Creating Connections Between Spirituality and Play for Early Childhood Education

• In Event: 25.086 - Sheraton Roundtable Session One - Grand Centre
  In Roundtable Session: 25.086-10 - Spirituality and Education SIG: Roundtables

Abstract

In expanding the view of children’s development to include the spiritual, in order to honor the whole child by providing holistic education and care, this paper looks at the benefits of play for all areas of development, sharing 33 surveyed U.S. early childhood educators’ perceptions on nurturing spirituality through open-ended and free play. Data collected to determine in-service teachers' perceptions on nurturing children's spirituality were analyzed looking at mentions of play as means to support spirituality. It is posed that developmentally appropriate approaches to early childhood education would be enhanced by including spirituality in their understanding of the child, as well as intentionally nurturing spirituality in educational settings, by providing play environments and opportunities for children to experience spiritual moments.

Author

• Jennifer Mata-McMahon, University of Maryland, Baltimore County