Early childhood years are the period of the greatest and most significant
developments in ones’ life, and are generally regarded as the basis upon which the rest of their
life is constructed. However, these early years are those that traditionally have received the
least attention from environmental education. This paper was aimed to summarize several dayto-day
activities that can be conducted to educate children in their early years about
environment. Environmental education is an educational process that deals with the human
interrelationships with the environment, and that uses an interdisciplinary problem solving
approach with value clarification. Environmental education is aimed at producing a community
that is knowledgeable about the biophysical environment and its associated problems, aware of
how to solve these problems, and enthusiastic to work toward their solution. It highlights the
progress of knowledge, understanding, attitudes, skills, and commitment for environmental
problems and considerations. Further, environmental education can help children expand their
ecological worldview, promote active care to the environment, and explain the relationship
between modern life style and current environmental problems. Several types of environmental
education have been identified from the literature, such as outdoor activities in natural outdoor
setting, school gardening, play-based learning, and drawing activities. Each of these activities
has its own characteristics and effects on children’s environmental-related attitudes and
behaviors. Through these activities, the unique characteristics of tropical and coastal areas can
potentially be used to facilitate children to learn about nature and environment.
Recommendations for childhood education practitioners and future researchers are discussed