The document describes activities from a pre-school education project in Portugal focused on environmental education. The activities included participating in an Eco-Schools project, creating a vegetable garden, and holding a recycling activity for Carnival costumes. The goals were to teach children how to protect nature, develop environmentally friendly habits, and reuse materials. Through hands-on experiences in the garden and recycling project, the children learned about organic food, reducing waste, and using eco-friendly materials. The activities successfully raised the children's awareness of environmental issues.

1. LITTLE EUROPEANS KNOW EACH OTHER
EU LLP COMENIUS MULTILATERAL SHOOL PARTNERSHIP PROJECT
ACTIVITY PLAN FOR PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION SUBJECTS
COUNTRY / CITY
Portugal – Torres Novas
SCHOOL
Assentis and Chancelaria School Centre
LEVEL / AGE GROUP 3-5 years old
• Eco-Schools Project
THE NAME OF THE ACTIVITY
• Our Vegetable Garden
TITLE OF THE LESSON
• The 3 R’s: recycling, reusing and reducing
Activities where every pre-school child participates and learns how to be
TOPIC / MAIN IDEA environmentally friendly.
Nature/Environment
SUBJECT
In these different activities we used several materials such as:
MATERIALS tissue bags, newspapers, magazines, coffee bags and other products that are eco-
friendly.
-To provide children some experiences so as to get to know how to protect nature.
OBJECTIVES -To develop the spirit of being environmentally friendly.
-To encourage the use of recycled materials.
-To stimulate the involvement of the parents.
METHODS AND TECHNIQUES • Eco-schools Project:
The programme ECO-SCHOOLS is an international programme for all teaching
levels, in which we took part. Eco-Schools is a democratic and participatory
programme that provides an excellent opportunity for pupils to experience active
citizenship in their school. Students and staff can work together on such issues as
reducing litter and waste and run the school in an environmentally conscious way.
The themes to work on: water, energy, biodiversity, biological agriculture, forest
and other general themes.
After one year of implementing the Programme and reaching a high level of
performance in complying with these seven elements, among other mandatory

2. criteria, our School was then awarded the Green Flag and a certification.
• Our vegetable garden:
- Out in the backyard of our school we had a wild field that parents
ploughed at the weekend so that seeds can be planted.
- Then children, teachers, educators and assistants sowed and planted
that field with potatoes, tomatoes, beans, broad beans, cabbages,
peas, lettuce and strawberries.
- Later a scarecrow was made of rags, wood and straw.
- Teachers and children took care of the vegetable garden by watering it
and so.
- At last, the products were good to be harvested and eaten.
With this vegetable garden children learned what organic food is and the
advantages of not using chemicals that are harmful to the environment.
• The 3R’s: recycling, reusing and reducing:
- It’s Carnival and parents were called and encouraged once again to
participate in school activities. So, they helped to make the fancy
dresses to commemorate Carnival. They used eco-friendly materials
and reused coffee bags to make the fancy dresses. A parade was made
and singing and dancing children showed them to the population.
With this activity children learned that we can make beautiful things from products
of everyday life. They learned to make new things out of old ones and how to
reduce costs as well.
These activities involved all the Pre-school educators, children and parents.
ACTIVITY The main objective of these activities was to alert the minds of the youngest to
become friends of nature and be ready to act in the future.
ASSESSMENT These activities were considered very significant and essential since the children
now are able to choose between harmful materials to the environment and eco-
friendly products. They are also able to reuse materials, reduce water and are
conscious about the importance of planting trees or other products. They showed
a great interest in all the activities.