Aesthoecology can be described as an ‘onto‐epistemology’ which fuses a theory of being with a theory of knowledge and deals with the affective, connected and temporal aspects of education. Where the aesthetic aspect of aesthoecology – appearance and feelings/ sensation – concerns the affective domain, the ecological aspect – spaces, places and relationships – concerns connectedness. In our title, ‘foundations’ refers both to the foundations of aesthoecology and the foundations of art and design education. We highlight the implications of aesthoecology for the art and design education of young children, as elsewhere we consider its implications for higher education. Below, we explain aesthoecology in detail; identify some of aesthoecology’s implications for art and design education; and apply these to an examination of current English early years education policy. There is much room for improvement here, thus, in the spirit of Rancière, we invite aesthoecologically informed dissensus.

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