Blocks as symbolic tools for children’s playful collaboration

Abstract

This paper reports on two intervention studies conducted in two Danish kindergartens where a Digital Manipulative (DM) was investigated in relation to children’s interactions, experiences and playful processes. The DM, in the form of physical blocks was developed following a user-centred design approach. Research indicated how children’s interaction with the physical blocks generated a democratic collaboration between their peers, which triggered engagement and sustained children’s attention for a long time. Children’s play with the blocks unfolded two levels of articulation; one level where they used the blocks to create visual narratives and a second level where they used the blocks as construction material. This double function was analysed as fostering playful learning processes indicating that the design conveyed potentials to function as a pedagogical resource.