Talking over children’s drawings about their favourite play times: how do children describe their play?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigated how children describe their play activities and associate learning with play. Accordingly, 23 early childhood children from different cities and age groups were included in this phenomenological research study. Incorporating images of children’s drawings of their favourite playtime and semi-structured interviews, three main themes were developed: types of play, play for feeling, and play for learning. The findings revealed that none of the children mentioned that their favourite play activity took place in school; however, almost all of them believed that they could learn while playing. Moreover, children who prefer digital games (watching videos and playing games) are not aware of what they are learning from the activity. These findings support the need to promote learning through play in schools. Additionally, the role of adults and their awareness regarding digital games must be taken into account.