How Can Environmental Awareness Be Made Lasting in Preschool? (5 Scientific Methods)

Have you ever heard a three-year-old say, “We should throw this paper into the recycling bin, not the trash”? Or seen a five-year-old put their tiny finger into the soil and explain, “There are worms here, they are good for the soil”? These small moments actually bring a very big question: Is the environmental awareness we instill in children just a temporary enthusiasm that fades away after a few days, or does it become a lifelong way of living?

Early childhood covers the critical years when brain development is at its fastest and core values and habits begin to take shape. As Smith (2001) emphasizes, research shows that environmental knowledge and attitudes toward the environment begin to form precisely during this period, and environmental awareness gained in preschool plays a decisive role in developing positive environmental attitudes in later years. So how can we make this awareness lasting? Let us explore this question together in light of scientific research.

At this point, an important question arises: What should we do to instill a love of nature in children so that this love stays with them as they grow? Here are five scientifically grounded effective methods. Practical activity plans for these methods are available free of charge on Envikid.

1. Centering Experiential and Sensory Learning

Children learn through their senses. Smelling a flower, feeling the moisture of soil, watching a caterpillar move across a leaf... These are learning experiences far more powerful than any book or digital content can provide. Perhaps the most fundamental way to make environmental awareness lasting in early childhood is to bring children face to face with nature itself.

An experimental study conducted by Gezgin Vural and Kılıç Mocan (2025) with 60 children aged 48–60 months presents striking findings. In the study, children who received environmental education supported by science activities were compared with those who followed the standard curriculum of the Ministry of National Education. The results were clear: the children in the experimental group who participated in science activities showed a significantly higher increase in environmental awareness compared to the control group. In other words, when children learn by experimenting, observing, and touching, the knowledge becomes much more permanent.

Another study supporting this is the research by Akbayrak and Kuru Turaşlı (2017) on game-based environmental activities. It was found that children who learned through play demonstrated higher environmental awareness compared to those who learned through traditional methods. So what should we do? We should take children outdoors frequently, allow them to spend time in gardens, and offer experiences where they can learn by touching, smelling, and tasting. Planting a seed and watching it grow, witnessing the life cycle of an insect, observing what happens in puddles after rainfall... All of these are building blocks of lasting learning.

2. Being a Role Model and the Power of Adult Attitudes

Children learn more from what we do than from what we say. For them, the strongest learning tool is observing and imitating adult behavior. Therefore, if we want environmental awareness to be lasting, we must first question our own attitudes and behaviors.

A recent study published in 2025 scientifically proves this relationship. In a study conducted with 261 children aged 60–66 months and their parents, a positive and moderate correlation was found between children’s environmental awareness and their parents’ environmental literacy. In other words, as parents’ environmental awareness, concern, and literacy increase, their children’s environmental awareness also increases. The same study found a positive but weaker relationship between children’s environmental attitudes and their parents’ environmental literacy.

What does this tell us? If we want to instill environmental awareness in our children, we must first internalize this awareness ourselves. If we recycle at home, avoid wasting water, and refrain from purchasing unnecessary packaged products, our children learn by observing us. Instead of telling them “do this, don’t do that,” modeling behavior is far more effective. In an application carried out at TED Istanbul College Foundation Private Kindergarten, collaboration with families ensured that consumption habits developed at school were also practiced at home, and it was observed that behaviors were established more quickly.

3. Internalizing the Values of Responsibility, Love, and Respect

Environmental awareness is not merely a cognitive concept; it also has an emotional dimension. Children develop positive attitudes toward the environment when they love nature, respect it, and feel responsible for protecting it.

A 2023 study examined the values included in environmental education-related learning outcomes in the preschool education curriculum. The results indicated that the number of environmental learning outcomes in the program was limited and that the values included were insufficient. Among the existing outcomes, responsibility—along with respect and love—stood out as prominent values. Researchers emphasized that greater importance should be given to these values in environmental education in order to raise environmentally sensitive individuals.

So how can we instill these values? Taking responsibility for a living being (watering a plant, feeding an animal), expressing admiration for what we observe in nature, showing respect for living spaces (such as walking carefully near an ant nest)... These small experiences help children internalize these values. Let us remember: we do not strive to protect something we do not love. First comes love, then respect, then responsibility.

4. Ensuring Continuity Within Daily Life

One of the most important conditions for making environmental awareness lasting is to integrate it into daily life. If it remains a special activity done once a week, it will be coded in the child’s mind as “one of the things to do,” and its permanence will weaken. However, when embedded into daily routines, it becomes a habit.

For example, placing recycling bins within a child’s reach at home and asking together “Where does this go?” for each waste item, saving leftover bread from breakfast for birds, reminding them to turn off the water while brushing their teeth, bringing reusable bags when shopping... All of these behaviors become patterns coded in the child’s mind as “this is how we do things.”

As emphasized in the suggestions shared by the Onaranlar Club, applying the 3R rule (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) together at home helps children internalize these habits. Asking “Do I really need this?” before buying something new and looking for ways to reuse old items for different purposes not only enhances children’s creativity but also reinforces environmental awareness.

5. Making Meaning Through Concrete and Fun Activities

Children have difficulty understanding abstract concepts. Terms such as “recycling,” “ecosystem,” and “carbon footprint” are not meaningful to them. Therefore, if we want environmental awareness to be lasting, we must transform abstract concepts into concrete experiences.

The activity suggestions shared by Envikid are highly inspiring in this regard. Making seed bombs, preparing fruit slices as a feast area for butterflies, creating nature bracelets, making frames from materials collected at the beach, designing cards from dried leaves... All these activities allow children to have fun while building a connection with nature. Practical activity plans for these methods are available free of charge on Envikid.

At this point, an important reminder should be shared. When collecting materials from nature, we should take only what we need and avoid harming living plants and creatures. A leaf may be food for an insect; a branch may be part of a bird’s nest. By instilling this awareness in children, we can teach them responsible ways of interacting with nature.

Key Points

In light of all this research, we should consider the following principles to make environmental awareness lasting in preschool:

Environmental awareness begins to take shape in early childhood, and awareness developed during this period plays a decisive role in forming positive environmental attitudes later in life (Smith, 2001).

Science activities and experiential learning are more effective than standard programs in making environmental awareness lasting (Gezgin Vural & Kılıç Mocan, 2025).

There is a strong relationship between parents’ environmental literacy and children’s environmental awareness. If we want to instill environmental awareness in our children, we must first internalize this awareness ourselves (2025 parent-child study).

In environmental education, special emphasis should be placed on the values of responsibility, love, and respect. These values form the foundation of children’s positive attitudes toward the environment (2023 curriculum outcomes study).

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: At what age should we start building environmental awareness?

Research shows that environmental awareness begins to form in the preschool period, especially between the ages of 3–6 (Smith, 2001). Therefore, it is best to begin environmental education as early as possible, from the child’s very first encounter with nature.

Question: We live in a city and cannot be immersed in nature. What should we do?

Living in a city is not an obstacle to building a connection with nature. Growing plants in pots on the balcony, sprouting beans in a jar at home, observing birds, organizing nature walks in parks, or even examining wild plants growing along sidewalks can provide rich learning experiences for children. The key is to invite nature into your environment. Inspiring activity examples are available free of charge on Envikid.

Question: My child is not interested in environmental topics. How can I motivate them?

The best way to motivate children is to combine environmental education with their interests. If they are interested in cars, you can talk about the environmental impact of electric vehicles. If they love animals, you can explain the importance of protecting their habitats. If they enjoy playing games, you can discover games they can play in nature. Remember, nothing taught by force becomes lasting.

References

Akbayrak, N., & Kuru Turaşlı, N. (2017). The effect of game-based environmental activities on preschool children's environmental awareness. DEU Journal of Education Faculty.

Gezgin Vural, D., & Kılıç Mocan, D. (2025). The effect of science activities on developing environmental awareness in preschool children. Journal of Early Childhood Studies.

Examining the relationship between preschool children's environmental awareness and attitudes and their parents’ environmental literacy. (2025). Journal of School.

An examination of environmental-related learning outcomes in the preschool curriculum in terms of values. (2023). Tidsad.

Smith, A. (2001). Environmental education in early childhood. Sample activities for developing environmental awareness in preschool children. Eğitime Koş Sistemi.

TED Istanbul College Foundation Private Kindergarten. (n.d.). Ways to instill environmental awareness in children. Onaranlar Club.