
Movement and Play as a Learning Activity in Early Childhood Education
Code: 101998Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education | OP | 4 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Francisco Cortes Ferrero
- Email :
- francisco.cortes.ferrero@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Francisco Cortes Ferrero
- Carolina Nieva Boza
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
This subject is the continuation of the “Corporeal and Psychomotor Education in the schools of Early Childhood Education I” (3rd course) and II (4th course), reason why it is necessary to have reached the competences and contents worked in these two areas, and in this way, they will be able to take this subject.
Objectives
This subject adopts as a basic axis the play and movement at the age of 0 to 6 years, focusing on knowing the ways of playing of children of these ages as well as the movement needs that arise from them. It also focuses on creating and designing of game scenarios, considering the needs of each age, space and material.
- Targets:
• Expand knowledges about the evolution of children’s play in the corporeal area during the first six years of life.
• Detect the movement needs of these ages in relation to body play.
• Design “game scenarios” as well as choose appropriate materials and contexts for body play.
• Use observation and documentation as research and reflection on the teacher’s intervention.
Learning outcomes
- Know the basics of the corporal expression curriculum at this stage as well as theories on the acquisition and development of relevant learning.
- Use play as a teaching resource, as well as designing learning activities based on principles of play.
- Produce educational proposals that promote the perception and expression of motor skills and creativity, using other languages such as music and plastics.
- Design and create educational scenarios for play and movement in response to aesthetic criteria.
- Critically analyse personal work through self-evaluation processes.
- Using different languages (body, music and audio-visual) to express the learning acquired in the subject.
- Working as a team using body work sessions.
- Develop educational proposals in which play and movement play a central role and considering this global perspective.
- Express, through personal observations, reflections and perceptions regarding children's play.
- Understand the evolution of child development and use this knowledge to develop an educational proposal.
- Analyse and make critical contributions in different examples of classroom practices.
- Know the basics of the corporal expression curriculum at this stage as well as theories on the acquisition and development of learning related to the subject.
- Knowing how to use personal resources for learning as well as knowing how to create contexts that foster independent learning.
- Propose viable projects and actions to boost social, economic and environmental benefits.
Contents
• Corporeal play between the ages of 0 and 6 years.
• Movement needs in early childhood.
• Scenarios, materials, and contexts for body play.
• Reflection on the teacher’s intervention in the playful and corporal action of the children.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervised | 75 | 3 | |
| practical work and practical field | 30 | 1.2 | |
| Autonomous | 45 | 1.8 |
The student is the protagonist in the teaching-learning process, and the following methodology has been planned under this premise.
This course will propose the use of the Service-Learning (SLL) methodology. It involves addressing a real need identified by an institution/entity and providing a solution or service to the entity. Service-Learning is now a widely recognized methodology that allows students not only to address real-life cases but also to integrate students into environments where they can develop their professional careers in the future.
The training activities carried out in this course can be directed, supervised, and autonomous:
- The directed activities are led by the professor or by the students themselves. They are carried out in the Faculty's facilities and during external visits to spaces dedicated to young children in both formal and informal education.
There will also be various collaborations with professionals from the world of Early Childhood Education who will share their experience with us.
The directed activities will be \"body practice sessions\" in the Faculty gymnasium and in the field practice spaces. For the different sessions, complementary and/or additional theoretical material (articles, book chapters, videos, etc.) will be provided, which students must review beforehand or afterward.
The \"body practice\" sessions are work spaces for experimenting, deepening, analyzing, contrasting, debating, reflecting on, and evaluating the subject content, but above all, for experiencing these contents on their own bodies and as future teachers. They are carried out through activities such as case studies, analysis of material (readings, videos, etc.), group dynamics, cooperative work, problem-solving, using the student's own body experience in practical activities, discussion-debates based on lived body experiences, etc.
- Activities supervised by the teacher outside of the classroom include individual and group tutoring, mostly virtual, which should serve to support the student in their learning process by guiding tasks, resolving difficulties, and monitoring their learning progress.
- Independent work is work completed by students independently to develop skills and achieve the course objectives.
- Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) will be used, utilizing a variety of activities such as: article reading, document analysis, surveys, bibliographic searches, presentations, implementation of proposals, reflections on process and progress, evaluation of proposals, etc.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation and application of a game scenario (group work). | 25% | 0 | 0 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 |
| Valuation report (individual work) | 5% | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Informative article (individual work) | 30% | 0 | 0 | 2, 5, 9, 11, 12, 13 |
| The art of accompanying children's play (individual work) | 40% | 0 | 0 | 1, 3, 9, 13 |
- Continuous Assessment Activities:
1. Informative article (30%); Individual work toward a practical experiential session conducted in the course.
2. Development of a play scenario (25%). Group work using a SL methodology where different body play scenarios will be planned and implemented.
2. Assessment report (5%): final individual diagnosis of the course in relation to its methodology and assessment.
4. The art of accompanying children's play (40%). Individual reflective work based on the theoretical and practical content of the course related to play, movement, and the role of the adult.
This course includes both continuous and single assessment. The single assessment activities that the student must submit are:
- The \"Informative article\" activity (30%).
- In-person theoretical and practical test on \"the design and implementation of a body game scenario\" (30%).
- Theoretical oral exam on \"the different types of body play\" (40%).
The continuous and single assessment requires attendance at a minimum of 80% of the seminar and laboratory sessions, regardless of the reasons for the absence (justifications presented in the case of absence will only serve to explain the absence; under no circumstances will they be an excuse for not attending).
A student who, despite participating in the sessions, does not submit any course work (individual or group) will be considered NA (Not Assessable).
Students who have presented evidence of learning with a combined weight equal to or less than 35% of the subject will be considered “Not assessable”. Therefore, if the student carries out activities with a weight greater than 35% and does not present the rest of the activity, the subject will be failed.
To pass the course, students must pass each of the four assessment activity blocks. It is also absolutely necessary to demonstrate an attitude compatible with the teaching profession: activelistening, respect, participation, cooperation, empathy, kindness, punctuality, non-judgment, argumentativeness, and appropriate use of electronic devices (cell phones, computers, etc.). It is also essential that students demonstrate responsibility and thoroughness in independent work, actively participate in classes, demonstrate critical thinking, and demonstrate behaviors that foster a friendly, positive, and democratic environment that respects gender, cultural, and other differences. Furthermore, specifically during practical sessions, students must wear sportswear to be able to carry out all the proposed activities and demonstrate a willingness and active participation. All gym equipment must be treated with care and respect, leaving it in perfect condition and organized after use. If any objection arises, each group is responsible for returning it directly to the outside containers immediately after the class ends. If any of these attitudinal requirements are not met, the course grade will be a 3.
To pass this course, students must demonstrate good general communicative competence, both orally and in writing, and a good command of the language(s) of instruction listed in the course guide. Therefore, in all activities (individual and group), linguistic accuracy, writing, and formal presentation will be taken into account.
Students must be able to express themselves fluently and accurately and must demonstrate a high level of comprehension of academic texts. An activity may be returned (not assessed) or failed if the teacher considers that it does not meet these requirements.
Continuous assessment dates:
- - The activity \"Development and application of a game scenario\" (group work) will be delivered: from February 23 to June 8 (Tuesday group) and from February 25 to June 3 (Thursday group).
- - The activity \"Article dissemination about play and movement\" (individual work) will be delivered: May 4 (Tuesday group) and May 6 (Thursday group).
- - The activity \"The art of accompanying a child's play\" (individual work) will be delivered: June 1 (Tuesday group) and June 3 (Thursday group).
- - The activity \"Assessment report\" (individual work) will be delivered: June 8 (Tuesday group) and June 10 (Thursday group).
The grades for each piece of assessment evidence will be communicated within a period not exceeding 20 working days following its delivery. Students who wish to review their grades must do so within 15 days of their notification during the tutoring hours established by the faculty for this subject.
Single assessment dates:
- Students with single assessment must submit the article activity on June 8 (group 1) and June 10 (group 2). The other two face-to-face tests will be held on the same days: June 8 (group 1) and June 10 (group 2).
- Make-ups:
Make-ups will be based on the four assessment activities carried out at the same time. This will be as follows:
Both \"Development and application of a game scenario\" and \"the dissemination article on game and movement\" will be due on June 15 (Tuesday group) and June 17 (Thursday group). While the recovery of the work of \"the art of accompanying the child\" will be on June 22 (group 1) and June 17 (group 2).
All activities of the subject are retaken. To participate in the retake process, the professor responsible for the subject may require that a minimum grade point average for the subject be obtained. This overall grade for the subject may never be more than 3'5.
Regarding single-assessment students, the dates for the recoveries will be June 15 (group 1) and June 17 (group 2) with the difference that they will carry out the recovery of the entire subject in a single day.
Assessment activities must be original and exclusively created by the student or the group (where applicable). Therefore, it is considered that the work has not been produced by the student when it is prepared with non-original and exclusive elements by the student (such as those generated with Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, etc.). Therefore, in this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not allowed in any of its phases. Any work that includes fragments generated with AI will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in serious cases. The teaching staff may carry out specific validations to guarantee authorship and the acquisition of skills in the event of suspicion of academic fraud.
Copying and plagiarism are intellectual thefts and, therefore, constitute a crime. Any irregularity detected will result in a grade of 0 in the activity. In the event that several irregularities occur, the final grade for the subject will be 0, with no possibility of accessing recovery.
We would like to remind you that a \"copy\" is considered a work that reproduces all or a large part of the work of another colleague. \"Plagiarism\" is the act of presenting all or part of a text by an author as one's own, that is, without citing the sources, whether published on paper or in digital form on the Internet. You can find the UAB's documentation on plagiarism at:
http://wuster.uab.es/web_argumenta_obert/unit_20/sot_2_01.html
Before submitting evidence of learning, you must check that the sources, notes, textual citations and bibliographical references have been written correctly following the UAB regulations:
Students enrolled for the second time in the subject must submit the same assignments as everyone else, as they will not have the option of taking a synthesis test.
Bibliography
The bibliography used in this subject considers the gender perspective.
- Arana, J. (2025). Capacidad simbólica, lenguaje y juego. Algunas relaciones. Revista Entre líneas, 55, 22-29. https://app-psicomotricistas.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/55_investigacion_03.pdf
- Aucouturier, B. (2022). El juego espontáneo en la escuela maternal. Graó.
- Bruchner, P. (2017). Bosquescuela. Guía para la educación infantil al aire libre. Ediciones Rodeno.
- Calmels, D. (2004). El cuerpo en la escritura. Ediciones Novedades Educativas.
- Calmels, D. (2010). Juegos de crianza: el juego corporal en los primeros años de vida. Biblos.
- Calmels, D. (2018). El juego corporal. Paidós.
- Camino, M., Ruiz, R., Martín-Espinosa, I. and Jiménez, L. (coords). (2025). Cartografia lúdica: Enseñar, aprender, cuidar y transformar la cultura y la sociedad jugando. Dykinson. https://www.dykinson.com/libros/cartografia-ludica-un-mapa-vivo-por-explorar/9791370062736/
- Cunill, C., Masó, M. i Rabasseda, M. (2024). L'infant que es desplega. Cos, psique i espiritualitat. Graó.
- Franch, N., Masabeu, E. and Rota, J.(2022). Qué aporta el psicomotricista al juego de los niños? Revista Entre líneas, 50, 10-15. https://app-psicomotricistas.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/entreli%CC%81neas_50_dossier_2.pdf
- Franch, N., Masabeu, E. and Rota, J.(2023). Com viuen els infants l'acompanyament del psicomotricista? Revista Comunicació educativa, 36, 78-97. https://revistes.urv.cat/index.php/comeduc/article/view/3287/3834
- Freire, H. (coord.) (2020). Patios vivos para renaturalizar la escuela. Octaedro.
- Freire, H. (2010). Educar en verd. Graó.
- Gallardo-Vázquez, P., Gallardo-Basile, F.J. and Gallardo-López, J.A. (2021). Fundamentos teóricos de la educación emocional. Claves para la transformación educativa. Octaedro.
- Hueso, K. (2019). Jugar al aire libre. Plataforma Actual.
- Lleixà, T. and Nieva, C. (2020). The social inclusion ofimmigrant girls in and through physical education. Perceptions and decisions of physical education teachers. Sport, Education and Society, 25,(2), 1-14.
- Martínez-Mínguez, L. (coord.) (2023). Psicomotricidad. Pikler, Lapierre, Aucouturier y UAB diferencias conectadas. Graó.
- Martínez-Mínguez, L., Palou, S. and Anton, M. (2016). El joc corporal com a base de tots els jocs. En M. Edo, Blanch, S. i M. Anton, El joc a la primera infància (pp. 124-140). Octaedro.
- Martínez-Mínguez, L., Forcadell, X., Moya, L., Heras, G., Bru, E., Llecha, M., Sánchez, C., Pérez, M. and Anton, M. (2017). 8 idees clau sobre l'educació del moviment, Guix d'Infantil, 91, 31-35.
- Neves-Menezes, A.C. and Nieva, C. (2023). Juego simbòlico y el juego dramático infantil: Contrastes y sinergias conceptuales y contextuales. Revista Entre líneas, 52, 5-14. https://app-psicomotricistas.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/entrelineas_52_dossier-1-10.pdf
- Nieva, C. and Lleixà, T. (2023). Teaching for Immigrant Girls’ Inclusion: Social Justice Physical Education Teachers’ Involvement With School Stakeholders. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 42, 4-12. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2021-0085
- Pérez, J.J. and Cifo, M.I. (2026). Juegos de mesa y expresión corporal: Experiencias prácticas en Educación Física. Revista acción motriz, 37, 9, 21. https://www.accionmotriz.com/index.php/accionmotriz/article/view/406/299
- Ruiz de Velasco, M.A. i Abad,J. (2011). El juego simbólico. Graó.
- Ruiz Omeñaca, J. V. (2011). El cuento motor: En la Educación infantil y en la Educación Física escolar: Como construir un espacio para jugar, cooperar, convivir y crear. Editorial Wanceulen.
- Serrabona, J. (2024). Los juegos y los contenidos afectivo-fantasiosos (expresión y elaboración del mundo mágico). Revista Iberoamericana de Psicomotricidad y técnicas corporales, 49, 96-111. https://www.unimoron.edu.ar/static/images/upload/media/d30a461e5f41fa3eb.pdf
- Sugrañes, E., Alòs, M., Andrés, N., Casal,S., Castillo, C., Medina, N. and Yuste, M. (2012). Observar para interpretar. Actividades de la vida cotidiana en educación infantil. Graó.
- Velázquez, C. (2013). La pedagogía de la cooperación en Educación Física. Editorial Kinesis.
- Velázquez, C. (2015). Enfoques y posibilidades del aprendizaje cooperativo. Revista Tándem. Didáctica de la Educación Física, 50, 25-31. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299597300_Enfoques_y_posibilidades_del_aprendizaje_cooperativo
- Velázquez, C. (2016). Desafíos físicos cooperativos: relato de una experiencia. Revista Tándem. Didáctica de la Educación Física, 53, 54-59. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305175205_Desafios_fisicos_cooperativos_relato_de_una_experiencia
- Vila, B. and Cardo, C. (2005). Material sensorial (0-3 años). Editorial Graó.
Software
No specific PC program or APP is needed for this subject.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PCAM) Field practices | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLAB40) Pràctiques de laboratori (40 estudiants per grup) | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PCAM) Field practices | 2 | Catalan | second semester | afternoon |
| (PLAB40) Pràctiques de laboratori (40 estudiants per grup) | 2 | Catalan | second semester | afternoon |