From Chickens to Fresh Eggs: Sustainability Learning at Erina Kindergarten
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
At Erina Kindergarten, sustainability is not simply something children talk about — it is something they can experience through everyday learning.
Our kindergarten is home to chickens, gardens, worm farms, and other animals, creating opportunities for children to develop a deeper understanding of nature, food, responsibility, and caring for the environment.
We are also proud to share that Erina Kindergarten has been nominated for the Environmental Program Excellence Award, recognising our ongoing commitment to embedding sustainability practices into our early learning environment.
Learning Through Caring for Chickens
One of the special parts of our sustainability program is our chickens.
Children have opportunities to observe and help care for the chickens, learning about their needs and daily routines. They can see how animals are cared for and begin to understand the connection between animals, food, and the environment.
And sometimes, there's a very exciting discovery — fresh eggs!
For children, finding an egg in the chicken coop can turn into a wonderful learning experience. It provides an opportunity to talk about where food comes from and how animals contribute to the natural food cycle.
Understanding the Natural Cycle
Our educators use these everyday experiences to help children understand that different parts of the environment are connected.
Children can experience the cycle through:
Caring for chickens and other animals
Discovering fresh eggs
Growing and harvesting produce
Feeding and caring for our worm farms
Learning about food waste
Reusing suitable food scraps for our animals
Exploring our gardens and natural environment
Rather than learning about these concepts only through books or discussions, children can see and participate in the process themselves.
Connecting Animals, Gardens and Food
Our sustainability program goes beyond caring for chickens.
Children can also explore our gardens, where they have opportunities to plant, care for, and harvest fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
They can then begin to make connections between what grows in the garden, what we eat, how animals are cared for, and how resources can be used responsibly.
These experiences encourage children to ask questions such as:
Where does our food come from?
What do animals need to live and grow?
How can we care for plants and animals?
What happens to food that we don't use?
These simple questions can lead to meaningful conversations and investigations.
Learning About Reducing Waste
Our chickens and other animals also provide opportunities to talk about food waste.
Where appropriate, suitable leftover food from mealtimes can be used to feed our animals rather than simply being thrown away.
This helps children begin to understand that something we no longer need can sometimes have another purpose.
Through these everyday experiences, children can develop an early awareness of reducing waste and making thoughtful choices about how we use our resources.
Sustainability as Part of Everyday Learning
At Erina Kindergarten, sustainability is embedded across our learning environment.
Our gardens, worm farms, chickens, bunnies, birds, and other animals give children regular opportunities to interact with nature and develop a sense of responsibility.
These experiences can support children's curiosity, observation skills, confidence, and understanding of the world around them.
Most importantly, children can see that their actions matter — whether they are helping care for an animal, watering a plant, harvesting vegetables, or learning how to use resources responsibly.
Celebrating Our Environmental Program
Being nominated for the Environmental Program Excellence Award is a wonderful recognition of the work being done by our educators, children, families, and community.
We are proud to continue developing our sustainability program and creating opportunities for children to experience environmental learning in authentic and meaningful ways.
From chickens and fresh eggs to gardens and worm farms, sustainability at Erina Kindergarten is part of everyday life.
We believe that when children have the opportunity to care for nature, they can begin to understand their place within it.
Created by KinderReach
Comments