The relevance of the topic of the article. Over the past 10 years, the level of development of the play of modern preschoolers continues to remain low. The researchers note the existence of different interpretations of the concept of “play“, which complicates the formation of a dialogue and provokes a gap between the declared value of the play and real practice. However, one of the possible reasons for the low level of development of the play in studies from different countries may also be the limitations of existing methods of studying the play. To conduct research on the conditions of the development of the play and its influence on children’s development, a special role is played by the selection of diagnostic techniques that should make it possible to see play in development.
The aim of the study: to analyze the advantages and limitations of existing diagnostic methods for children’s play.
Description of the research progress. In total, 18 methods were selected, the analysis included a comparison of different tools in terms of the possibility of assessing the development of play according to the following parameters: the method of studying the play, the features of the procedure and conditions of observation, the role of the observer, the evaluated aspects of children’s play.
Research results. A number of techniques have been identified that are most suitable for a comprehensive assessment of play, including for evaluating a developed play. The key deficiencies of existing methods were also identified: the contradiction of the evaluation procedure to the features of spontaneous play, the lack of an integrated approach to the study and focus on the affective side of the play, identifying only the current level of development of the play without taking into account its potential capabilities. The development of tools that allow us to see the play in development is a challenge for modern researchers.