The Development History, Present and Future of Kindergarten Play Curriculum in China

Play has always been a topic worthy of in-depth discussion in the field of pedagogical research because it promotes the development of children's language, creative learning, physical health, social-emotional and cognitive skills. Since China's first kindergarten was established in 1903, early childhood education has been continuously improved and valued through social changes. In the 21st century, the Guidelines for Kindergarten Education (Trial) and the Guidelines for Pre-school Education (GPE) issued by the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2001 emphasise the integration of play and learning, and the development of child-centred play and learning curricula. This paper systematically explores the definition and importance of kindergarten play-based curriculum in China, its development history, current research status, challenges and future directions by combining nearly 40 literatures. At the same time, it investigates kindergarten play curricula in different countries, revealing the similarities and differences of play curricula in different educational philosophies and cultural contexts. The aim of this paper is to promote social awareness of kindergarten play curricula and to promote child-centred education, so as to achieve the purpose of helping children grow and learn healthily in joyful play. And hoped to provide reference for the future policies and reforms related to early childhood education.