NATURE AS A MEANS OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL AGE

Introduction. Ecological upbringing of preschool children is a very topical issue today, which aims at defining the tasks, methods and forms of working with children in the process of familiarizing them with the natural environment. During the acquaintance of children with the environment, in the process of familiarizing with the living and inanimate nature of the preschoolers, a careful and careful attitude towards it is formed, gradually the children learn to solve the issues of rational nature management, protect and reproduce the natural wealth of the land. Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze and generalize information about nature as a means of environmental education of preschool children. Methods. During the study of this problem, such research methods as the analysis and synthesis of scientific literature were used, which allowed to generalize the theoretical material and reveal the essence of environmental education and what role belongs to nature in it. Results. It was determined that elementary notions about the surrounding world are formed in preschool children, integral perception of nature develops in a harmonious combination of cognitive, aesthetic and ethical motives of interaction with it; an ecological culture, ecological representations, an emotional and value relation to nature and environmentally appropriate behavior are formed. The theoretical analysis of scientific literature and the place and role of nature in the ecological education of children are defined in the issue, the main tasks in the formation of their ecological culture. The pedagogical conditions of ecological education of children and psychological aspects of their value attitude to nature are revealed, they are: the provision of interdisciplinary approach in formation of knowledge about nature and nature use; the taking into account the age, cognitive capabilities of children in the process of environmental education; the organization of activities that promotes the improvement of the environment; the selection of optimal forms and methods for working with children; the preschool teacher example; the joint work of preschool educational institution and family. It is noted by the author, that early and pre-school childhood is a period of awakening of interest and love of nature and its knowledge through concrete objects and phenomena that awaken in a child the desire to communicate and interact with the environment. The article focuses on the fact that nature is not only a source of knowledge of children of preschool age, as well as joyful experiences that the child memorizes for life. Conclusions. Consequently, the ecological upbringing of preschool children during communication with nature takes the leading place in the education system of the younger generation. However, the issue raised does not exhaust all aspects of the problem; the prospect of further research is the disclosure of the contents, forms and methods of environmental education of preschoolers.