Eco-emotions refers to a concept in Early Years and School Age Care that merges emotional regulation with sustainable practices. In this framework, children are guided to enhance their emotional awareness and regulation skills while gaining insights into the significance of sustainability and environmental stewardship.

The core principles of eco-emotions include emotional awareness, emotional regulation, and sustainability. This approach promotes understanding and managing one's feelings in conjunction with fostering a sense of responsibility towards the environment.

The eco-emotions project aims to enhance children's emotional regulation skills through sustainability focused education and care. It fosters a meaningful connection between children and the environment, instilling a sense of responsibility and agency. The project also seeks to create a supportive community of educators dedicated to promoting emotional wellbeing and environmental awareness in Early Years and School Age Care.

The eco-emotions project is funded through National Pyjama Day, Early Childhood Ireland's largest annual fundraising event. Celebrating 20 years in 2023, this cherished occasion united over 65,000 children from 1,300 settings across Ireland, all in their favourite pyjamas, to raise vital funds for initiatives supporting young children. National Pyjama Day not only promotes fun and comfort but also highlights the spirit of children helping children. The funding for 2023 has benefited both AsIAm, the autism charity, and the launch of the Eco-Emotions project.

Integrate Eco-Emotions by using provocations that inspire emotional dialogue and explorations related to nature. For children under two, facilitate simple discussions around naming their experiences and feelings about the environment. Incorporate outdoor mindfulness practices and involve all ages in sustainability projects to encourage exploration and expression about their emotional connections to nature.

The Eco-Emotions project provides a diverse range of resources for educators, featuring up-to-date member research, live webinars with distinguished speakers, articles, podcasts, and highlights from previous webinars, along with self-paced reflective courses available on our learning hub. Additionally, a dedicated webpage for the Eco-Emotions project serves as a comprehensive resource for members, educators, and practitioners. These materials are designed to deepen understanding of children's emotional connections to the environment while offering insights and strategies that enhance eco-awareness and emotional intelligence. This empowers educators to create a sustainable learning environment that nurtures young learners.

Research in Early Years and School Age Care highlights the importance of emotional intelligence and environmental awareness as critical components of child development. Studies show that integrating these aspects can lead to improved emotional regulation and a stronger commitment to sustainable practices.

Early Childhood Ireland conducted research aimed at enhancing the effectiveness, relevance, and impact of the Eco-Emotions project. This research was based on practical experiences and focused on addressing the needs of its members, ensuring that planning and initiatives are more effective

You can access research through academic journals that specialise in early childhood education, sustainability studies, and topics related to self-regulation, co-regulation, and emotional intelligence. Additionally, the research section of the Eco-Emotions project web page features numerous relevant papers that supported our desk-based research