Q: Dorothée, tell us about Endless Play Studio and the inspiration behind its creation.

At Endless Play Studio, our purpose is to grow a new generation of hopeful, regenerative thinkers, doers and innovators who thrive within the limits of our planet. The way we work towards this purpose is by empowering early childhood educators and leaders with the tools, knowledge and community they need to bring Education for Sustainability to life in their childcare centres. 

My two young boys, Raphael and Leo, have been a huge inspiration behind Endless Play Studio. I couldn’t fathom the thought of them growing up and asking me why I cared so much about transitioning to a sustainable world, knew much about both the challenges in the way and potential solutions and didn’t do anything meaningful about it! So Endless Play Studio is inspired by them and all the other children growing up in this world, because we, working all together, can do so much better for future generations. 

I have also long been inspired by how the natural world works - which is through balance and regeneration - and so I have created Endless Play Studio with balance and regeneration in mind: enabling regeneration of self (for educators, children and myself), communities and the planet. 

Q: Dorothée, tell us about the name “Endless Play Studio”, what does that mean to you?

“Endless Play” has a double meaning - it’s a reference to learning in playful ways, both as children and as we grow up, and also alludes to sustainability - being able to thrive forever because we’ve (re)learned to live within the limits of our planet. Play isn’t just critical in early childhood, it is something we need to nurture as we grow up. Our ability to play - take things lightly, imagine, experiment, have fun - is key to our general wellbeing and ability to adapt to change at all ages. 

“Studio” is a nod to my background in innovation and experience design and a reflection of how we work with our clients. Our approach is a collaborative one, where we co-create with early childhood educators and leaders in a strength-based and place-based way. 

Q: What makes Endless Play Studio especially relevant today?

With sustainability now one of seven principles in the Early Years Learning Framework 2.0, childcare centres throughout Australia have a good reason to prioritise embedding sustainability throughout their curriculum. More broadly speaking, early childhood educators are well aware of what children need and are seeking programs which will help children thrive in this increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. Many educators know deep down that sustainability education is much more than nature play, gardening and recycling, yet don’t know how to go about it. Don’t misunderstand me, all of those are very important, but there is so much more we can and must do! 

Q: How does Endless Play Studio support educators in applying the Early Years Framework 2.0?

Education for Sustainability, if done holistically, ticks many boxes in the EYLF 2.0, way beyond the sustainability principle only. The EYLF 2.0 offers a strong base for everything we need to do to support our children growing up as sustainable thinkers, doers and innovators. 

At Endless Play Studio we show educators how to leverage the EYLF 2.0 to help children dream up a regenerative world, develop the competencies they need to bring that world to life, and help them garner the confidence and agency to take action towards that world. 

What the EYLF 2.0 doesn’t give us is what Education for Sustainability looks like in the classroom in terms of play and learning activities. But educators already know how to come up with fun, engaging and educational activities and experiences, they just need a bit of help extending those to become circular and regenerative. Helping educators with this is why Endless Play Studio exists. But I can assure you that it’s nowhere near as hard as one might think and you can read more about here.

Q: What support does Endless Play Studio offer childcare centre leaders and educators?

At Endless Play Studio we offer professional development programs, advisory and coaching services to deepen educators’ understanding of sustainability and regeneration, and empower them to successfully implement a holistic approach to sustainability throughout the curriculum. We collaborate closely with our clients to co-create approaches and experiences that are both strengths-based and place-based. Not only is this approach more powerful for the children, it is also empowering and cup-filling for educators, and durable for the centre. 

As much as reframing how we think about sustainability and acquiring knowledge is important, it is the implementation of that knowledge that truly makes a difference. So we really focus on supporting educators in translating the theory into practice in the classroom to turn many play experiences into learnings for a sustainable future. 

Q: You talk about every educator having something to bring to Education for Sustainability, can you tell us more?

Yes, every educator has something unique to bring to Education for Sustainability no matter their strengths and interests! Many people aren’t into gardening and that doesn’t mean that they don’t have much to teach children about thriving within the limits of our planet. We help educators identify their Education for Sustainability superpower and when they do implementing Education for Sustainability becomes fun and highly rewarding for educators.

Q: How do you see the future of Endless Play Studio evolving, and what are your goals moving forward?

Good question! The end goal is to not be needed because Education for Sustainability (or Education for Regeneration) has become core to early childhood education in Australia and beyond. But unfortunately that won’t happen overnight. 

We will keep developing offerings that support our mission to empower early childhood educators and leaders with the tools, knowledge and community they need to bring education for sustainability to life so that children can:

• IMAGINE: Imagine a regenerative world.

• DEVELOP: Learn the skills required to bring this world to life.

• DO: Empower children with the confidence and agency to drive the change they want to see.

Watch this space!

Q: Finally, what message would you give to educators or parents who are uncertain about the value of Education for Sustainability?

Sustainability isn’t just about the “green stuff”, it is about our ability to thrive within the limits of our planet in a world which is changing faster than ever and is increasingly at risk of collapse. Education for Sustainability is what our children need to grow up as successful 21st century citizens. 

To learn more about Endless Play Studio’s programs or to book a visit, check out Endless Play Studio's website.