Childhood Education

Childhood Education

Establishing links between children and nature via various teaching approaches, spending quality time outdoor with family
Nurture via Nature: Hong Kong Nature Connectedness and Outdoor Environmental Education – Engage Nature for 5 Pledge

Nurture via Nature: Hong Kong Nature Connectedness and Outdoor Environmental Education –
Engage Nature for 5 Pledge

With the support from The Swire Group Charitable Trust, we are so honoured to kick start a new project “Nurture via Nature: Hong Kong Nature Connectedness and Outdoor Environmental Education”! The project will include the FIRST Hong Kong territory-wide baseline survey for “children nature connectedness” and “outdoor environmental education in primary school”, along with a series of work on publicity and advocacy.

Children are also facing the same problem. The book Last Child in the Woods published in 2008, introduced the concept of "Nature-deficit Disorder," which describes how people are becoming disconnected from the natural world. This disorder can cause children to become indifferent to the environment, leading to attention problems, depression and other mental disorders, as well as increasing the risk of certain physical problems, such as myopia and obesity.

To this end, we have launched the Pledge “Engage Nature for 5”, and we invite all of you to sign it. We encourage everyone to seek out the majesty of nature using the methods we suggest, and to bask in the benefits of nature.

Forest Walk and Learn - Pok Fu Lam Reservoir

Forest Walk and Learn -
Pok Fu Lam Reservoir

Not only relaxing your mind, but you can also learn a lot and have fun in an outing! Invited by HKFYG Jockey Club Media 21, we took kids and their parents to explore the forest together. Participants started the journey from the Peak and walked all the way to Pok Fu Lam Reservoir. Enjoying various of fun games arranged by us on the way and feeling the nature with different senses, they learnt to observe the wildlife found and appreciate the nature.

Light Be -
Light Housing Family Night Safari

Invited by Light Be - Light Housing, a local social housing enterprise, parents and kids got the chance to explore the secret side of nature at night time. Apart from interactive indoor learning activities to let participants understand more about the biodiversity in Hong Kong, they were also led by professional tutors to visit Lau Shui Heung and Nam Sang Wai to observe different wildlife they found.

“ECF-Kids' Greenway-Outdoor Environmental Educational Programme for Preschool Students”  – Preschool Education Teacher Training

“ECF-Kids' Greenway-Outdoor Environmental Educational Programme for Preschool Students” – Preschool Education Teacher Training

The earlier it is started in one’s life, the higher effectiveness of environmental education it will be. Therefore, preschool education is one crucial area in environmental education. According to “Kindergarten Education Curriculum Guide”, “Nature and Living” is one of the six learning areas suggested by the Education Bureau, which aims at leading children to appreciate and cherish the beauty of nature. Hence, we strive to provide professional trainings to preschool teachers on this area. Through the training, teachers will experience and learn about Hong Kong biodiversity and ecology, which facilitate their work on environmental education in school and related lessons.

Community Centre Board Game Outdoor Activity Day

In the project of [ECF Joyful learning in forest ecology - Board game.Outdoor.Environmental Education], “Law of the Forest”, a board game designed for environmental education, was used as a bridge to guide kids from community centers to learn about Hong Kong forest ecology and biodiversity. Kids was guided to experience the nature out in the field trip right after playing the board game. Various interesting outdoor games and activities were used to strengthen the knowledge they learnt. Tailor-made for kids!

“Community-based Survey on Terrestrial Invertebrates -
Search in Lantau”

In order to encourage general public to rediscover the biodiversity around their community, a community-based survey, which was carried out through team competition, was arranged under the project of [ECF Discovering South Lantau Invertebrates]. Kids were guided by their parents and tried to find out the insects and invertebrates hidden in the Lantau community. Special tasks were given out throughout the survey to make it more exciting, challenging and enjoyable for both parents and kids.