Play and Sustainability

Scollan, Angela; Lee, Kerrie; Boyd, Diane; Auger, Sturcha; Mason, Gill

Abstract

This chapter discusses the concept of sustainability as a lens to understand how the world of play enables adults to engage and learn about sustainability with and for young children in environments that enable. Scollan and Farini introduce environments that enable as rights-based spaces where children and adults intuitively move between learning and teaching through immersion into play and meaningful dialogue (Scollan and Farini, 2021; Farini and Scollan, 2023). Early Childhood is a critical period for developing positive relationships with nature and a deep empathetical connection with our planet. The fundamental values underpinning positive relationships with nature are encompassed in the 3 Pillars of Sustainability; socio-cultural justice, environmental empathy of people and places, and, economical awareness. Boyd’s (2025) Pillars of Sustainability and the UNESCO (2015) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) below can help us make the connection between play and sustainability in everyday practice.

Citation

Scollan, A., Lee, K., Boyd, D., Auger, S., & Mason, G. (2025). Play and Sustainability. In A. Bradbury (Ed.), Play Matters: Why Play Matters in Early Childhood (70-79). Early Years Reviews

• Online Publication Date: Mar 18, 2025
• Publication Date: Mar 18, 2025
• Deposit Date: Mar 18, 2025
• Pages: 70-79
• Book Title: Play Matters: Why Play Matters in Early Childhood
• Chapter Number: 10
• ISBN: 978-1-326-61860-5
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/5084991
• Publisher URL: https://www.early-years-reviews.com/play-matters