Early childhood immersion in nature: Chinese kindergarten educators’ perspectives on nature play

Abstract

Engagement with nature is crucial for child development and kindergarten educators’ pedagogical beliefs about nature play significantly affect children’s access to and experiences of nature in kindergarten. This study examines the role of nature play in children’s holistic development, engaging 12 Chinese kindergarten educators through in-depth interviews. The results demonstrated a consensus among participating educators regarding the significance of nature play in child development. Our analysis further revealed a prominent discrepancy: while most educators see nature play primarily for personal development and aesthetic appreciation of nature, very few recognise it as a strategic tool for environmental education in young children, which includes ecological literacy and sustainability. Their limited exposure to environmental education during their teacher education results in a skewed understanding of nature-based play pedagogy. These underpinnings may unintentionally narrow their holistic perspective on the wider scope of environmental education. The findings suggest the need to foster educators’ richer understanding of environmental education in nature play through teacher training.