How Play Constructs Children’s Sense of Place-Belonging in the Everyday Life of Pre-primary-School Education

In this chapter, the author reflects on how play strengthens children’s sense of place-belonging in a Finnish pre-primary school environment. It is argued that the concept of belonging includes place belonging and that people, cultures, spaces, and material objects can be seen as affecting children’s sense of belonging. The author considers the role of play in creating a sense of place-belonging through attending to children`s everyday play situations. The chapter describes a study in which children discuss their everyday play scenarios in pre-primary school through photographs taken by them. Children found it important to create play places that are different from adults’ plans and expectations, where they could intimately share their feelings and experiences. It is suggested that educators reflect on their educational practices from children’s perspectives and (re)consider how they may be imposing constraints on children’s opportunities for creating a sense of place-belonging.