Playful activities to enhance meaningful learning in early childhood development.

Abstract

Playfulness offers a versatility of possibilities to stimulate learning from the classroom, and as a tool, it facilitates the child's transition from home to school. However, its valuable utility is often neglected as the child progresses through the school years, with priority given to the use of basic resources such as the blackboard. Play grounds its pedagogical value in the fact that it is considered an agent that fosters experiences, amidst dynamics and interactions that allow the child to be curious, inquire, draw their own conclusions, solve problems, enhance their creativity and imagination, all while developing other social skills. Playful activities allow for the consolidation of knowledge that gives way to meaningful learning. In light of this, the factors that influence its use in the classroom were analyzed, with a population and sample of students in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades of Basic Education, whose ages range between 6 and 8 years old, who were observed using an observation sheet. Additionally, three guiding teachers were interviewed. The results demonstrate the pedagogical effectiveness of playful activities in favor of meaningful learning. Therefore, it is necessary to revalidate its continuous application in the teaching context to support the cognitive development of the child.