Children's literature and imaginative play can be used to promote connections with nature

This paper considers ways in which children's literature and imaginative play can promote connections with nature. The discussion is presented in two parts, with Part One focusing more on children's literature and Part Two on imaginative play. Both parts address the human need to retain animality – or wildness-- to be connected to nature.

Part One introduces a branch of post-humanism which conceptualizes “being human” as being interconnected with the natural world.  Part one also discusses the importance of humans (children and adults) feeling a “necessary wilderness” in order to retain a connection to nature.  Humanist understandings differ by emphasizing a separation between humans and nature and suggesting that there's a problem in associating “wildness” with children.  Several contemporary children's books offer views consistent with post-humanist (versus humanist) thinking. These post-human narratives not only suggest – but may also promote -- a feeling of ''necessary wilderness.''

Part Two introduces ways in which “becoming animals” through actively engaging with stories (in both children's literature and imaginative play) can promote “necessary wilderness.” Part Two includes examples of children's animal stories created during unscripted play. These examples are drawn from the second author's classroom transcripts and field notes generated while teaching in an early childhood classroom.  A review of this data indicated that a vast majority of the dramatic play scenarios designed and directed by the children focused on animals. Nearly all the scenarios  involved children ''embodying'' animal characters – that is, the children used their own bodies to tell animal stories. They moved like animals, gestured like animals, and made animal sounds. At times, the children's expressions of animality seemed to foster a sense of community and solidarity with peers. Such expressions also seemed to help the children making meaning of ''danger."

Children's responses to the literary narratives and their animal stories created during play may reflect an important way children gain an embodied knowledge of nature. Their sense-based and bodily understanding of animal life reflects a sense of inter-connectedness with (rather than dominance over) the natural world.  This suggests that literary narratives and imaginative play can be used to promote post-humanist philosophy and help children develop an understanding of humanity that is deeply connected to nature.