Young children's play and environmental education in early childhood education

Abstract

In an era in which environmental education has been described as one of the most pressing educational concerns of our time, further insights are needed to understand how best to approach the learning and teaching of environmental education in early childhood education. In this book we address this concern by identifying two principles for using play-based learning early childhood environmental education. The principles we identify are the result of research conducted with teachers and children using different types of play-based learning whilst engaged in environmental education. Such play-types connect with the historical use of play-based learning in early childhood education as a basis for pedagogy. A Challenge for Early Childhood Environmental Education?; Amy Cutter-Mackenzie & Susan Edwards -- Play-based Learning in Early Childhood Education; Deborah Moore & Susan Edwards -- Environmental Education and Pedagogical Play in Early Childhood Education; Susan Edwards & Amy Cutter-Mackenzie -- Jeanette: Pond Life; Amy Cutter-Mackenzie & Wendy Boyd -- Josh: Small is Beautiful; Wendy Boyd & Amy Cutter-Mackenzie -- Robyn: Worms Underground; Deborah Moore & Susan Edwards -- A Challenge Reconsidered: Play-based Learning in Early Childhood Environmental Education; Susan Edwards & Amy Cutter-Mackenzie.