Aprender e preservar: educação ambiental na primeira infância em Toledo - PR

Abstract

Early Childhood Education represents a fundamental stage for children’s integral development and for the initial construction of values related to environmental care. This study analyzed pedagogical practices aimed at integral development—understood in its cognitive, motor, social, and emotional dimensions—and at environmental awareness among children aged 1 to 2 years old enrolled in Infant Level 1 at a Municipal Early Childhood Education Center in the municipality of Toledo, Paraná, Brazil. The relevance of this research lies in the need to integrate playful and sustainable practices into early childhood education from the earliest years, strengthening environmental education within the school context. The objective was to understand how playful and sustainable educational practices contribute to children’s integral development and to the early formation of attitudes related to environmental care within the educational environment. The research adopted a mixed-methods approach and involved 46 children from morning, afternoon, and full-time classes during the years 2024 and 2025. Pedagogical activities included the exploration of reusable materials, such as bottles, containers, and caps, as well as seedling planting, fostering gross and fine motor coordination, logical reasoning, creativity, social interaction, and autonomy. Data collection was carried out through direct observations, photographic records, and questionnaires administered to teachers and caregivers. Triangulated data analysis revealed advances in social engagement, autonomy, and initial understanding of concepts related to environmental care within the context of the pedagogical practices developed. The results indicate that practices grounded in play and material reuse enhance integral development in early childhood and contribute to the construction of sustainable values and attitudes. It is concluded that the intentional integration of sustainable pedagogical practices into the early childhood curriculum promotes meaningful learning, strengthens environmental awareness in the school setting, and supports children’s cognitive, motor, social, and emotional development from the earliest years of life.