eco friendly - ideas to get after school care (out of school hours care services) started

ECO Friendly ... Ideas to get Out of School Hours Care

Services started

Contents Energy saving…..…………………………………………………………… 4 Waste management……………………………………………………… 6 Sustainable food practices………...………………………………… 8 Water saving ……………………………………………………………… 10 Green play experiences……………………………………………… 12 Gardening, Composting and worm arms……………....… 14 Useful websites……………………………………………… 16 Reflections…………………………………………………………………… 18 References ………………………………………………………………… 20

“If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before

we ask them to save it” David Sobel

2 Illawarra Children’s Services

Introduction Regardless of the setting - school hall, purpose-built centre or backyard - sustainability is one of the core elements of a high quality service. When services invest in ECO Friendly sustainable strategies, the rewards are endless. By teaching our children to respect and love our planet through sustainability we are teaching them to become responsible and passionate world citizens. The aim of this booklet is to encourage owners, directors and outside school hours care professionals to discuss and reflect upon the importance of sustainability. This booklet is a professional development tool and resource to help staff explore and reflect the key areas that lay the foundations for ECO Friendly service.

3 ‘ECO Friendly”

Tips for……….

Energy saving

• Turn off appliances when not in use

• Search for energy efficient globes

• Encourage children and staff to dress appropriately

for each season to minimise the need for heaters

and air conditioners

• Invest in shutters and blinds, open doors and

windows to keep rooms cooler.

• Provide spray water bottles on hot days. Encourage

children to cool themselves with these if they

are feeling hot

• Encourage children to close doors behind them on

cooler days to retain the heat in the room

• Discuss your electricity bills with the children –

compare the difference of your energy usage from

one quarter to the other and ask for ways you can

improve on this.


Have you considered……..

• Inviting the children to help hang out the

washing?

• Counting the stars on energy efficient rated

appliances with the children

www.energyrating.gov.au

• Reading a thermometer with the children?

• Discussing the global impact of greenhouse

emissions with children and getting them

involved in developing and implementing solution

strategies?

• For example washing up

the dishes after

afternoon tea

instead of using the

dishwasher, and then

emptying the water on

the garden.

5 ‘ECO Friendly’

Tips for ……...

Waste Minimisation

• Reuse glass, plastic and paper products in the

centre, e.g as paint pots, storage containers

• Encourage children to use both sides of paper

• Involve children in basic repair activities rather

that throwing things away

• Minimise use of plastic bags for throwing away

small rubbish etc. Re-use your empty bread

packaging instead, or wrap in newspaper.

• Let children sort recycling products. You can

download signs for you bins at

www.media.socialchange./net.aurecycling/

• Visit a recycling facility

• Use biodegradable green cleaners rather than toxic

chemicals. You can find products at

www.sasiclean.com or

www.freshgreenclean.com.au

• Use recycled materials in your art projects and

cubby buildings


Have you considered…….

• Organising a swap or used items notice board, or

market day for families to trade or sell unwanted

items. –someone’s trash is another persons

treasure

• Offering your newsletter to parents via email?

• Involving your service and children in National

Recycling week – 2nd week in November. For ideas

and information go to www.planetark.com.au/nrw


Tips for…….

Sustainable food practices

• Offer seconds and thirds at lunch time and

afternoon tea rather than serving a large meal

• Buy organic products - http://enviro.org.au/ has a

list of organic food suppliers from a variety of

southern NSW regions.

• Provide opportunities for the children to unpack the

groceries with you. While doing this discuss how

you are going to use all the ingredients and the

packaging used in each product.

• Organise a “Bush Tucker” walk in your area with

your local elders.

• Get together with other local children’s services or

your school canteen for OOSH and create a food co-

op—buy non perishable foods in bulk and order fruit

and veggies collectively from the growers.

• Grow your own fruit, vegetables and herbs in your

garden or in pots.


Have you considered …

• Supporting local Farmers Markets where you can

meet the people who grow the food - http://

www.sustainableillawarra.com.au/Sustainable-

Food.html#markets has information on markets in

the Illawarra. http://www.marketguide.com.au/

nsw-1.htm has information in alphabetical order for

the whole of NSW.

• Trying to buy locally grown produce? The “100 Mile

Diet” website can help you out with some

inspiration. www.100milediet.org


Tips for…….

Water saving

• Empty water trays into pots, garden beds, or on the

grass.

• Use tap water for drinking rather than buying water

• Install a rain water tank and a rain gauge.

• Discuss your water bills with the children – compare

the difference of your water usage over time and

ask for suggestions on how you can keep on

improving

• Involve your centre and children in National Water

Week in October. For ideas and information go to

www.nationalwaterweek.org.au

• Encourage the children reflect on their water

usage– especially in the outdoor environment.

• Encourage children to tip left over water onto the

garden.

• Encourage children to turn the taps off in the

bathroom whilst washing hands.



• Encouraging children to soak paint brushes in water

when finished so they don’t take as long to rinse

under a tap of running water?

• Collecting rainwater in buckets and reusing it in the

centre for cleaning spills, mopping etc?

• Providing soapy water and encourage children to

wash dolls clothes, material scraps, cloths etc by

hand and air dry?

• Talking with the children about how precious water

is, where it comes from, how rain is formed and

why we cannot use salt

water for drinking.

• Discussing how there is

drought in some parts of

Australia. Show pictures

and discuss how it may

feel to live there.


Green play experiences

• Encourage families to bring in boxes – small and

large –and use them as building blocks, e.g cereal

boxes, sultana boxes, muesli bar boxes.

• Paint on off-cuts of timber, fabric, stones or leaves

instead of paper. Children can collect these things

whenever they see them and keep them to use in

their art and sculpture.

• Provide gardening tools and gloves and use a patch

of bare earth for children to garden in—encourage

them to set up their own garden

• Install a small bird feeder or other habitat in the

yard, along with magnifying glasses for a close up

view.

• Provide pots of pencils, textas, crayons and paints

in earth tones as opposed to multi colours. E.g

ochres, browns, sepias, siennas, and neutrals

• Visit .www.sustainableschools.nsw.edu.au for lots

of ideas and experiences aimed at school aged

children



• Building your own scarecrows to protect your

veggie patch and inspire creativity

• Providing whiteboards – small or large – instead of

paper for children to draw on.

• Discussing with staff the different kinds of

materials you could provide children with such as

wooden, felt or natural fiber toys.

• Discussing sustainability as a whole service

approach and not just an add on to your

program.

• Researching ideas on protecting animals and plants

in your garden visit http://www.fnpw.com.au/

Backyard_Buddies/Backyard_Buddies_home.htm


Gardening, composting and worm farms

• (www.deh.gove.au/biodiversity/month/html)for

information on National Tree Day

• http://www.sustainableillawarra.com.au/pdf/

Worm-Farm-Fact-Sheet_Your-Questions-

Answered.pdf for information on worm farms and

compost bins. These are excellent alternatives to

throwing food scraps in the bin.

• http://www.bokashi.com.au (bench top compost

bin) http://www.scenicrim.qld.gov.au/residents/

documents/Compostingfactsheet.pdf for

information about minimizing your food waste

• Share the responsibility for watering gardens,

flower or pot plants and around in the service with

children and staff.

• Have watering cans available near your water

tank or collect rainwater.



• Growing your own veggies / herbs and using them

for cooking?

• Visit www.sustainableillawarra.com.au/

Sustainable- Food.html for helpful hints for getting

started.

• If you don’t have space at your service, get

involved in a community garden. To find a

community garden in your area go to

http:www.communitygarden.org.au.


Useful Websites

Eco – OOSH in Action Eco OOSH in Action: a whole of centre approach to sustainable living is a project designed for (OOSH) Out of School Hours centres. It aims to encourage children to experience, enjoy and interact with the natural world, be curious about its workings, and move towards becoming sensitive citizens of the Earth. http://www.netoosh.org.au/ecooosh.htm G Magazine – The Best Of Green This online magazine explores a wide variety of environmental issues, from why do whales beach themselves, to how to have a kids eco party. It also included activity idea and ideas to encourage children to appreciate the environment. http://www.gmagazine.com.au/ Sustain Illawarra This comprehensive website has some great practical fact sheets, from starting a worm farm to using natural products to clean with. http://www.sustainableillawarra.com.au/ Michael, Michael, Go Recycle http://funschool.kaboose.com/globe-rider/earth-day/games/game_michael_recycle.html An on-line recycling game for children – loads of fun! Clean up Australia Day http://www.cleanup.org.au/

Has a children’s section with a plastic bag survey for school age children

The NSW Early Childhood Environmental Education Network (ECEEN) Strives to promote and support education for sustainability. It does this by connecting early childhood services with information, resources and organisations within their community. http://www.eceen.org.au/


Websites cont…

Safer Solutions http://www.safersolutions.org.au/index.php Waste and Recycling Stuff for Kids http://www.portenf.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1040 A child-friendly site Waste sorting activities, quiz show, the journey of your waste City of Port Adelaide Enfield Environmental Sustainability http://www.rch.org.au/emplibrary/ecconnections/CCH_P_June2008_English1.pdf A one-page fact sheet for parents – great for the newsletter Planet Patrol http://www.planetpatrol.info/main.html A site for kids – includes information, games, even a link to find out how big your carbon footprint is Talking with Children About the Environment http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/children_environment/#s1 This article is broken down into age groups with sections covering teaching children of different ages and stages, and steps for teaching children about the environment Reverse Garbage http://www.reversegarbage.org.au/ A great art resource, you can purchase supplies in bulk. Department of Climate Change http://www.climatechange.gov.au/ Information on climate change with Australia and policies relating to this.


Reflections “One of the most significant responsibilities that professionals have is to support children to retain the sense of awe and wonder that

they are born with, to add to that a desire to nurture and protect what is beautiful, and to encourage them to appreciate that there are

many possibilities for honouring life and wonders that the world holds.

(Stonehouse, 2006)

Ask these questions at your next staff meeting to initiate

discussions about developing an sustainable approach at your

service.

• What does sustainability mean? What does it mean for our

service? Consider in terms of our philosophy, policies and

program.

• How can we include all children, families , staff and the

local community to support our whole service approach to

sustainability?

• How could we include sustainability into every aspect of our

curriculum? ( E.gdaily practice, linking with families and the

local community.)

• Where can we start? Develop a plan of action and hold a

forum with families

• Why do we as a service want to become more “green”?


www.ics.org.au

References

Everyday Learning About Being Green - Early Childhood Australia's Research in Practice Series.

Author: Rachael Kinsella Published: 2008 Purchase through Early Childhood Australia Price: $14.95 (approx) Greening Services: Practical Sustainability Author(s): Rachael Kinsella Published: 2007 Purchase through Early Childhood Australia Price: $14.95 (approx) The Outdoor Playspace Naturally: For Children Birth To Five Years Author(s): Sue Elliott (Ed.) Published: 2008 Putting Children First – magazine of the National Childcare Accreditation CouncilIssue 29 March 2009 (Pages 12-15) is a great article that examines all aspects of implementing a “greener” service. Climbing the little green steps—How to promote sustainability within early childhood services in your local area. Author: Mia Hughes, Environmental education Services, 2007 Available for download at www.wyong.nsw.gov.au

May 2009

Illawarra and NSW South East Inclusion Support are an initiative of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program, funded by the Australian Government.

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