Bridging Froebel and AI: Reconceptualizing Play Pedagogy in Chinese Context

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into early childhood education presents both opportunities and challenges to longstanding Froebelian pedagogies, particularly regarding child agency and nature-based play. This mixed-methods study explores this tension within the Chinese context. It examines how Chinese Froebelian practitioners perceive the alignment between AI tools and core principles and investigates the strategies they employ to navigate the integration of technology with humanistic educational values. The survey results, from 50 practitioners, revealed that AI can support autonomous and holistic learning, yet significant concerns persisted regarding the displacement of sensory and nature-based experiences. Follow-up interviews uncovered a practitioner-led “dual-track integration” approach, which strategically blends physical manipulation and nature engagement with AI-enabled personalization. Through an iterative dialogue between theory and data, this study develops and refines the “dual-track integration” framework as an empirically grounded, sensitizing model. This framework offers principled strategies for hybrid learning that uphold the developmental primacy of play. Situated within the discourse on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (quality education) and Goal 10 (reduced inequalities), the analysis highlights AI’s dual potential to advance or hinder equity. By examining China’s hybrid position, which combines advanced digital infrastructure with persistent equity gaps, this research highlights the critical role of educator agency and pedagogical design in leveraging AI to advance equitable, high-quality early childhood education.