In this paper, the intersections of play and learning across the concrete and digital domains in early childhood settings are explored and illustrated. Play is an important component in the early years, expanding children’s opportunities for social interaction and engagement, essential constructs for overall development. The traditional setting for children’s play and learning has undergone major changes in recent years as a result of digital technological advances, and a new milieu for play and inquiry has emerged. The impact of these new mediums on children’s play and learning has created a multimodal environment providing and evoking different opportunities and understandings of play. The potential influences of the digital convergence on children’s play and learning, and the impending implications of these contemporary changes for both early childhood educators and early childhood curricula are discussed. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Playing and learning across the concrete and digital realms: a new context for the new learners
