In this resource, you will gain insight into how to develop children's play with coding toys in early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions.
When children are given the time and space to play with robots, they can explore different solutions and create magical play worlds. They will often also include other materials, such as Duplo or building blocks.
In the video, Marianne Undheim, associate professor at UiS, presents key aspects of children's play with robots. Three children (age 5-6 years) are playing with a Rugged Robot and Duplo blocks in the video. The children have played with this robot a lot in the past and know how to code it.
The resource is one of several ressources developed in the research project DiCoTe.
Aim: By using the resource, ECEC educators will gain knowledge of how they can develop children's play with coding toys. Useful for: ECEC educators, e.g., at a staff meeting. Recommended time use: 45 minutes, followed by trying the activitites with children. Tips for using this resource: 1. Watch the video. 2. Discuss the reflection questions, if possible in groups. 3. Try some of the activitites together with the children. 4. Discuss and evaluate the activitity with colleagues afterwards, e.g., at a staff meeting.
Video
In the video we meet Stian Falch and children in Brekkåsen kindergarten playing with the Rugged Robot.
Questions for reflection
- What will you do to further develop children's play with coding toys?
- What will you emphasise to capture children's ideas? What will you emphasise in the interaction with the children to make it possible for them to further develop the play?
Observe a play situation with coding toys in kindergarten. What can you add to enrich and further develop the children's play with the coding toys?
Observe and evaluate how what you added affected the children's play.
Bishop, A. J. (1988). Mathematics education in its cultural context. Educational studies in mathematics, 19(2), 179-191.
Edwards, S., & Bird, J. (2017). Observing and assessing young children’s digital play in the early years: Using the digital play framework. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(2), 158-173.
Solem, I. & Reikerås, E. K. L. (2017). Det matematiske barnet [The mathematical child] (3rd Ed.). Caspar forlag.
Corresponding author
Department of Early Childhood Education
