Making children's perspectives matter: a qualitative approach to children's point of view when playing

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Brigite
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Pinheiro, Ana, Craveiro, Clara, Medeiros, Paula
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.25767/se.v32i1.31666
• topic: children; toys; play; education

This is a qualitative, exploratory research aimed at understanding child's narratives on play. Based on a review of the literature on play and the contexts surrounding childhood, it was methodologically designed to use in interviews with 4- and 5-year-old children in four childhood education settings, in Porto, Portugal, listening to their opinions on their own experiences and opportunities to engage in play. It was also decided to keep observation records of their behaviour in play situations and to analyse children's productions (drawings) that would reflect their expression about playing. The results showed that there seems to be a clear notion on the part of the child of what play and the use of toys are. For the child, the act of playing does not necessarily imply the use of toys; it seems to be more related to the action itself and the activity. This perspective may clash with the conceptions that adults have about playing. This study provides 10 recommendations for intervention in Early Childhood Education.