Digital Literacy and Play in Early Childhood Education
Summary
Digital literacy and play intersect as foundational elements of early childhood education, shaping how young learners develop cognitive, social and creative capacities in an increasingly digital world. Digital literacy encompasses children’s ability to navigate, interpret and create content using a variety of digital tools, from touch-screen devices to interactive applications. When integrated with play, digital technologies become more than passive stimuli; they function as extensions of traditional play spaces, offering dynamic scaffolds for exploration, communication and problem-solving. A play-based approach rooted in free and guided play ensures that digital experiences align with children’s developmental needs, promoting agency, collaboration and experimentation. Educators play a central role in mediating these experiences, selecting age-appropriate technologies, designing meaningful activities and providing scaffolding to balance screen time with physical, social and outdoor play. Globally, curricula are evolving to embed digital competence alongside literacy, numeracy and scientific inquiry, acknowledging that early engagement with digital play can foster foundational skills for later academic and vocational pursuits.
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Digital Literacy and Play in Early Childhood Education publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in digital literacy and play in early childhood education across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Digital literacy: The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information using digital technologies with critical understanding.
Digital play: Interactive and exploratory engagement with digital media and applications, combining elements of game and creative play.
Play-based pedagogy: An instructional approach where play serves as the primary medium for learning, supporting holistic development.
Professional digital competence: Educators’ integrated set of attitudes, skills and knowledge necessary to effectively employ digital tools in teaching.
References
- Designing integrated physical–digital systems for children–nature interaction. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction (2023).
- International Perspectives on the Dynamics of Pre-Service Early Childhood Teachers’ Digital Competences. Education Sciences (2023).
- Digital play: a new classification. Early Years Journal of International Research and Development (2016).
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