Environment Day - The Early Years Academy

World Environment Day: Teaching Little Hearts to Care for a Big Planet

Celebrating World Environment Day

At The Early Years Academy, we believe that caring for the world starts in the early years. Today, on World Environment Day, we’re celebrating the small steps our children take each day to care for the Earth and how those steps grow into a lifelong love for nature and community.

Why It Matters (Even in Preschool)

Young children are naturally curious, and the world around them is their classroom. When we help them connect with the soil beneath their feet, the insects that buzz past their ears, and the trees that change with the seasons, we’re doing more than teaching, we’re nurturing stewards of the future.

Environmental education in early years isn't about ticking boxes. It's about helping children build respect for themselves, for others, and for the world they’ll inherit.

How We Celebrate Nature Every Day

While today is a global reminder, nature is at the heart of everything we do year-round at The Early Years Academy. Here’s how our children are already learning to care for the environment in ways that are meaningful, age-appropriate, and fun:

🌳 Forest School Academy
Children explore the outdoors come rain or shine. Whether they’re building dens, balancing on logs, or quietly watching birds, every session is a hands-on lesson in resilience, risk-taking, and respect for living things.

🥕 Growing Academy
From planting herbs to harvesting strawberries, our little gardeners take pride in nurturing something from seed to plate. Along the way, they learn about seasons, food origins, and how to make healthy, sustainable choices.

What Parents Can Do at Home

Here are three simple ways to bring World Environment Day into your home without needing a garden or a grand gesture:

Go on a Nature Treasure Hunt
Take a walk with your child and collect leaves, sticks, or stones. Ask open-ended questions like “What do you think lives under this log?” or “Why do you think this leaf is that shape?”

Grow Something Together
A pot of basil on the windowsill is all it takes. Involve your child in watering and harvesting, it's a great chance to talk about where food comes from.

Model and Celebrate Green Choices
Let your child see you sorting recycling, turning off lights, or picking up litter. Celebrate these choices by saying things like, “That helps the Earth!”

A Greener Future, One Child at a Time

As educators and parents, we’re planting seeds not just in the soil, but in the hearts of our children. On this World Environment Day, let’s continue to work together to raise a generation that doesn’t just understand the environment, but cares deeply about protecting it.

If you're curious about how we weave nature into every child’s learning journey, at one of our nurseries in Derby, Ibstock, Shrewsbury or Loughborough.

Together, let’s nurture children who are ready for anything, even saving the planet.

Ready To Experience The EYA Way For Yourself?

Book a visit to one of our nurseries today and see how we create a home-away-from-home for your child.