hunts, bug watching
3–5 years: Gardening, nature-based provocations, building mini habitats
5–8 years: Sustainability projects (e.g. worm farms, eco clubs, upcycling)
6. EYLF, NQF & Reflective Practice
EYLF Outcomes:
Outcome 1: Strong sense of identity
Outcome 2: Connected with and contribute to the world
Outcome 3: Wellbeing
Outcome 4: Confident and involved learners
Outcome 5: Effective communicators
NQF Quality Areas: QA1 (Program), QA3 (Environment), QA5 (Relationships), QA6 (Partnerships)
Reflection Prompts
What message does our environment send about nature?
How do we model sustainability for the children?
What opportunities are there for real-world nature connection in our service?
Which theorist’s ideas come alive in your outdoor or nature-based play?