A Qualitative Research on Block Play for Children

유아들의 쌓기놀이에 관한 질적 연구

This research employs the grounded theory approach among various qualitative methodologies in order to reach a deep understanding of both the experiential process that children undergo in block play and the essential meaning of it. The objects of this study are 22 children(female 7, male 15) in a 5-year-old class of K kindergarten at Guro district, Seoul. The result of this research shows that first, children take pleasure in block play because of the delight and sense of accomplishment in building, the joy in demolishing, and the happiness of embracing the world through dramatic play with building structures. Second, the characteristics of children's block play are popular subject of the play, decision of the subject, impromptu transformation and elaboration of building structures, and flow of the play according to friend/non-friend relationship. Third, the implicit rules shared by children have more significant influences upon the block play than the agreed rules at the beginning of semester.