A robust emergence of outdoor nature-based play areas in several European, Australian, Asian countries, as well as North America Canadian provinces, has occurred recently. This study explored the rationale for and construction of different play zones and affordances for children at a United States Central Kentucky local arboretum and research…

In this study, we use face and content validity to determine whether a modified game-based testing instrument is appropriate and relevant for quantifying preschool children's emotional, cognitive, and attitudinal affinity with nature. Six environmental psychology experts completed a questionnaire and subsequent interviews with three of them…

During the 1960s a flurry of provocative publications sparked broader awareness and concern for the environment. In 1971, Dr. Seuss published "The Lorax" to communicate environmental concerns to young children. The book engages complex themes with rhythmic language and colorful artwork. For decades, the book has served as an early…

In our interconnected world, what does it mean to teach global environmental issues to young children? Using theoretical foundations from the social justice learning community and child-directed, inquiry-based learning best practices, this practitioner reflection details a seven-week, student-centered, interdisciplinary learning experience…

Preschools and other early childhood education and care settings are influential in the promotion of physical activity (PA) for young children. This study utilized the Yamax Digiwalker pedometer within a quasi-experimental design to quantitatively explore the influence of nature preschools on the PA of 154 preschool-aged children. Results suggest…

An independent evaluation of an environmental science program that combined digital media with hands-on activities (called "Plum Landing") was conducted in 2020. The study included 32 families with six- to eight-year-old children. The evaluation assessed the extent to which the program was successful at promoting connectedness to nature,…

In this qualitative study, the author investigated nature as a context for language development. Participants included 15 toddlers and their caretakers who enrolled in a series of environmental education workshops on the topics of grass, butterflies, spiders, and leaves. Using field notes and photographs, the study sought to investigate elements…

Finnish legislation and policy on early childhood education and care (ECEC) express sustainability as a basic value. The national core curricula state that, during their years in ECEC, all children have the right to develop necessary values, knowledge and skills for living a sustainable life. Furthermore, early years education should be permeated…

The purpose of this article is to report on a study exploring the sustainability work (i.e., practices and pedagogies related to sustainability education) of Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) teaching practice settings. Recently, the early years and ECEC have gained increasing attention in sustainability education matters.…

Employing the theoretical framework of ecological psychology, this article uses observations of children in a Danish forest preschool to identify features of the forest that the children engaged with frequently, with a particular focus on affordances of "small animals." The article describes children's fascination and interactions with…

In Sweden, the national parliament has adopted objectives to implement the United Nations (UN) "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" (UNESCO, 2017). Sweden's objectives are more ambitious and far-reaching in several policy areas than the targets listed in the 2030 Agenda and outlined in the report "Agenda 2030 and Sweden:…

In 2015, Canada adopted the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development and committed to its 17 sustainable development goals aiming to address issues of social, economic and environmental nature (United Nations, n.d.). Although Canada proposed an Indicator Framework with measurable targets to track progress on certain goals, these are still in the…

The Brundtland (1987) report challenged the perception that the environment was somehow separate from humans and the more recent Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UNESCO, 2015) have emphasised the pressing need for sustainable development to meet the needs of current and future generations. As progress towards meeting the SDGs by 2030 was not…

Skills 4 Kids (S4K) Cafes is a program of intergenerational community skill-sharing events that offers a form of professional learning for early childhood educators to connect with SDG 4 Quality Education. The S4K model is an alternative 'side by side' approach to supporting educators to develop their pedagogical practice in the community, while…

The focus on early childhood education for sustainability within children's literature is part of a mindful shift towards a more critical praxis with young children, families, communities and students in higher education. This paper reports on qualitative pedagogic research undertaken as part of a first-year module in an undergraduate Early…