LINO, Helena Maria da Silva; SILVA, Renata Vitória Costa; FURTADO, Thalita Meneses da Silva
Abstract:
The present study aims to analyze the relevance of play in childhood for human
development, understanding it as a symbolic language capable of expressing
emotional and psychic contents. Historically, play activity has often been reduced to a
form of entertainment or a means of dissipating children's energy. However,contemporary studies demonstrate that play plays a fundamental role in the
cognitive, emotional, and social development of the child. Grounded in the Analytical
Psychology of Carl Gustav Jung and other Jungian authors, especially in the
concepts of the collective unconscious, archetypes, and symbolism, this study seeks
to understand how play can function as a mechanism for the expression of the Self
and for psychic elaboration in childhood. Methodologically, this is a qualitative
bibliographic research, based on classical works of analytical psychology and
developmental psychology. The results indicate that play allows children to symbolize
internal experiences, experiment with social roles, and elaborate emotional conflicts,
contributing to psychic integration and identity construction. It can be concluded that
play is a central element in children’s emotional development, being essential for the
formation of a balanced personality.
