Children’s Play as Everyday Literacy: Meaning-Making with Everyday Objects in Rural Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to explore how children construct meaning and narratives through the use of everyday objects in play, to classify the types of meanings produced, and to explain the role of play in supporting early literacy development. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach with a case study design, the research involved six children aged 5–10 years and three parents across three play contexts in rural settings. Data were collected through participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, focusing on natural play interactions. The findings reveal that children actively transform material objects into symbolic representations, enact social roles, and produce structured narratives through language use. Three main forms of meaning construction were identified: creative-innovative, symbolic, and social. These categories demonstrate that play is not merely recreational but functions as a semiotic space where children reinterpret experiences and negotiate meaning. The study also shows that play significantly supports language development, including vocabulary acquisition, sentence formation, comprehension, and early writing skills. In conclusion, children’s play constitutes a form of everyday literacy practice embedded in social interaction and local context. This research contributes to expanding the conceptualization of literacy as a socially situated and meaning-making practice emerging organically from children’s lived experiences.