The United Nations designated 5 June as World Environment Day to highlight that the protection and health of the environment is a major issue which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world. 

The 2026 theme emphasises that climate action is not just about reducing carbon emissions—it is about rethinking the systems that power our economies and repairing our relationship with the climate.

Article 12 – Respect for Children's Views

Children have the right to give their opinions freely on issues that affect them. Adults should listen and take children seriously.

 

Article 13 – Sharing thoughts Freely

Children have the right to share freely with others what they learn, think and feel, by talking, drawing, writing or in any other way, unless it harms other people.

 

Article 29 – Aims of Education

Children’s education should help them fully develop their personalities, talents and abilities. It should teach them to understand their own rights, and to respect other people’s rights, cultures and differences. It should help them to live peacefully and protect the environment.

 

At Marlow Infants, a key part of our school vision is learning about being responsible to and for society and being good citizens of the planet. Areas of the curriculum focus on learning about sustainability and learning to be eco-friendly. Our Eco-warriors lead the school in helping to choose activities and direction for our Eco-journey and through this work and the work of the entire school community, we have been proud holders of the Green Flag award for many years. Learning about looking after the environment is incredibly important for fostering an early appreciation for nature, developing responsible habits, and laying the groundwork for future environmental stewardship.

We encourage children to realise that they can make a difference no matter how old they are, and that small steps lead to big changes. 

Here are some activities to do with children to support the awareness of World Environment Day and being good stewards of the planet.

---

Clean Up

Clean up, by Nathan Bryon is one of our Core Read Aloud books that we read in school worship during the summer term when we mark 'Earth Day'. It is about a little girl called Rocket who wants to clean up a beach when she visits her grandparents in Jamaica – she manages to get lots of adults involved and makes a huge difference! 

---

Learning about Planet Earth

Here some ideas for learning about how special our planet is:

• Explore images of Earth from space.

• Discuss what makes our planet special.

• Talk about the places where people and animals live.

• Learn how humans depend on nature.

• Reflect on simple ways we can help care for our environment

You can find some simple facts about the Earth here

---

What can we do to help?

World Environment Day is a good opportunity to talk about how everything on earth is connected and how it is important to try and maintain a balance. Reducing waste and using resources responsibly is one way to try and help keep the balance. There is a good article here on BBC Bitesize.

The children could:

• Learn what recycling means.

• Sort recyclable materials.

• Discuss what happens to rubbish.

• Explore ways to reuse everyday objects.

• Consider alternatives to single-use plastics.

---

Water Conservation

Yesterday we held an Eco Day of action with a focus on water conservation. The children learned about how important water is to us and some ways to conserve water.

 Sustainable Development Goal 6

Ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

 

These goals have been set by the United Nations, who are working towards the achievement of these goals by 2030. 

Our aim for our Eco Day of action was to raise awareness about how to help others to have access to clean water and sanitation, and we were raising money for Water Aid.

The children watched this video in school worship yesterday, where we talked about how people are helping those in other countries to access clean water.

 Find out different ways to save water and make a poster to teach people how to save water and not waste it.