O brincar e a natureza: vivências na creche

Abstract

Playing is a child's right, and nature is a powerful place that provides the teacher an infinite number of elements capable of promoting the development of playful, educational and humanizing experiences. Based on this, this research aims to highlight the importance of playing with – and in – nature in childhood. For this purpose, here we present a bibliographical discussion based on documents such as the National Curricular Guidelines for Early Childhood Education (2010), the Guidance Manual of the Brazilian Society of Paediatrics (2019), and the works of Piorsky (2016), Barros (2018), Horn and Barbosa (2022), and Tiriba (2023). Considering the proposed objective, collaborative action research using a qualitative approach is assumed as a methodological option for this work. Through this research, we identified that the use of natural elements to play with children in daycare centres enables significant results, including the (re)signification of the teacher's perspective on playing in early childhood education; the development of a powerful pedagogical practice; the creation of a pleasant learning atmosphere; and the child's learning and development in its various aspects, such as physical, psychological, intellectual and social. However, we also realize that the mistaken and reductionist view of children and early childhood education by many daycare and preschool professionals deprives young children of the guarantee of their right to a full development. That is why we believe in the importance of initial and continuing teacher training, as access to knowledge is fundamental to develop a free and quality public education offered to children in childhood education institutions.