Sustainability education often begins too late—despite the fact that the first 1,000 days are the most critical period for brain development and emotional connection.
During this stage, children are not “too young” to engage with the world; they are actively forming relationships with it. Yet in many educational contexts, the youngest children are excluded from sustainability and SDG-related experiences.
This gap led us to develop an approach grounded in a simple belief: sustainability does not begin with understanding—it begins with experience.
Through sensory play and hands-on interaction using recycled materials, infants and toddlers build early physical and emotional connections with the Earth. Activities such as transforming waste paper or engaging in simple environmental actions allow children to explore, touch, and care for their surroundings.
When these experiences are introduced in the first 1,000 days, sustainability becomes part of children’s natural development—not something added later as a subject.
This work redefines sustainability education as something that begins from the very start of life.
In practice, this approach transforms the daycare into a sensory-rich environment where sustainability is experienced rather than taught. The curriculum is structured across the first 1,000 days, aligning with children’s developmental milestones.
Sensory Exploration (0–12 months):
Infants explore hand-made “Seed-Earth Balls” using recycled paper pulp. Through touch, texture, and color contrast, they begin forming early associations between the Earth and care.
Action and Awareness (12–36 months):
Toddlers engage in hands-on activities such as “Ocean Rescue,” where they remove human-made materials (e.g., bottle caps) from sensory bins. This turns abstract environmental issues into simple, age-appropriate problem-solving experiences.
Extending to the Home:
Families are guided to recreate these activities using everyday recycled materials, reinforcing learning beyond the classroom.
The environment is warm, nature-inspired, and built on low-cost materials. It demonstrates that sustainability education in the first 1,000 days depends not on resources, but on meaningful design—where even the smallest hands begin to shape their relationship with the world.
The innovation has been fully integrated across all age groups at Sunrise Baby Daycare, becoming part of daily practice rather than a standalone activity.
A key outcome is the “family ripple effect.” Parents report that children as young as 18 months begin to recognize “Earth colors,” repeat sorting behaviors, and show early awareness of environmental care at home. This suggests that when sustainability is introduced through sensory experience in the first 1,000 days, it becomes part of children’s everyday behavior.
We have also developed a structured and reproducible model for early sustainability education. Using low-cost, locally available recycled materials, the approach can be implemented in diverse early childhood settings regardless of resources.
The model has gained attention among local educators for its integration of sensory development with early environmental awareness in infants and toddlers.
★Future Goals★
Over the next 24 months, we aim to refine this approach into a practical, shareable framework for the global early childhood community. We plan to collaborate with educators and networks to promote “Sustainability from Birth,” positioning the first 1,000 days as the true starting point of sustainability education.
Since its inception, this approach has evolved from a set of individual activities into a structured pedagogical model for the first 1,000 days.
First, we developed a developmental framework aligned with children’s sensory-motor milestones. Learning progresses from early tactile exploration (0–12 months) to simple environmental actions and problem-solving (12–36 months).
Second, we refined the integration of sustainability concepts with sensory experience. Activities such as “Ocean Rescue” translate abstract environmental issues into hands-on, age-appropriate interactions, allowing toddlers to engage through action rather than instruction.
Third, we strengthened the use of low-cost, recycled materials. By replacing commercial toys with accessible resources such as paper pulp and everyday recyclables, the approach demonstrates that high-quality sustainability education can be implemented in any setting.
Finally, we shifted our educational perspective—from viewing children as passive recipients of care to recognizing them as active participants. Even very young children can engage with their environment through touch, exploration, and simple actions, forming early connections with the Earth.
This approach does not require a large budget or specialized equipment. It begins with a shift in perspective—seeing infants and toddlers as capable of building meaningful connections with the world through experience.
Start with the senses:
Collect everyday recyclable materials such as waste paper, cardboard, or egg cartons. Let children tear, soak, and explore them to create simple sensory materials.
Focus on the first 1,000 days:
Introduce basic elements of the Earth—such as blue and green colors, textures, and natural materials—through safe, hands-on exploration. Infants learn by touching, feeling, and interacting, forming early emotional connections.
Create simple action-based play:
Use sensory bins to simulate real-world situations. For example, children can remove objects like bottle caps from water to “clean the ocean,” turning play into meaningful action.
Keep it low-cost and accessible:
Use materials that are already available. This reinforces the idea that sustainability is part of everyday life, not a special activity.
Start small. Even simple sensory experiences can support children in building a lasting relationship with the Earth from the earliest stage of development.
