Through a series of ethnographic examples and engagement with existing ideas of relationality in the visual arts, feminist ethics, science studies, philosophy, anthropology and environmental humanities, highlights how materials can be conceptualized as active participants in early childhood education. Updated to include choreographies with fabrics and the process of reparation with plastics, this second edition shows how educators, young children, and researchers have explored what materials are capable of in their encounters with other materials and with children. The book is key reading for undergraduate students, graduate students, and pre-service teachers in in early childhood education and art education programs. Visit the companion website at www.encounterswithmaterials.com.