Abstract
This paper investigates how constructive play can support social–emotional learning (SEL) in late childhood. As children approach adolescence, they increasingly seek emotional support from peers, develop stronger identities and need to engage in self-reflection and personal expression. Despite these needs, SEL programs targeting children aged 8 to 11 are limited. Research has shown that play can support SEL. This study explores how constructive play can foster social–emotional skills and help address this shortage. The project was conducted with a child-centred approach and a design-based research methodology, ensuring a strong link between theory and practice while prioritising children’s perspectives. The fieldwork took place in a Danish after-school club, involving third to fifth graders from five schools. The project found that constructive play supports the expression of individual and community perspectives, self-reflection and community building. Three factors—materials, open-endedness and goal expectations—were identified as primary influences on children’s engagement.
Keywords
Constructive play, social–emotional learning, expression, community
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1073
Citation
Sardu, M. (2026) Building together(ness): Exploring constructive play when designing for social–emotional learning (SEL) in late childhood., in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1073
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Building together(ness): Exploring constructive play when designing for social–emotional learning (SEL) in late childhood.
This paper investigates how constructive play can support social–emotional learning (SEL) in late childhood. As children approach adolescence, they increasingly seek emotional support from peers, develop stronger identities and need to engage in self-reflection and personal expression. Despite these needs, SEL programs targeting children aged 8 to 11 are limited. Research has shown that play can support SEL. This study explores how constructive play can foster social–emotional skills and help address this shortage. The project was conducted with a child-centred approach and a design-based research methodology, ensuring a strong link between theory and practice while prioritising children’s perspectives. The fieldwork took place in a Danish after-school club, involving third to fifth graders from five schools. The project found that constructive play supports the expression of individual and community perspectives, self-reflection and community building. Three factors—materials, open-endedness and goal expectations—were identified as primary influences on children’s engagement.