Moving the spirit: holistic education and young children

Spirituality is often seen as private and personal. In early childhood education, spirituality is included in the curriculum frameworks Te Whariki (Aotearoa New Zealand) and the national Early Years Learning Framework: Being, Belonging and Becoming (Australia). Educational initiatives that include spiritual aspects show new levels of involvement in areas that involve interactions in the natural world, and through movement and activity. In this chapter, I look at programs that have been developed to encourage holistic education with young children:: yoga, walking, and the creation of beautiful environments. These are no longer marginalized activities and have entered early childhood education as a response to the demands of curricula and learning frameworks. Innovative pedagogical practice embraces these initiatives that show regard for holistic education. In this chapter, the spiritual dimension in all these activities is brought forward and threads from the past, diverse philosophies, indigenous influences, creative approaches to learning, current practice, and hope for the future are brought together.