Play installations for children: The aesthetic dimension in pedagogical proposals of future educators

Abstract

The article analyzes the aesthetic dimension of play installations designed by university students of Early Childhood and Social Education in a Spanish interuniversity project. These installations respond to the complexity of children's spontaneous play by highlighting its pedagogical value and the importance of the aesthetic dimension. The approach chosen is arts-based educational research. Through iconographic analysis, 20 play installations created during the Covid-19 lockdown are analyzed. Proposals located in interior domestic spaces, but seeking spaciousness, are highlighted. Circular, vertical and cave-like scenarios linked to children’s movement, encounter and protection stand out. Color is often used with a definite aesthetic intent. Texture, and especially light, are the least used elements, although they highlight the high sensory value and the playful potential of the proposals that do use them. The importance of educating these future teachers and educators on the influence and aesthetic possibilities of the visual arts in their didactic designs for children's play is emphasized.