Play Activities Research Articles

Подготовка дошкольников к изучению математики

Teaching mathematics to primary schoolchildren in the Russian Federation is based on the principles of continuity of educational stages. The article demonstrates the importance of preparing preschoolers to study mathematics, taking into account the current Federal State Educational Standard of Preschool Education, as well as the Federal State Educational Standard of Primary General Education and the Federal Working Program of Primary Education in this subject. Preschool education is focused on mastering elementary mathematical concepts and forming prerequisites for educational activities. Creating an educational environment in a preschool institution that stimulates play and cognitive activity will help children successfully master mathematical skills. The examples considered in the article show how teaching mathematics at preschool age affects the development of universal educational activities in elementary school.

Parents' Involvement in Play Activities for Early Childhood Mathematics

Parents' Involvement in Play Activities for Early Childhood Mathematics

The social language environment – domain: ECEC teachers’ self-reported ratings of strategies in teaching literacy

ABSTRACT ECEC settings are children's first contact with early education, and ECEC teachers are expected to encourage and support children's early literacy development. This study aims to pilot test the self-assessment tool Social Language Environment – Domain, (SLE-D), in order to gain more knowledge about teachers’ strategies when teaching literacy. Fifteen ECEC teachers used the tool as a support to focus on didactic strategies that provide conditions for children's early literacy development over 22 months. The data consists of (N = 299) self-reported and rated teaching activities across four time-points. Cronbach's alpha showed satisfactory internal consistency for the entire self-assessment tool, while each domain showed somewhat lower levels of consistency. Principal component analysis suggested a 5-factor solution, indicating subdimensions of the three dimensions. However, item mean values showed notable changes in ECEC teachers’ ratings, which can be interpreted as teachers developing their strategies in literacy-related play activities by using the tool.

Analisis Dampak Dari Penggunaan Gawai Pada Anak Usia Dini Di Sekitar Rumah

ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) refers to the broad category of technological tools used to process and communicate information. Gawais are one part of ICT that plays a crucial role in early childhood development. Advancements in media and technology present challenges to children's growth. This study uses qualitative methods with data collection technique to process it as research material. This data is sourced from several relevant journals, then selected, processed, presented, discussed, and finally complied into a single conclusion. There are various negative impacts that can affect children's health, development, safety, behavior, concentration, and brain function. Early childhood education aims to stimulate all aspects of a child's development by providing enjoyable play activities that support the integration of their abilities optimally. Language development in early childhood plays a central role in their lives. However, the use of Gawais can influence children's language skills, sosial interaction, health, information acquisition, and knowledge. These skills typically develop through a series of stages including habituation, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Parents play a crucial role in monitoring, controlling, and observing children's activities to ensure their optimal growth.

Perbandingan Bermain Bebas dan Bermain Komando Pada Pembelajaran Luar Ruangan di Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini Yogyakarta

This study aims to compare the quality and impact of free play and structured play learning processes in supporting early childhood development within the outdoor learning environments of PAUD Yogyakarta. A comparative descriptive methodology was employed, involving 177 students from five State Kindergartens in Yogyakarta. Data were collected through observations using a sheet that included indicators of active engagement, safety, social interaction, exploration, creativity, problem-solving, discipline, and emotional management. The results reveal that free play is more effective in supporting active engagement, exploration, and creativity in children, while structured play better supports safety and discipline. Independent t-tests were conducted on the data from the free play and structured play learning processes to determine whether significant differences existed between the two play activities. The findings indicate a substantial difference between the methods, with a p-value of 0.039455, below the significance threshold of 0.05, showing that free play has a more positive impact on child development. According to the data, free play excels in terms of active engagement (96.63%), social interaction (83.15%), exploration (94.38%), creativity (77.53%), problem-solving (79.78%), and emotional management (71.91%). Conversely, structured play supports safety (98.86%) and discipline (94.32%). This research has implications for the future learning process in early childhood education in Yogyakarta, as it helps teachers and school principals realize the importance of outdoor learning activities in free play to support the holistic development of children.

O LÚDICO NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL COMO INSTRUMENTO FACILITADOR DA APRENDIZAGEM

This article aims to highlight some benefits that can be observed with the use of playful activities in the early grades, with early childhood education being an ideal setting for this. As the first stage of basic education, early childhood education seeks the complete development of the child up to the age of 5, in their physical, psychological, intellectual, and social aspects, complementing the role of the family and society. (Art. 29, LDB) The main advantages of using playful activities in lessons as a pedagogical resource include promoting transformations in practice, making it more meaningful and engaging. Children become more motivated to learn, as games and play contribute to the development of various human skills. In this sense, using playful methods in the classroom can be a powerful mediation tool in the teaching and learning process in the early grades, where preschoolers can learn and have fun at the same time, making learning a pleasurable and enjoyable experience.

Promoting theory of mind and emotion understanding in preschool settings: an exploratory training study.

This new exploratory study is part of a larger ongoing follow-up project. Its specific aim was to verify whether an innovative European Program, primarily designed to enhance children's social and emotional learning, led to gains in theory of mind and emotion understanding when implemented in preschool settings. Thirty-four children (mean age: 56.4 months; SD: 10.1; range: 40-70 months) participated in the study. They were randomly and equally divided into a training group and a control group. The training sample completed eight linguistic-conversational activities drawn from the Program, in groups of 5 to 6 children, over 8 weeks. The activities were based on listening to stories and/or watching videos and then thinking and talking about the inner world (thoughts and emotions) of the story characters as well as the participants' own inner states. During the training phase, the children in the control group engaged in drawing or free play activities. At both the pre-test and post-test phases of the study, all the children completed a language test, a battery of theory of mind (ToM) tasks (including 'change of location' and 'unexpected content' tasks), and the Test of Emotion Comprehension which evaluates nine components of emotion understanding (EU). The validated national versions of the tests were administered in all cases. Significant differences were identified between the training and control groups. Indeed, the participants in the Program training activities, which were based on conversational exchanges between an adult and a group of children, as well as among the children themselves, outperformed the control participants on both overall theory of mind and overall emotion understanding. A more detailed analysis showed that the training group outperformed the control group in relation to both specific components of EU and the 'change of location' ToM task. The results of this exploratory study suggest that the Program is effective at enhancing preschoolers' social understanding and thus merits implementation in preschool settings.

Improving the character of Indigenous children in natural schools by implementing play activities

By conducting this research, the aim is to observe and apply play activities to indigenous children in Jambi Indonesia to improve character. This research applies the quarsi experimental method with a sample of 16 indigenous Jambi Indonesian children with certain conditions. The instrument used to determine a child's character is using a questionnaire, which is the collection of data in the form of numbers or figures. Data were analyzed using quantitative t test statistics. The results of the research and data analysis show that the character of indigenous children who were given playing activities showed good results compared to before they were given playing activities with a mean of 185.75 and after being given playing activities it became 192.81 with an increase of 7.062. From these results it can be said that playing activities have a positive impact on the character of indigenous Jambi Indonesian children, with this improvement this will of course become a basis for future research. Keywords: Character, indigenous, play activities

Exploring Interactive Roles in the Communication Through Drama Online Classroom in Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

This qualitative study aims to identify and categorize interactive roles within a Malaysian tertiary drama classroom. It examines the impact of virtual interaction on students' language learning experiences when using drama to improve communication. Employing focus group discussions as the primary data collection method, this research involves 20 undergraduates enrolled in the Communication Through Drama (EPC522) course offered under the LG240 program, i.e., the Bachelor of Applied Language Studies-English for Professional Communication (Hons) in Akademi Pengajian Bahasa, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. The study is based on the Social Constructivist theory by Vygotsky (1962, 1978) and the Visible Thinking (VT) approach identified by Ritchhart (2006) as part of Project Zero (PZ) at Harvard University. Online platforms and tools utilized for interactive drama activities are specified in the study. The findings reveal the challenges faced in completing drama activities online and demonstrate that the implementation of VT routines enhances students' interactive roles and communication skills. Despite the challenges, students embraced this new educational experience that fosters a more interactive and student-centered environment. The implications of these findings for language education and drama pedagogy in Malaysia are discussed.

Motivation and Play Activities for Children's Basic Movements

Delays in basic movements during early childhood represent a challenge that must be addressed by sports professionals. This research aims to describe how play and motivation relate to children's basic movements, implementing an experimental model approach. The sample participants were children who were still in primary school, with an average age of 11.09 ± 0.73 years. Data were collected using a training motivation questionnaire and the Scott motor ability test, which consisted of basketball throw, 4-second run, wall pass, and long jump. Data were analyzed using a two-way factorial ANOVA test. The research results show that the kasiti ball training model is more effective than fortification training. Furthermore, there is an interaction between the form of training and motivation: the basic movements performed in the kasiti ball training are superior to the strengthening ones for children with high training motivation, while the baseball training is better than the of strength for those with low motivation. This finding is important as it informs children's basic movement skills through specific exercises. Keywords: Children, basic movements, motivation, forms of play.

The Physical Progress of a Professional Scottish Soccer Academy Over a Ten-Year Period.

Increases in high-intensity locomotor activity of match play have been recorded in elite soccer. This places an onus on academy practitioners to develop players for the future demands of the game. At an academy level, locomotor data are not available for analysis over a longitudinal period, and thus changes can only be assessed with physical attribute assessment. The aim of the present study is to establish if changes in physical capacity were observed in a professional Scottish soccer academy over a ten-year period. A retrospective analysis was completed where linear mixed effect (LME) models were individually fitted to explain variation across each measure of physical capacity. Model selection was undertaken with likelihood ratio tests where the initial complex models were compared to simpler nested models to arrive at the final model by maximum likelihood. The main findings were that most recent players' sprint test data revealed a significant improvement in 5m, 10m and 20m sprint performance, greater increases in CMJ performance in older age groups, and greater increases in YYIR1 performance at U13 and U14. Most physical results showed increased performance with greater relative height and weight. Players recruited more recently to academies are fitter than they were previously. Reference values within clubs that establish first team requirements will contribute to appropriate planning and implementation of training.

Epidemiological Study on Developmental Coordination Disorder in School Going Children

Introduction: Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) has garnered significant attention in recent years, with rapid advancements in our understanding of this condition. Despite this progress, DCD often goes undiagnosed, making it challenging for children, parents, and educators to access essential resources. The motor difficulties associated with DCD can lead to social exclusion, as peers may be reluctant to invite these children to participate in play activities. Consequently, children with DCD may withdraw from leisure pursuits, perceiving themselves as lacking the necessary skills to engage fully. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to identify DCD in non-referred school-aged children. Early identification enables these individuals to access crucial resources, such as physiotherapy interventions, which can maximize their functional, academic, and psychosocial performance, and overall quality of life. Materials and Methods: The study involved 200 non-referred school-going children aged 4-12 years from Bangalore, selected through random sampling. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC), consisting of 32 organized tasks across four sets covering manual dexterity, ball skills, and dynamic balance, was administered. Additionally, the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD), comprising 12 tasks that assess a child’s ability to accomplish various motor skills, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a 113-item inventory describing children’s psychosocial behavior, were utilized to evaluate overall development. Results: Multivariate analysis identified a significant prevalence of DCD among the study participants. The findings underscore the imperative nature of early identification using comprehensive assessment tools for the well-being and psychosocial adaptation of school-aged children. Conclusions: These findings indicate that children with movement problems are at risk for difficulties in attention, learning, and psychosocial adjustment. Regardless of the kind or intensity, a child’s assessment for movement issues should cover a broad variety of functions in addition to motor skills. This comprehensive approach will enable access to essential resources, such as physiotherapeutic interventions, crucial for their overall development.

역사문화콘텐츠의 놀이적 특성 연구

The purpose of this study is to examine the playful characteristics of historical-cultural contents through the case of Jeonju Hanok Village. This study aims to present the playful traits and implications in the planning of historical-cultural contents for cultural cities. This paper identifies the core playful characteristics of historical-cultural contents as fun, fictionality, and non-dailiness. For the case study of Jeonju Hanok Village, qualitative research methods such as field visits, participant observation, and online review analysis were employed. The research revealed that spatial contents directly utilizing key historicalcultural resources, such as Gyeonggijeon Shrine and Jeondong Cathedral, plays a crucial role in providing non-dailiness, while contents indirectly utilizing historical-cultural resources, such as clothing, food, housing, and events enhances or provides fun and fictionality. These playful characteristics of the contents tend to manifest complexly during visitor experiences. The implications of the study are as follows. First, to plan and create historical-cultural contents as a playful entity, it is necessary to examine historical-cultural resources from the perspectives of cultural heritage elements and narrative elements. Second, historicalcultural content with playful characteristics can be planned and created through two approaches: direct utilization of historical-cultural resource elements and indirect utilization. Third, to plan and create progressive and expansive historical-cultural contents, it is essential to create an environment where various playful activities centered around historical-cultural contents can occur, allowing visitors to produce and share new contents themselves.

MÉTODOS DE MOTIVAÇÃO PARA AUMENTAR A PARTICIPAÇÃO DOS ESTUDANTES EM AULAS DE EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA

Motivation methods in physical education are essential for engaging students and increasing their active participation in classes. These strategies aim not only to improve students’ physical performance, but also to promote a positive attitude towards physical activity, which can last a lifetime. One of the most effective techniques is personalization of teaching, which considers individual student preferences and adapts activities to suit different levels of ability and interest. Another important method is the use of games and playful activities, which transform exercise into a fun and less intimidating experience. This can be particularly effective for students who may feel anxious or reluctant to participate in traditional physical activities. Additionally, setting clear, achievable goals can motivate students, providing them with a sense of accomplishment as they progress. Continuous positive feedback also plays a crucial role in motivating students. Recognizing effort, not just success, encourages all students to continue participating and improving. Likewise, social inclusion through group activities can improve cooperation and interaction between students, increasing motivation and participation. In this way, the integration of technology, such as fitness applications and interactive games, can attract students’ interest in the novelty and connection with digital technology, elements already integrated into the daily lives of many young people. By implementing these strategies, educators can create a more inclusive and stimulating learning environment that not only improves students’ physical health but also builds their confidence and interest in maintaining an active lifestyle.

Enhancing Fine Motor Skills and Fostering Creativity in Children through Plasticine-Based Activities

Some children have difficulty developing their creativity and motor skills. Children with fine motor problems may find it difficult to express their creativity. To overcome these problems, the play method using plasticine is one of the alternative solutions. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of plasticine play activities on improving fine motor skills and creativity in kindergarten-aged children. This study used a quantitative approach with the type of quasi experiment with a one group pretest posttest research design. This study only involved the experimental group. Data collection in this study used questionnaires in the form of fine motor skills instruments and creative thinking skills in children. This study involved children aged 5-6 years in group B as many as 60 students who were then selected using purposive sampling technique. In this study, the data were analyzed using paired samples t-test. The results showed that there was a significant increase in fine motor skills and creative thinking ability in children after being given treatment using the Plasticine-Based Activities method. This is evidenced by the significance value of 0.001 0.05. However, in this study, it is recommended that kindergarten educators and parents integrate plasticine play activities in the curriculum and daily activities of children. Additional support in the form of training for educators is also needed to maximize the benefits of using plasticine in developing children's skills.

Improvement of physical fitness through electronic modules based on play activities

Improvement of physical fitness through electronic modules based on play activities

Affectivity in mathematics teaching: using playfulness to combat resistance to new practices in the context of basic education

This article investigates the effectiveness of playful approaches and affectivity in teaching mathematics in basic education. The goal is to analyze how these methodologies can overcome resistance to new pedagogical practices and improve engagement and understanding of mathematical concepts. A literature review and practical experience report demonstrate that playful activities, such as games and challenges, increase student interest, facilitate the understanding of abstract concepts, and develop socio-emotional skills. Affectivity, by creating an emotionally safe environment, reduces math anxiety and promotes a positive attitude. It is concluded that combining playful elements with an affective approach transforms the teaching-learning experience, making mathematics more accessible. Therefore, it is essential to invest in continuous training, school infrastructure, and educational policies that encourage pedagogical innovation.

Exploring Preschool Teachers' Planning for the Implementation of Free Play Activities

Exploring Preschool Teachers' Planning for the Implementation of Free Play Activities

With sensitive eyes: ECEC teachers’ visual gaze and related reflections on pedagogical actions in toddler groups using eye-tracking glasses

This study explored early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers’ visual gaze and related reflections on pedagogical actions during pedagogical activities in groups of children under three years of age in Finland. The data were collected from play and teacher-guided activities using mobile eye-tracking glasses, the retrospective thinking aloud (RTA) method, and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that even though the teachers were surprised about some aspects of the visual gaze metrics, they reflected on and gave reasons for their visual gazes on children. When observing gaze data from play, teachers explained the high amount of gaze by citing children’s particular needs. When observing gaze data from guided activities, teachers reflected on children’s unpredictable behavior and noted that the children’s need for support in concentration was linked to more gazes by the teacher. The findings showed that both during play and guided activities, children seeking a gaze and the position of children in the classroom influenced the number of teachers’ gazes. In the teachers’ explanations of their visual gaze and related pedagogical actions, five categories were identified: protection; physical and emotional availability, teaching and learning; facilitation; and initiatives. This explorative study showed that teachers utilize their knowledge concerning children’s individuality, development, and learning when they explain their decisions concerning their visual gaze and pedagogical activities with toddlers. The use of mobile eye-tracking technology is relatively new; therefore, its applications to ECEC are pioneering for the development of the field in relation to the practices and research of toddlers’ groups and groups with older children in ECEC

Desenvolvendo capacidades para a comunicação democrática: uma abordagem integrada de ensino baseada na deliberação

This study describes an innovative educational proposal to develop deliberative skills – motivation and ability to explain points of view based on reflected considerations, reciprocal involvement, and more inclusive and respectful communication. Based on theories of deliberative democracy – and expanding citizen participatory initiatives and experiences in the area of education, we propose an approach with (i) peer learning, (ii) playful and performative activities, and (iii) authentic discussions about controversial political issues. Our experiment illustrates how to develop a conceptual understanding of deliberative principles, promote selfreflection, and practise democratic discussions on contentious issues. This study has theoretical and practical implications for programs that seek to promote democratic communication.