Toddlers as ignorant citizens: An explorative study of conflicts and negotiations involving toys in kindergarten

The study investigates conflicts among toddlers in kindergarten and the role toys play in these conflicts. The author views these interactions as part of children’s development and expression of citizenship, arguing that kindergarten staff should exercise caution when intervening to prevent such conflicts. The research question is: How can free play among toddlers be an arena for democratic processes, and in what ways are toys and other material objects involved?

The study shows that young children’s play can be seen as political experiments where they exercise their citizenship through non-verbal negotiations with toys as active participants. Conflicts between children, often driven by toys, give them opportunities to engage in democratic processes. The results emphasise the importance of allowing children to explore and manage these conflicts without adult authoritarian intervention.

The study is based on ethnographic observations in a Norwegian kindergarten, where video recordings of children’s play and interactions were conducted over a period of 20 days. The observed group consisted of 15 children aged two to three years. The data were analysed to understand how toys affect children’s social engagement and their democratic practices.

Nome, D. Ø. (2022). Toddlers as ignorant citizens: An explorative study of conflicts and negotiations involving toys in kindergarten. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 23(1), 6–15.