Exploring the Digital Play Experiences of Five-Year-Old Children

This study aimed to explore the characteristics of child-initiated digital play and the changes in young children's digital competence through an investigation of digital play in a kindergarten classroom for five-year-olds. To achieve this, participatory observations were conducted 27 times over 12 weeks, from September 4 to November 24, 2023, with 24 children in Class H of J Kindergarten in City I, two to three times a week. Regular interviews were also conducted with the classroom teacher. The results of the study are as follows. First, through digital play, the children in Class H freely expressed themselves without limitations, enjoyed highly immersive and imaginative forms of play, and engaged in experiences that transcended the boundaries between digital and analog worlds, creating new types of play using digital tools. Second, the children's digital competence showed noticeable growth and development. In the digital play environment, the children skillfully operated and utilized digital media, independently recorded and created content, and learned and practiced digital etiquette. This study provides foundational insights for developing practical strategies to harmoniously integrate digital play into play-based curricula and to expand the possibilities of play in early childhood education.