The aim of this research is to explore if and how role and imaginary play in ECEC settings can contribute to fostering education for social sustainability. The research draws on documentation from ECEC educators engaged in Lindqvist’s (1995) play pedagogy during an Erasmus exchange between Icelandic and Swedish preschools. Rooted in Vygotsky’s theories of play, aesthetics, and cultural development, this research builds on Lindqvist’s (1995) early childhood play pedagogy with emphasizes on the role of socio-dramatic play between adults and children in the creation of collaborative idiocultures of play (Fine, 2012; Lecusay and Nilsson, 2024). The study draws on an interpretivist, qualitative methodology (Creswell, 2013). Narrative analyses together with concepts from drama pedagogy (Hallgren, 2018; 2022) are applied to characterize educators' reflections and perspectives on the relationship between children's play and social sustainability (Lindqvist, 1998; Nilsson and Lecusay, 2024). Informed consent was obtained from the participating educators. Preliminary findings indicate that educators perceive character and fantasy play in ECEC settings as contributing to social sustainability. Their reflections highlight how imaginative environments and active educator facilitation shape their understanding of the relationship between play and social learning, as well as their role in fostering relational trust—key components in developing sustainable educational practices. These findings suggest that national ECEC policies should emphasize the value of adult–child fantasy play as part of sustainability education. Practice can be supported through professional development and leadership initiatives that help educators integrate collaborative storytelling and drama into everyday pedagogy to foster inclusion and social learning.