ACTIVE METHODOLOGIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: POSSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

Early Childhood Education constitutes a fundamental stage for the integral development of the child, demanding pedagogical approaches that respect their specificities and enhance their active participation in the educational process. This article analyzes the possibilities and challenges of implementing active methodologies in this educational segment, considering playfulness as a structuring axis of pedagogical practices. The investigation is configured as Bibliographic Research, based on Andrade (2020) and Cervo, Bervian and Silva (2019), and mobilizes authors such as Santos (2025), Lopes et al. (2024) and Cabral and Maciel (2022) to support the theoretical discussion. The study reveals that active methodologies, when articulated with play and experimentation, favor autonomy, creativity and interaction among children, although they face obstacles related to teacher training, material conditions and families' understanding of such proposals. The analysis demonstrates that playfulness, gamification and storytelling constitute viable strategies for Early Childhood Education, provided they are adapted to age characteristics and the institutional context. It is concluded that the implementation of these approaches requires continuous investment in professional qualification and reorganization of school spaces and times.