Getting creative with the ways we teach sustainability helps children stay curious and engaged. Through small, simple actions, children can better understand our use of resources, and how reusing and reducing waste can be a learning experience for everyone.
Encouraging children to be aware of environmental issues prepares them for future challenges. When we talk about sustainability as part of everyday life, it helps shape eco-oriented thinking and making sustainable decisions more likely across many aspects of life.
But what is sustainability? The term ‘sustainability’ has a range of definitions and understandings, and an agreed meaning has not yet been decided (Davis & Elliott, 2024).
Dr. Mia Christensen and Dr. Lyndal O’Gorman from Queensland University of Technology wrote in Early Childhood Australia magazine (Vol 31, No.3, 2025) that the sustainability principle is split into three categories: environmental, social, and economic.
Environmental: Protecting all living things and resources
Social: Living peacefully together and supporting social change and social justice
Economic: Earning a fair income without exploiting others or the environment
Why Reusing, Recycling and Repurposing Matters
Children are naturally curious and open-minded. When we introduce them to the idea of reusing and repurposing, we’re helping them:
- Understand the lifecycle of everyday items
- Reduce environmental footprint
- Develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills
- Build empathy for the world around them
Christensen and Gorman write 'simple actions like having a recycling station can engage children in ongoing actions and discussions around how things are made (environmental), why it’s important to recycle (economic), and how we need to share this knowledge with all children (social).'
Here are some simple ways to build sustainability into your play:
- Egg cartons: Use for sorting games, planting seeds, or storing small toys
- Old containers: Turn yoghurt tubs or takeaway boxes into paint pots or water play tools
- Fabric scraps: Cut old clothes into cleaning cloths or use them for sensory play
- Paper recycling: Make recycled paper or use the blank sides of printed sheets for drawing
- Technology repurposing: Create a pretend office with old keyboards and phones (ensure batteries are removed)
- Lunchbox swaps: Replace cling wrap with beeswax wraps or reusable containers, and buy larger packets instead of individually wrapped smaller ones (they’re often more cost-effective too).
These activities help children find value in what they already have and how it can be used again in new, purposeful ways.
Christense and O'Gorman recommend some of the following easy steps to weave sustainability principles into everyday decisions, like buying items at the grocery store. When you talk and discuss, it helps you consider:
- Environmental – Can the packaging be recycled? What is the item made from? Are there alternatives?
- Social impact – Are the employees treated fairly?
- Economic impact – Can this item be used multiple times?
Learning Through Repurposing
Reusing materials is an easy way to have conversations about sustainability. You can connect these activities to:
- The food cycle – Compost scraps from lunch and use them in a garden
- Energy awareness – Talk about turning off lights and saving water
- Eco-friendly choices – Compare reusable vs. single-use items in daily life
By embedding these ideas into everyday play, children begin to understand how their actions are part of a bigger picture, introducing them to concepts like social responsibility and local and global citizenship.
Sustainability Play Month
This month, we invite families and playgroups to take part in our Reuse with Purpose Challenge. Choose one item you’d normally throw away and find a new use for it. Share your creations with us on social media (Instagram and Facebook), at daycare, kindy, or with your local playgroup next time you visit.
Find your local playgroup here.
References:
Christensen, M., & O’Gorman, L. (2025). Why three dimensions of sustainability? Every Child, 31(3). Early Childhood Australia. https://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-publications/every-child-magazine/every-child-index/every-child-vol-31-no-3-2025/ [earlychild...lia.org.au]