Augmented reality, virtual reality and gamified learning in early childhood education: A scoping review with a practice-led prototype case

• Maps global evidence on AR/VR and gamified learning for children aged 3–6, addressing a major gap in early childhood technology research. • Demonstrates consistent engagement and attention gains, shifting the field beyond novelty toward purposeful learning outcomes. • Identifies emerging focus on empathy, responsibility, and sustainability, showing immersive tech can support prosocial values — not just skills acquisition. • Reveals teacher mediation as the decisive success factor, positioning adult facilitation as essential for safety, behavioural guidance, and learning transfer. • Shows AR/VR as a safe rehearsal space for humane animal care, environmental stewardship, and risk-free safety training. • Proposes a practical, iterative implementation framework enabling early childhood centres to plan, introduce, observe, and refine immersive learning experiences. • Includes practice-based insights from a real AR animal-care prototype, demonstrating applied integration of empathy-centred AR learning design. Immersive technologies are increasingly introduced into early childhood education, yet centres face practical and ethical pressures to ensure that technology use is developmentally appropriate, safe, and aligned with pro-social learning goals. This paper presents a scoping review of VR/AR applications that incorporate gamified elements, such as rewards, challenges, and guided interaction, for children aged approximately 3–6 years. We synthesise the literature around four questions: how VR/AR experiences are designed for early learners, how engagement is reported in prior studies, what constraints are noted around safety, usability, accessibility, and teacher readiness, and how experiences are positioned to encourage pro-social and caring behaviours. We then translate these findings into a practice-led design probe, presented as an illustrative AR learning concept rather than a classroom trial. Building on the synthesis and design reflection, we propose an implementation framework that supports planning, controlled age-appropriate introduction, educator-led feasibility monitoring, and iterative refinement through teacher feedback. Together, the review and framework offer a structured pathway for early childhood centres to trial and improve VR/AR-supported gamified learning responsibly.