PLAY AND ARTISTIC LANGUAGES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: PEDAGOGICAL POSSIBILITIES FOR LEARNING AND CHILDREN’S EXPRESSION

Abstract

This article discusses the articulation between play and artistic languages in Early Childhood Education, highlighting pedagogical possibilities to foster learning and children’s expression in everyday school life. The objective was to systematize normative and pedagogical foundations that support play and art as formative axes of childhood, emphasizing teacher mediation, the organization of time and learning environments, and valuing creative processes. Methodologically, this is a narrative literature review with a qualitative approach, based on curricular documents and studies on play, art in childhood, and expressive development. The findings indicate that integrating play and artistic languages enhances imagination, creativity, and communication, supports emotional expression, strengthens bonds and cooperation, and expands cultural repertoires. It also shows that effectiveness depends on pedagogical intentionality, diverse materials, time for experimentation, and documentation of processes, avoiding reducing play to unplanned recreation and art to standardized activities. The study concludes that integrating play and artistic languages with a process-focused approach contributes to meaningful learning and to a more humane, expressive, and creative Early Childhood Education, in coherence with current educational guidelines.