O brincar estruturado e não estruturado: reflexões e narrativas sobre duas experiências brincantes na Educação Infantil

Abstract

This research presents the findings of a final undergraduate thesis (TCC) developed in the Pedagogy Program at the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL). The study explores reflections and narratives of two playful experiences in the context of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in public institutions in Maceió, Alagoas. The main objective is to reflect on personal narratives derived from two formative experiences involving structured and unstructured playful activities in ECE, with a focus on understanding the dynamics of playful experiences and child interactions in these different spaces. The research was motivated by the interest that emerged after completing two courses: Extension Curricular Activity 4 (ACE) and Supervised Internship in Early Childhood Education. The central research question addressed is: How do playful experiences and child interactions occur in structured and unstructured spaces? This qualitative study uses a participatory research approach, employing narratives and auto-narratives as research methods. Key theoretical references include Ariés (1986), Del Priore (2013), Brougère (1998), Gil (2002), Vygotsky (2008, 1998), and Vectore & Kishimoto (2001), alongside normative documents and official ECE publications such as the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child, the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the 1996 National Curriculum Guidelines (LDBEN). The thesis is divided into three chapters: the first discusses conceptions of children, childhood, and ECE; the second explores play and interaction as addressed in legal documents, emphasizing their role as foundational elements of the ECE curriculum; and the third presents reflections and narratives on the two playful experiences in both structured and unstructured spaces. The analyses indicate that offering children diverse spaces, resources, materials, and routines both structured and unstructured enhances and develops their ability to play and interact with peers and adults, promoting their holistic development as a fundamental right.