Scaffolding preschool children's upcycling experiences through free vs. guided play activities

Abstract

Waste management is becoming more important than ever before and teaching children about recycling and upcycling from early ages can be fun and rewarding. This study aims at engaging preschool children in upcycling activities through a playful toy kit, namely TOYI. To this end, we investigate free and guided play conditions for using the toy kit by looking at children's creations. We report preliminary qualitative results derived from parents' diaries and reflections on their children's use of the toy kit while engaging in two conditions. The overarching goal is to develop a digital platform to scaffold children's upcycling activities and the results of this study provide preliminary insights about how to support children's engagement in these activities through free and guided play sessions.