O LÚDICO NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL

Abstract

This study aims to examine the role of play in early childhood education, highlighting the importance of play for a child's learning and the positive influence it exerts on the educational process. Play fosters enjoyment and teaches students to respect their peers; games stimulate engagement and make a significant contribution to student learning, allowing children to learn and have fun simultaneously. The use of games as a pedagogical activity in the classroom significantly enhances the learning process; through play, educators can create new environments and transform learning into enjoyable experiences for children. The study also addresses the teacher's attitude toward play, noting that an educator's involvement in children's games is defined by "their training and their conception of education, the child, and play itself." Play awakens in the child a desire to share experiences with others, establishing an affective bond between student and educator. Through play, students explore their abilities more fully, thereby facilitating learning. The study is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Vygotsky (1989), Cortelazzo (2006), Fantin (2000), Kishimoto (1984), Minayo (1996), and Wallon (1979).