Tales, Toys, and Traditions: Enacting a Culture of Sustainable Lifestyles

Traditional values in many cultures prioritize a deep respect for the environment and a recognition of the interdependence between humans and the natural world. They can help to broaden children's thinking about their choices, inform their decision-making, and help ensure children develop a closer connection with nature and pursue sustainable lifestyles through their day-to-day communication and social practices. The notion of enacting sustainable lifestyles through stories, artisanal toys, and traditions is particularly important in communities that mig/ht lack adequate awareness and understanding of the importance of sustainable consumption and production among consumers, businesses, or governments, or do not have access to the latest technologies and capital-intensive innovations needed to support sustainable consumption and production systems. This article charts a pathway for action that raises environmental awareness by re-telling the sustainability narratives about existing, easily available products. Educating children on sustainability through fairy tales and other stories, artisanal children's toys, and traditions can not only increase awareness on these issues, but also encourage the adoption of new social norms and values that prioritize nature over financial profits.