‘웅덩이’와 소나무 어린이집 영유아들의 얽힌 놀이되기

Abstract

Objectives This study examines the play experiences of young children in puddles through the perspectives of Deleuze's philosophy of rhizome and Barad's notion of agency. By analyzing the value inherent in play and how various aspects of play manifest, it aims to provide insights for alternative approaches to early childhood play. Methods From June to August 2023, a two-month participant observation was conducted on 46 children aged 1 to 5 at Pine Tree Nursery located in G City. Additionally, a post-qualitative research method was employed to capture ‘glow’ moments (MacLure, 2013) by encountering the experiences revealed in children's play through photographs, videos, and traces of play records. The collected data underwent a recursive process of reinterpreting the emerged events, connecting them with the flow of meaning, and analyzing the implications of the entanglement between the children and the puddles. Results The entangled play patterns between puddles and young children revealed several outcomes: encountering the inherent signs within the puddles, entangling with the materiality of the puddles and their environment, generating rhizomatic puddles that connect age and space, and creating ‘and... and... puddles’ by transcending time and space. Conclusions Through play in the spontaneously formed puddles, young children sensually encounter materiality and form new relationships. The dynamic and variable nature of the puddles leads to novel intra-actions with the children, resulting in creative play. Furthermore, the entanglement between the puddles and the children traverses time and space horizontally and vertically, fostering ongoing encounters. This highlights the agency embedded in the entangled relationship between young children and materials, suggesting the importance for early childhood educators to provide support for play.