The Children Experience Economy
Author: Professor Malissa Maria Mahmud, Dean, School of Education, Sunway University
A playground is a learning app and a family activity all involve choices about how children participate, learn and feel included. The Children Experience Economy (CEE) asks how the organisations shaping these experiences can bring child-development expertise into design decisions, assign responsibility and examine the results.
How can child-development expertise shape better design decisions?
CEE is a proposed, research-informed framework developed through Sunway University’s School of Education. It connects early childhood pedagogy, inclusion, safeguarding, children’s rights and family participation with the design and governance of child-facing experiences. It offers a structured approach for testing how these contributions can improve practice across existing sectors.
Read the Whitepaper Discuss a Collaboration Explore Early Childhood Education Programmes
How the Framework Works
Products, Spaces and Services are three overlapping delivery arenas. Programmes and events can combine all three, while digital platforms, data, AI and media operate within and across them. The proposed framework connects these arenas with child-development expertise, inclusion, safeguarding, family participation and accountable decision-making. Its value will be tested through evidence of how decisions and experiences change.
Spaces
Built, natural and civic environments children include early learning settings, playgrounds, public spaces, retail environments and attractions.
Products
Physical and digital resources children encounter, including learning materials, play equipment, media, software, and AI-enabled tools.
Services
Interactions and activities delivered by people and organisations, including education, enrichment, recreation, healthcare experiences and family-facing services.
Read the White Paper
The Children Experience Economy:
A Framework for Developmentally Informed and Responsible Child Experiences sets out the proposed framework, the findings and limits of an exploratory industry consultation, and a staged approach to further development and testing. It examines how early childhood expertise can inform design and practice across child-facing settings.
Author: Professor Malissa Maria Mahmud
Publication version and date: 19 October 2026
Validated and Endorsed by
Contributors to the Exploratory Consultation
We thank the contributors to the exploratory consultation. Participation informed the development of the paper and does not imply endorsement of the revised framework.
Have a child-facing experience you would like to examine with us?
Related Programmes
Study Early Childhood Education at Sunway
Understanding development, play, inclusion and family engagement provides a foundation for work with young children. Explore the School of Education’s Diploma in Early Childhood Education, available through conventional and online study, and Bachelor in Early Childhood Education with Special Needs (Honours).
CEE proposes further opportunities to apply this knowledge through supervised design projects and collaboration, subject to curriculum approval and resources.
Concrete Next Step for Industry
Bring a Practical Question
The white paper proposes a bounded pilot to test the framework. Prospective partners can discuss a defined product, space or service, the age group it serves and a practical issue they want to understand. Any project would require an agreed scope, resources, responsibilities and appropriate approvals.
