Ludicidade na Educação Infantil

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the role of playfulness as an essential element in the learning and development process of children in Early Childhood Education, especially in the age group from 0 to 3 years. It is based on the understanding that play is not limited to leisure or recreation but constitutes a fundamental dimension of human development, responsible for promoting interactions, learning, and the construction of subjectivity. The study is based on classical authors such as Lev Vygotsky (1988), Jean Piaget (1971), and Donald Winnicott (1975), whose theories highlight play as a structuring axis of child development. In addition, it dialogues with the contributions of Kishimoto (1994), Luckesi (2000), and Huizinga (2000), who reinforce playfulness as a cultural, social, and pedagogical expression. The article also discusses the legal frameworks of Early Childhood Education in Brazil, based on the National Education Guidelines and Framework Law (LDB, Law No. 9.394/1996), the National Curriculum Guidelines for Early Childhood Education (2010), and the Common National Curriculum Base (2017), which recognize play as a right of the child and an essential educational practice. The research emphasizes that playfulness is more than a teaching method: it is a pedagogical principle that sustains meaningful learning and integral development in early childhood.