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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 908 – 913

7th International Conference on Intercultural Education “Education, Health and ICT for a
Transcultural World”, EDUHEM 2016, 15-17 June 2016, Almeria, Spain

The game as an early childhood learning resource for intercultural

education
Francisco Manuel Moreno Lucas*
Universidad Católica de Murcia, Campus de los Jeronimos, Nº 135, Guadalupe, C.P.30107, Murcia, España

Abstract

Early childhood education is a stage with its own identity, where children acquire a series of lessons that will contribute to their
overall development. For these learnings to be significant, it is necessary to have a series of materials and tools that complement
the methodology that par excellence is used in this stage: The game.
The game is the main methodology used throughout the whole children's education, as it is a formation channel intrinsic to the
child. Through games and toys, children will be able to experiment, discover, know the whole world around him in a natural way,
while being a flattering place to promote intercultural matters. The child learns by playing, the game is a feature in his constitution,
therefore, it is necessary to have all the material resources that contribute to their training in the physical, social and emotional
level.
© 2017
© 2016TheTheAuthors.
Authors. Published
Published by by Elsevier
Elsevier Ltd.Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EDUHEM 2016.
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EDUHEM 2016.
Keywords: game, toy; learning; early childhood education; material resources

1. Introduction

The materials are present throughout the school years, but with a greater notability in the cycle of early childhood
education, as it is a resource that stimulates all the senses of the child, it adapts to their evolutionary features and it
consolidates learning in a simple and natural way. Being aware of the importance of the use of material resources and
its connection with learning strategies, will contribute to a better availability and use of them in the growth and

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 968278181; fax: +34 968278713.

E-mail address: fmoreno@ucam.edu

1877-0428 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EDUHEM 2016.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2017.02.127
 Francisco Manuel Moreno Lucas / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 908 – 913 909

development of children. In a society in which multiculturalism is becoming increasingly present, a very good example
of this are the many integration experiences in classrooms through materials, such as the one carried out by Barnabas
and Azorín-Delegido (2016) in which by means of musicograms (some scores with unconventional notation) allow a
respectful approach to the different musical interpretations of the same popular piece from the point of view of different
cultures. It is necessary to start from the earliest stages of education to integrate cultural diversity taking advantage of
the learning idiosyncrasies that are promoted from pre-school education through games, such as Garcia Granados and
Garcia-Cano (1999) urge educational institutions to the intercultural education promotion through the transmission of
attitudes such as tolerance, respect and recognition of cultural diversity.
The game is the methodology by which the child will learn and internalize learning, as discussed by Arnaiz, De
Basterrechea and Salvador (2011), the game for children is "a life experience that enables them to transform, create
other worlds, live other lives, pretend to be others without ceasing to be themselves, think like the others and above
all discover that there are other ways of thinking and feeling "(p. 21). Through games and toys children will build their
own learning, endorsing the knowledge that the teacher gives them, and they will grow thanks to what Soler (1989)
calls active learning, where the child will freely take the materials which interest him the most, touching everything
that is around him, as if he were manipulating cognitive processes. In early childhood education the game becomes a
privileged instrument of educational interaction, being the most effective way of learning for the full development of
children. The game can be the link to entrench multiculturalism in school, as Miquel (2006) points out, the creation of
a common space for communication and participation of families around the diversity of cultural learning, can benefit
the construction of a new multicultural pedagogy.
The child learns as he/she plays, the game is a part of his development, it is something innate that contributes to a
better acquisition of such important learning in the early years of life. Through the game the child can interact with
the whole surrounding environment, it can give meaning to his actions, it complements his mental, physical, social
and emotional development, and of course, it influences the future development and maturity in adulthood. Through
the game intercultural education is easier to assimilate and internalize, creating a base of more diverse and rich
knowledge that facilitates the understanding of such present cultural diversity in the classroom. Today, as Baráibar
(2005) points out, educating is not simply the transmission of knowledge, but it must be taught how to think, to develop
skills, to manage conflicts, to respect and understand multiculturalism, and this is the reason why there is no better
resource than games.

2. Game as the main learning methodology

The game is the main learning driver the child has, thanks to the motivating, reinforcing and transfer character it
has. Games and toys are the main materials in early childhood education that promotes learning. The toy is such an
important material in the process of formation of children that the great pedagogue Friedrich Froebel (quoted in
Cuellar, 2005) was one of the first who created educational materials where the child was developing his intellect. He
created the kindergarten where the child could develop in a global way, for example mounting and dismounting parts
of a toy. Moreno (2013) states in this regard, that the sensory-manipulative game has an important influence on the
development of children, when he says that "they learn the properties that characterize the objects and the laws that
govern them while their creativity is improved and a sense of security, of confidence and control over the environment
is declared "(p. 313). Unconsciously and naturally, the child will learn and acquire those skills necessary for his
development through the interaction made with toys. Laguía and Vidal (2011), argue about that, that for children, the
game is not only a mechanism that gives them some pleasure, but it becomes a vital need to develop and grow. The
game is the first learning tool the child has in order to discover all the reality around him, being the best means of
teaching / learning from birth to the age of seven.
The child will learn through discovery, the experimentation he makes with all the objects he finds in his
environment. Through the game he will be educated and he will also acquire skills in a natural way, and as indicated
by Soler (1984), after three years, everything the child takes will have a direct relationship with the game, and through
its use it may give a better meaning of the world in which he grows.
Every early childhood education is influenced by the game, as noted by the ECI / 3960/2007 regulation of December
19th: "For its motivating, creative and pleasant character, recreational activity plays a key role in Early Childhood
Education" (p 1033). Through exploration and manipulation that games and toys offer to children, the student can start
910 Francisco Manuel Moreno Lucas / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 908 – 913

discovering the environment, acquiring autonomy and communication skills, "the game should be a core activity in
this educational stage, because it constitutes a privileged element capable of integrating various situations, experiences,
knowledge or activities "(p.1033). Regarding the teaching materials used in schools, the LOE, dictates didactic
coordination bodies of public schools, pedagogical autonomy to propose and adopt teaching resources that should be
used. In this sense, the ECI / 3960/2007 of December 19th regulation also gives some autonomy to schools for the
selection and use of materials that are not present in the curriculum, which should promote and respect the values,
principles, rights, freedoms and duties that are enshrined in the LOE which also promotes the development of
intercultural education. Every kind of materials, toys, objects, must be examined and evaluated to comply with the
values and principles stablished by the education legislation, where the importance of the use of materials in order to
approach multiculturalism is also highlighted and in response to it, the ECI / 3960/2007 regulation of December 19th,
concretes:
Centers will promote non-stereotypical use of toys, equipment and teaching resources typical of the school context.
It will be selected, likewise, teaching materials that present models of people and not stereotypical or sexist behavior,
that keep each other balanced, respectful and egalitarian relationships and to promote coexistence between children
from different cultures (p.1019).
Also, Royal Decree 1630/2006 of December 29th, highlights the importance of games in early childhood education
cycle, when it establishes as working methods the use of experiences, activities and games within a trustworthy and
affective environment.
The child sees the world as a game and all his actions are conceived as part of the game of which the child enjoys.
Gassó (2005) discusses the important role that Froebel gave the game in relation to the child, considering it as a
spontaneous activity they need for their physical and cognitive development. In order to carry it out, he elaborated a
series of materials, which he called gifts, through which the intellectual education of senses is trained, especially touch.
He also used all kinds of materials that improved the quality of education, such as objects and furnishings used by
children when cultivating gardens. For Garcia (2001), the game is like an organized practice of motor activity,
regardless it is regulated or spontaneous. It can be said that the child is playing while he is in a wakefulness state,
ceasing this activity only when he is sleeping. Ruiz Garcia and Garcia (2001) comment on the matter: "the child,
through the game, can learn how to control his body, explore the world around him, solve his emotional problems, be
a social being and have a place in the community "(p. 102). Without the game the child cannot remain a child, we must
take advantage of this stage of development, to build learning and knowledge by means of the game methodology, the
one which the child assimilates more easily and also it reinforces the internalization of the teachings and
multiculturalism which is daily involved, playing with peers of other nationalities, accompanying their relatives to
businesses of different ethnicities, tasting the typical food of different countries, etc… Endorsing the stated above,
Battista (2006) sees the game as an very important resource in the teaching / learning process of the child, due to such
indispensable condition that games represent in children’s development, it is a key element that will help them during
their way to become adults. If we take the game as an educational methodology, Laguía and Vidal (2011), comment
on that, that it also gives the material a very important role in its development, "it is necessary to provide them with
all kinds of resources to give them the necessary freedom to awaken their fantasies and revive them in their
games"(p.16)
Moreno (1999) emphasizes the great importance that games have in the cognitive and motor development thanks
to the interaction made by the child with objects, with the environment, with others and with himself. Those toys and
materials, do nothing but settle this learning process thanks to the intrinsic qualities they have, making children awaken
their curiosity and desire to explore and to know. Castillejo (1989) sees the game as "the great educational means of
children's education" (p. 105). There is no better and greater learning methodology than games, as it is an innate
activity that human beings have since they were born. Games stimulate cognitive development of children by means
of the motor activity, language, their symbolization capacity and skills acquisition. Through games we will make the
child develop all his potentialities, he is aware of everything around him and at the same time, he can start building
his own learning. Zabalza (2008) argues the important role that the use of toys and games have during the training and
learning of children, due to the cognitive, emotional and motor responsability it gives to the child, this way,
construction games and toys (which invite children to assemble, fit, overlay, etc.) of functional representation (such
 Francisco Manuel Moreno Lucas / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 908 – 913 911

as cars, trucks, trains or objects that move or crawl) or those which create some areas (building a cave with fabrics and
chushions, or forming an obstacle tour, etc.) are essential for a suitable development at a cognitive level.
As we have previously commented, the game is the main learning methodology during early childhood education,
and materials have a great role when acquiring knowledge, in this sense we can appreciate how the use of heuristic
games, supports the teaching/learning process providing the teachers a great number of resources that promote children
development.
Artiga (1991) considers games as an activity capable of expressing life, playing is comparable to living. Children,
by means of games, internalize the world around them, thanks to the interaction they made with toys, they can express
their emotions and feelings. Something that clearly reflects that is what Bassedas, Huguet and Solé (2006) mention,
when they affirm that heuristic games play a key role in this stage:
Other game-related situations that could be included in this block are those called heuristic games, which are carried
out with the smallest ones and whose objective is to promote the game with materials and exploration due to the value
they have. It is about activities with very carefully prepared materials and with a high degree of freedom and fun for
most of the children. Beyond this kind of situations, it underlies the idea that children basically learn through the
contact they have with the objects, by means of manipulation, exploration and discovering. If we agree part of this
statement, (children have the necessity of using and manipulating objects), the kind of intervetion the adult have in
this case (exclusively organizing and making things easy, almost banning the active participation) is adecuate to us if
what is expected is the external observation and evaluation. These situations are taken to the extreme, they involve a
too passive attitude, which does not allow to take advantage of the enormous developmental and learning potential
that interaction and the relationship with adults or the other children offer (p.163).
But not every game contributes in the same way to child’s development, on this matter Thió de Pol, Fusté, Martín,
Palou and Masnou (2001) talk about a series of requirements that games should have for development and learning to
take place. One of the requirements for the game to be a source of learning and development is time. Every game must
have a certain duration to make the child acquire those previously mentioned skills. It is also necessary to have some
physical and material conditions adapted to the development level of the child and, of course, it is important but not
indispensable, giving the child some toys that allow them to manipulate, experiment, observe, invent, etc.

3. The toy as an essential complement to the game

If games have their own identity in the teaching/learning process, the game is a resource that complements in a
powerful way the game itself. Díez (2013) defines as toys those daily objects, nature elements or other physical tools
that accompany the child and also provides him identification and affection. Gassó (2005) defines the game as "an
activity that gives children some areas to test, rehearse, explore, experiment and interact with people and objects"
(p.78), those objects to which he refers, become toys due to the meaning given by children when they used them. In
short, we can consider a toy every object that comes into contact with the child in a playful way, any element used by
the child to satisfy his curisity, exploration and research necessities, a toy is an extension of his being in the
environment surrounding them, that helps them discover, interpret and interact with the outside.
According to Martínez (1999), a toy is every object the child uses as a mediator in a game situation, regardless of
the origin or purpose for which the object was made. As the game is the main activity performed by the child, every
material, object, thing or entity that is placed in his scope, will be considered a toy. In conclusión, children play with
everything around them, from their own body, people, toys, ojects and entities of any nature.
Artiga (1991) thinks that the use of basic materials in preschool children is something essential due to their
contribution to the performance of their main activity which is the game. He also comments that the child builds,
symbolizes and classifies through the manipulation he makes with the objects he uses. Battista (2006) also highlights
the game as a means through which the child can get to know the world around him, and the work performed by the
use of different materials and objects in his development:
Actually, the game is the most favorable environment in which girls and boys start to discover their ability to control
behaviors, hence they try to adapt them to situations that arise in that moment; They start to discover that they have a
will and they undertake the search of their own autonomy. The school age represents a stage of life in which children
want to experience and at the same time, control the possibilities with which measure themselves and face the outside
world (p.84).
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Gervilla (2006), highlights the indications made by the Institut International pour la promotion du Bon Jouet, which
show which three basic quality characteristics that a material intended for children must have, in order to label it as a
good toy : first of all, the object must be valued according to its structural quality, i.e, its raw material, the solidity it
has, the absence of toxicity and danger, etc .; secondly, formal quality is assessed such as the beauty of the object as
well as its complexity; and finally, the educational quality in relation to observing if it fits the needs and interests of
children, their development, assessing whether it encourages creativity and imagination.
Marin (1977) also recommends following a number of fundamental guidelines for selecting the right toy for the
child's features and the goals we want to achieve with the use of that material. The toy has to promote the child to
perform, make him want to touch it, handling freely. It must be prepared in a simple way, without many complexities
when using it, and try to make it easy to be acquired for the school or the classroom to be economical. Another
guideline to consider in selecting the toy, are its measures, since its size should be commensurate with their ability to
play, avoiding those very big toys, as they often cause confusion and lack of interest. Finally, we must choose the toy
that best suits the developmental stage of the child, so we can take advantage of its handling and use.
Toys also have to meet a number of criteria and characteristics in order to provide the child the maximum of their
potential. In this sense, anything that is given to the child as a toy, must comply with the relevant safety regulations of
the EC, they must be easy to install and use, they must be benefitial for learning, they have to be aesthetic, solid,
practical and they have to awaken some interest for their use.
A good classification that can be done with toys, is the one relative to the capabilities they can develop. These
capabilities can be motor (walkers, skates, ensartables, balls, etc.), cognitive abilities (puzzles, books, dolls, etc.),
capacities to foster interpersonal relationships (constructions, board games, puppet theaters, etc. ) , capacities for
promoting social integration (costumes, relationship games, phones, etc.) and affective skills (cloth dolls, symbolic
games material, etc.).
In pre-school education is usually employed the work through workshops and games corners, responding to the
current games methodology that is established by the educational legislation in Spain. In this regard, the workshops
or corners must have all kinds of materials and objects, whether or not they are specifically for schools, but they should
be related and form part of their life and the cultural environment where they grow. Laguía and Vidal (2011) considers
these areas as one of the most resourceful areas of the school and where all the materials that influence the child
development have their own role, as it is a place, it is possible to perform different actions, such as reflection,
exploration, research, snooping, testing or looking for solutions, in short, the area favors the growth of the child.
Similarly, Vygotsky (1979), considers the corners and workshops as a learning methodology where the teacher is
offered the opportunity to learn through materials that encourage experimentation, fondling, the relationship between
equals and, of course ensure the constructive development through the zone of proximal development offered by the
teacher. Children have the need to touch everything they see, with the purpose of knowing, to know what it is, what it
does, their hands works as their eyes, if they do not touch they cannot discover nor internalize what they observe.
Although Laguía and Vidal claim 2011) that not all great authors of education consider the game as the unique
developmental methodology for the child, but well systemized and with well differentiated principles, can also
encourage learning from the materials, such as the education defended by Freinet with his kindergartens:
Freinet (1896-1969), master of the people and for the people, conceived a global pedagogy whose key elements are
part of the experimental framework, the emotional relationship with learning, education because of work and for
working, cooperation, the importance of the school and social environment, the need to create materials to promote
ideas in educational practice. He was characterized by defending and working on and for educational practice, Freinet
techniques in school are certainly his most important contribution. To Freinet, not playing but working, is what is
natural in the child (p.20).
Sugrañes, Alós, Andreu, Casal, Castrillo, Medina and Yuste (2012) highlight the educational contribution the
methodology in corners provide, due to the richness that experimenting with different objects offer, "the corner of
experimentation aims that children can manipulate and freely explore materials from their environment "(p.74). Quinto
(2005) points out in this regard that the corners are areas where they foster exploration, reflection and research of
students with different materials, thereby, leading to the consolidation of the learning they have received throughout
the school day.
 Francisco Manuel Moreno Lucas / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 237 (2017) 908 – 913 913

If we consider that the materials must be in every pre-school classrooms unconditionally, the toy is the material par
excellence in the child development. The classroom must be equipped with those toys that promote the internalization
of knowledge through experimentation and manipulation, toys occupy a significant place within the materials that
make up children’s education.

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