A Game about our Neighbourhood: A Case Study of Participatory Game Design with Pre-school Children

Abstract

Game design can have a positive impact on children's game literacy skills, on domain specific knowledge, and on cognitive skills such as problem solving. This paper reports a participatory game design activity involving early childhood education students. Seven preschoolers, aged 4-5, were asked to design a digital game in the framework of a year-long school programme of activities on architecture. An exploratory approach using a qualitative research methodology was adopted and data from participatory observation and video recordings were analysed. Our findings indicate the potential of preschool children for the design of digital games, as well as their perceptions on digital games. Implications on the design of participatory game design activities in preschool education are further discussed. Further research in the field of participatory game design in preschool education can provide valuable insights regarding children's needs and requirements in relation to digital games, as well as their perceptions and approaches to game design.