Beach Kinders: The Blue Spaces that Support Early Childhood Learners to Build Mathematical Habits of Mind

Abstract In the UK and Europe, the forest kindergarten approach to early childhood education and care (ECEC) has been an important learning context for over 50 years. Nature-based ECEC approaches are in a growth phase. This paper focusses on ‘blue spaces’, a learning context that incorporates beaches and coastal hinterlands that provides rich opportunities for early childhood mathematics education. One example of a nature-based ECEC approach is the Australian beach kinder, where educators have been observed to include blue spaces as part of their programmes. Beach kinder sessions occur among woodlands, on the sand, and in the water. Preschool children aged between 4 and 5 years are given opportunities to learn about the natural world through play at beach kinder. This paper highlights the value of blue spaces as a context for educators to foster children’s mathematics education, in particular developing mathematical habits of mind. By analysing mathematics ECEC research, curriculum frameworks, and evidence of mathematics teaching and learning, it shows young children’s mathematical thinking is enhanced by dwelling in blue spaces. The research findings here also demonstrate the value to mathematics education in ECEC as educators can provide children with challenges to explore and investigate materials then draw conclusions about the mathematics taking place in the natural world. The implications of this research are that ECEC educators should not discount blue spaces from their programme as they offer rich experiences for children to learn mathematics.