2026-02-102026-02-102025-09-19CASTRO, Amanda de Almeida. As brincadeiras no desenvolvimento das funções executivas em crianças na educação infantil. Orientadora: Sônia Eli Cabral Rodrigues. 2025. 23 f. Trabalho de Curso (Licenciatura em Pedagogia) – Faculdade de Educação, Instituto de Ciências da Educação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, 2025. Disponível em: https://bdm.ufpa.br/handle/prefix/9178. Acesso em:.https://bdm.ufpa.br/handle/prefix/9178Playful activities promote skills such as working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, skills developed by Executive Functions (EFs) (Diamond, 2013). Furthermore, Kandel (2023) discusses the neurobiological basis of learning, while studies from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2021) show that quality playful experiences enhance learning and comprehensive development. In this context, this study examines the relationship between executive functions and play in Early Childhood Education (ECE), considering play as a pedagogical resource capable of fostering children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development. The research problem stems from the following question: how can play contribute to the development of executive functions in early childhood? The overall objective is to understand how play can stimulate and strengthen these functions in ECE children. The specific objectives are to identify the types of play that promote executive functions and analyze how these playful experiences can contribute to meaningful learning. The methodology adopted is based on qualitative bibliographic research, conducted through the analysis of scientific articles, dissertations, theses, and documents published between 2010 and 2024, as well as classical authors such as Piaget (1975) and Vygotsky (1998), who offer essential foundations for understanding child development and the role of play. Although outside the time frame, their contributions remain indispensable to ground the discussion. The results indicate that, when intentionally mediated by the teacher, play becomes na indispensable strategy in Early Childhood Education, promoting learning, social interaction, and the child’s overall development. Thus, it is concluded that play, by integrating pleasure and learning, strengthens executive functions and consolidates itself as na indispensable practice in ECE.Acesso AbertoAprendizagemBrincadeiraDesenvolvimento infantilEducação infantilFunções executivas.LearningPlayChild developmentEarly childhood educationExecutive functionsCNPQ::CIENCIAS HUMANAS::EDUCACAOTrabalho de Curso - Graduação - MonografiaAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Brazil