Scientific Toys in Early Childhood Settings: Teaching and Learning About Light and Shadows

A growing body of empirical studies in the field of early childhood science education suggests play as a dynamic means to engage young children with the natural world and create the conditions for children’s learning and development in science. Although our understanding of play in science as an activity deepens, we still do not know much about the dynamics of scientific toys in science teaching and learning in early childhood settings. Scientific toys are defined here as improvised, three-dimensional constructions with specific teaching and learning goals that seek to achieve a balance between play and learning in science. The study focuses on teaching and learning about optics in preschool settings and particularly about the concept of light and the phenomenon of shadow formation. The study aims to capture and understand the processes through which preschoolers develop their ideas about the concept and the phenomenon through the use of scientific toys. Empirical data were collected in one early childhood center in Greece for three weeks. Thirteen children participated in the study. Digital visual methods were used for data collection and analysis. The findings illustrate and substantiate that children managed to develop their thinking about light and shadows while playing with scientific toys within imaginary situations. The study concludes with new insights into conceptually- oriented play-based learning in science through children’s artifacts. Implications that inform practice about dialectically interrelating play and learning are discussed.