Why Birth to 5?

At Growing Green Curriculum, we start at the very beginning, because the earliest years of life are when lifelong values, habits, and understandings begin to take root.

From birth to age five, children are forming their first ideas about the world:

• Who am I?
• What matters?
• What is my relationship to others, to nature, to my community?

We believe these years are not only the foundation of learning but also a critical window for nurturing empathy, curiosity, and responsibility, which are key traits of future environmental stewards and community changemakers.

Let’s raise the next generation of kind, curious, Earth-loving humans.

Because you only get one chance at the first five years.
These years lay the foundation for everything ... learning, empathy, curiosity, resilience + a lifelong relationship with nature.

​​Why the Early Years Matter

​90% of a child’s brain develops before kindergarten. That’s a whole lot of potential packed into snack time and story hour.

From wobbly first steps to deep belly laughs, the birth-to-five window is when little ones are soaking up the world like a sponge in a puddle.

These early years shape how children think, love, speak, create, and connect ... for life.
​
It’s not just ABCs. It’s wiring the whole brain.

Big Ideas Start Small.
The early years aren’t just cute, they’re critical. (And, yes, also very cute.)

​A Curriculum That Grows with Them

Because toddlers don’t sit still. (And neither should their learning.)

• Creative + open-ended
• Nature-based & sustainable
• Flexible for busy lives
• Aligned with early brain research
• Rooted in love, play, and real-world wonder

Our curriculum meets young children right where they are.
On the floor, in the dirt, under a fort, or halfway through a snack.
Because before kids can read the world, they need to experience it.

​​Rooted in Nature, Grounded in Play

The earliest years of life are a time of wonder, discovery, and rapid growth. At Growing Green Curriculum, we believe that children from birth to five thrive when their learning is deeply connected to the natural world and grounded in joyful, purposeful play.

Nature offers an unmatched classroom, full of sensory experiences, endless curiosities, and opportunities for movement and creativity. When young children explore outdoors, they develop critical skills like problem-solving, communication, and emotional regulation. They learn to observe, question, and connect with themselves, others, and the environment.

Play is the foundation of learning. Through play, children practice essential life skills: cooperation, resilience, imagination, and self-expression. When play happens in nature, these benefits multiply, helping children grow into confident, curious, and compassionate individuals.

By rooting early childhood education in nature and play, we nurture the whole child (body, mind, and spirit) and plant the seeds for a lifelong relationship with the Earth. Children who grow up connected to nature are more likely to become adults who value and protect our planet.

Let’s cultivate childhoods that are as rich, vibrant, and alive as the natural world itself.

Play isn’t a break from learning.
It is learning.
Nature teaches us patience, wonder + problem-solving. So does a pile of sticks + a muddy puddle.

​Early Learners, Big Impact

Even infants and toddlers can engage with sustainability when given the right opportunities. Through sensory-rich play, daily routines, and nature exploration, young children begin to:

• Recognize patterns in nature and seasons
• Build connections with living things
• Learn care and responsibility through real tasks (like composting scraps or watering plants)
• Develop a sense of agency...“I can help. I can make a difference.”

​
By preschool, children are ready to ask deep questions, solve problems, and take part in age-appropriate action. That’s why we design our curriculum to meet every developmental stage—with meaningful investigations that grow with them.
​
They’re not just playing with dirt.
They’re learning how soil feeds the world.
They’re not just pouring water.
They’re learning how to care.

Kindergarten is too Late
​Environmental Education shouldn't wait until 3rd Grade

WE ARE NOT WAITING. WE ARE DOING IT NOW!

​Building the Roots of a Sustainable Future

​Starting with young children isn’t just effective, it’s essential. Research shows that early childhood is the most sensitive time for shaping worldviews, habits, and identities.
​
When we integrate sustainability into early learning, we help children:

• Develop lifelong respect for nature
• Practice empathy toward people and the planet
• Understand systems, how food, water, energy, and waste are all connected
• Become thoughtful citizens who feel empowered to care, speak up, and take action

And because early learning happens in partnership with families and communities, sustainability education ripples outward, inspiring collective change from the ground up.

Most Environmental Curriculum Starts at Grade 3

We Start at 3 months

BECAUSE BY THEN, THEY ARE ALREADY WATCHING, MIMICKING + BECOMING

​Our Commitment

We don’t wait until children are “old enough” to understand sustainability, we meet them where they are, from the very beginning. Our curriculum is intentionally designed for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, using nature-based, sensory-rich, and play-driven approaches that are joyful, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate.

Because every composted snack, every garden-grown tomato, and every shared moment of wonder adds up to a greener, more just, and more hopeful world.

​We believe early childhood is the perfect time to cultivate a love for the Earth, kindness toward others + a lifelong curiosity.