Showcase Magazine Summer 2026 - Flipbook - Page 26
ENVIRONMENT &
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainable
Snack Time
As an early years tutor working closely with
settings across the sector, I’m continually inspired
by the thoughtful, creative ways practitioners
bring sustainability to life for young children.
Sustainability isn’t just a concept to be taught, it’s
something to be lived, modelled, and embedded
into everyday practice. One lovely example from a
setting we work with really captures this in action.
At The Trees Day Care Nursery, snack time is more than just an opportunity for children to refuel it’s also a chance to learn about responsibility, care for the environment, and respect for living
things. Like many early years environments, there are often small amounts of leftover food after
snack, for example, apple cores, banana peels, crusts, and other natural scraps. Rather than
simply discarding these, the team has developed a simple but meaningful routine. The children
help to collect the leftover food and, with adult support, take it to a designated area at the edge
of their outdoor space - a woodland that borders the setting. Here, the food is left for local wildlife,
particularly the badgers that are known to visit the area.
This small act has become a powerful learning experience. The children are deeply engaged, they
talk about where the food goes, who might eat it, and why it’s important not to waste. Practitioners
use this as a springboard for discussions about habitats, local animals, and how humans can live
in harmony with nature. The space also includes pictures and facts about wildlife to support
learning for all ages.
The children are not only developing an awareness of sustainability but also a sense of empathy
and connection to the natural world. As educators, we often talk about preparing children for the
future. Embedding sustainable practices like this helps to nurture a generation that values the
environment and understands their role within it. It’s about planting seeds - both literally and
figuratively - that will grow over time.
This example is a reminder that sustainability in
early years doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as rethinking what we
do with an apple core!
-Abigail Leach, Tutor at Showcase Training
｜
Showcase Training 26
