PLAYFULNESS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: PEDAGOGICAL POSSIBILITIES FOR MORE MEANINGFUL LEARNING

Abstract

This study addresses the relationship between playfulness and artificial intelligence in early childhood education, considering the pedagogical possibilities of this articulation for promoting more meaningful learning. The theme is relevant given the need to think about educational practices that engage with contemporary technological transformations without disregarding the specificities of childhood, especially the importance of play in the child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and creative development. The general objective of the research was to analyze how playfulness and artificial intelligence can contribute to the development of pedagogical practices in early childhood education, fostering more interactive, meaningful, and child-centered learning experiences. The justification for the study is based on the importance of reflecting on the critical, ethical, and planned insertion of artificial intelligence in the school context, associating it with playful practices that recognize the child as an active subject in the educational process. Methodologically, this is a literature review study with a qualitative approach, developed through the analysis of academic productions found in databases such as Google Scholar, SciELO, and the CAPES Periodicals Portal. It is concluded that playfulness remains an essential element of early childhood education and that artificial intelligence, when used with pedagogical intentionality, can expand educational possibilities, provided that it does not replace teacher mediation, human bonds, and the concrete experiences that characterize childhood.