Un/binding gender in preschool: Gender expansion work in early years education

Despite the persistence of popular political and social discourse heavily against efforts to introduce children to gender diversity and nonbinary gender frameworks, many early years educators recognise the need to create gender expansive spaces. However, they are often stifled into inaction due to a lack of practical information about gender expansive practices and fear of getting it wrong. Drawing on a yearlong ethnographic project in an early years setting, this chapter offers practical strategies and insights for how to undertake gender expansion work. The project included a ten-week series of structured group times and provocations designed collaboratively by the educator and researcher, to offer children a nonbinary gender framework. These incorporated ideas such as gender, stereotypes, non-binary gender, transgender, and allyship. The activities provided children with a range of ways to engage through a variety of mediums such as books, toys, a persona doll, images, video, clothes, music, loose parts, and theatre activities. While the educator implemented the group times and provocations, the researcher was a participant observer. In support of early years educators wanting to undertake gender expansion work, this chapter speaks to both the appropriateness and the feasibility of introducing young children to gender diversity and nonbinary gender.