Artful Play and Cultural Transmission: Aesthetic Practices in Sámi ECEC and Their Role in Psychosocial Well-Being

This study examines how artful play is manifested in Sámi early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, and its relevance to children’s identity work and psychosocial well-being. Artful play is conceptualised as imaginative, aesthetically expressive, and culturally embedded. To conduct artful play, children need a theme (as narratives), artefacts, and scenery. Using thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with staff in seven Sámi ECECs in Norway, three key categories were identified: (1) cultural expressions in the physical and sociocultural environment; (2) traditional applied arts in pedagogy; and (3) language and play as identity formation. Staff incorporated Sámi cultural heritage into play settings through authentic artefacts, such as doll-sized gáktis, leather coffee pouches, reindeer antlers, and sedge grass (sennegrass), alongside full-sized lavvus, joik, storytelling, and spiritual elements. These practices nurtured Indigenous identity and well-being, but required access to cultural and economic resources. A possible risk is that adult-directed approaches to artful play might limit children’s agency.