Encouraging Children to Get Involved in Sustainability from a Young Age

At The British School in The Netherlands, we advocate and encourage our community to make more environmentally friendly choices. As an international school, we carry this responsibility—because fighting climate change starts with educating the next generation right from when they first start school.

How can you help your child to make a positive difference?

Instil a Love of Nature

Spending time outdoors develops an appreciation for nature, helps children understand their place in the world and connect to something larger than themselves.

At BSN Junior School campuses, our youngest students enjoy free access to outdoor learning spaces and explore nature in weekly Forest Schools lessons

JSV Students Looking for insects at Forest Schools

BSN Students Enjoying a self-prepared warm drink during Forest Schools

Junior School Leidschenveen Student Collecting sticks for Forest Schools Project

Encourage Action

Talk to your child about their individual choices and model ways to help take care of our planet. Encourage them to look at what they can do to make a difference to their environment. Here are some examples based on what our Junior School students are doing:

Green Waste Recycling:

To reduce the amount of waste going to landfills, students at one campus collected biodegradable waste from each class, which was turned into compost and reused in the area. Get your child involved in collecting leftovers for your green bin, as well as recyclables.

Reuse and Repurpose Creatively:

Before throwing something away, challenge your child to find another use for it. Old newspapers, paper scraps and empty containers can become art resources for junk modelling, a firm favourite of our three to five-year-old Foundation Stage students, or even papier-mache creations.

Older students have organised clothing swaps and designed clothing from recycled fabrics. Perhaps you will inspire the next Stella McCartney!

Collecting Litter:

Caring for our environment is vital for the local wildlife and creates a sense of pride in our community. Make a game out of it! Our students love to take turns using the litter picker and see who can collect the most trash

Speak up:

When students notice unsound environmental practices, they use persuasive writing skills to pen letters to businesses and local government officials. Encourage your child to use their voice to make a change

Small Steps to Make a Big Impact

Climate change requires large-scale action, but we will all enjoy a brighter future by empowering children to get involved and make sustainable choices.

A version of this blog first appeared in the Spring-Summer 2022 edition of Access.

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Encouraging Children to Get Involved in Sustainability from a Young Age

Instil a Love of Nature