Academic Papers

This paper explores the integration of computational thinking (CT) into early childhood education through the development of a custom board game for children aged 4 to 8. CT, characterized by algorithmic thinking and logical reasoning, has gained prominence in education as a 21st-century literacy skill. Early childhood education is a critical period for cognitive and social skill development, and introducing CT at this stage can enhance various skills, including communication and problem-solving.

This paper explores the integration of Computational Thinking (CT) in Early Childhood Education (ECE) through the use of educational board games. CT encompasses cognitive skills such as abstraction, algorithm design, decomposition, and pattern recognition. Board games offer a transdisciplinary, engaging, and skill-rich learning environment that supports social, cognitive, and 21st-century skill development. As part of the CThink.it Erasmus+ project, a board game was designed around a playful narrative—helping a lost toy return to its owner in a museum—supported by a literature review and accompanying lesson plans. The paper presents the pilot implementation of this game, offering preliminary insights into its playability, curricular alignment, age appropriateness, and teacher perspectives on its educational value.

This paper discusses the growing importance of Computational Thinking (CT) in education, highlighting its emergence in the 1950s as a structured, algorithmic approach to problem-solving. CT involves mental skills such as abstraction, decomposition, sequencing, and pattern recognition. With recent research expanding into early childhood education (ages 4–8), and in line with the rise of game-based learning, this study presents the design process of a board game aimed at fostering CT skills in young learners. The paper includes a detailed design roadmap and a supporting systematic literature review to ground the development of the game in evidence-based practices.