The K1 preschoolers decorating their masu boxes with colour pencils and craft materials
Written by Anthea Yeo
With our fast-changing climate, it’s sometimes necessary to think outside the box and be innovative with our sustainability solutions.
However, going green doesn’t always require over-the-top measures, and these preschoolers from PCF Sparkletots Preschool @ Sembawang Central Blk 504A are here to remind us that the inside of the box is equally important too!
In support of Go Green SG 2025, close to 70 preschoolers were taught by their teachers how to make their own paper masu boxes. Masu boxes are Japanese measuring containers and the children got to make their own origami versions by folding recycled and unwanted paper such as old newspapers and magazines as well as leftover coloured paper.
A teacher explaining what kind of recycled materials can be used to make the masu boxes.
The K1 preschoolers’ completed masu boxes.
Soon enough, the preschoolers were eagerly showing off their completed masu boxes to each other, brimming with ideas on how they could use it in their daily lives.
The K2 class sharing about their masu boxes with their classmates and how they can use them.
Joy, from class K2 Resilient, wanted to use her box to collect eraser dust while fellow classmate Zion said his box could be used to collect food waste during meals. Other ideas Raihan had was to use the boxes to store his toys neatly. Lucas, however, creatively suggested making a bigger masu box to create a nice home for his pet rabbit!
Cultivating Sustainability Mindsets from Young
The preschool also incorporates sustainability into their daily activities. The school conducts ‘STEMIE’ lessons for the preschoolers, where they take walks around their neighbourhood to spot problems to solve. On one occasion, they had noticed that the neighbourhood was full of litter, so they crafted a 3D model of a “cleaning robot” using toilet rolls, plastic bottles and cardboard boxes.
The "cleaning robots" on display.
Teachers use masu boxes to store ‘pizza ingredients’ in our Pizza Shop Dramatic Corner
The preschool centre’s efforts to integrate sustainability in their lessons have paid off. The teachers shared that the preschoolers have become more environmentally conscious. “The preschoolers remind each other to turn off the tap every day. Sometimes, if the teachers forget to switch off the lights, the children are also the ones reminding us,” Ms Deena Ashiqah Binte Mohamed Kammaruzaman, a K2 teacher, quipped.
Ms Bibiana Leong, an N2 teacher, believes that fun eco activities can help to spread environmental awareness among the preschoolers. “By nurturing a strong foundation from the start, we inspire the preschoolers to see themselves as caretakers of the Earth. Hence, as educators, we are here to help them realise that their small actions can make a big difference.”
