Stop Whitewashing Nature Play
- Emily Clark
- Jan 27, 2024
- 2 min read
Nature play isn't new and offering it to children can provide more than just new opportunities, it can provide a deep cultural connection to places, spaces, and communities.
nature play has been a primary form of early childhood education within many indigenous cultures for thousands of years.
Researchers at the University of Zambia, Matafwali and Mofu (2023) discussed that, "Even though play-based learning is widely acknowledged, ECE teachers frequently concentrate on indoor play activities that skew toward modern games, without maximizing on positive effects of unstructured, outdoor indigenous games on child development." The authors wanted to explore deepening the connection to traditional indigenous games in local early childhood settings.
Matafwali and Mofu (2023) gathered ECE teachers together with community members, young children, and their parents and grandparents to collect and document their knowledge about indigenous games. They found that adding indigenous games increased cultural responsiveness in ECE settings and strengthened community partnerships. They also noted how grandparents were an important and under utilized resource for ECE programs.
All too often the conversations we have about nature play don't reflect the rich global diversity of cultures and communities but instead tend to reinforce a narrow, white imperialist narrative of what play can be.
Sometimes this shows up as discouraging children's play that feels unfamiliar to our own cultural experience. Sometimes this shows up as rejecting nature play in environments that don't look like those in the Global North. And sometimes this shows up as buying mud online because the local mud might be too
- muddy or importing acorns and autumn leaves instead of utilizing ample resources in the local environment.
Consider reflecting on these questions:
What traditional play experiences might the indigenous communities of this place have to share? How can I connect to them?
What play experiences are important in the cultures of the children in my care? How can I find out?
How can I ensure that the nature play I offer is reflective of the children's cultures and not just my own?
Understanding that nature play is a connection to indigenous funds of knowledge is an invitation to allow ourselves to be led towards meaningful and culturally responsive pedagogies. I would love for you to share your reflections and resources in the comments.
References:
Matafwali, B., & Mofu, M. (2023). Exploring the feasibility of outdoor indigenous games and songs to enhance play-based pedagogy in early childhood education. Journal of Childhood, Education & Society, 4(3), 391-405.
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