Background. Dialectical thinking ensures the construction of an adequate picture of the world, the resolution of problematic situations and creativity. This is important for success in various activities and the child’s socialization. The development of pedagogical tools for the development of dialectical thinking in children is a pressing task of modern science. The study was conducted within the framework of the structural-dialectical approach (N.E. Veraksa, L.F. Bayanova, O.K. Belolutskaya, O.A. Shiyan et al.).
Objective. To study the possibilities of using quest games in the development of dialectical thinking in children aged 6–7 years.
Sample. The study involved 36 children aged 6.1–7.2 years: 19 girls and 17 boys. At the formative stage 16 children were included in the experimental group, and 20 children in the control group.
Methods. The study was conducted in three stages: ascertaining, formative and control. The methods “Unusual tree”, “What can be both at the same time?”, “First and last” were used for diagnostics. At the formative stage, 8 lessons were held in the form of quest games. The methodology was based on the following conditions: 1) all tasks should represent problematic and contradictory situations, integrated in different types children’s activities; 2) the tasks in each quest game should be aimed at developing a one dialectical action; 3) the development of dialectical actions should be carried out in the following sequence: transformation, seriation, conversion, unification, and mediation.
Results. The results of the ascertaining stage showed that the majority of children aged 6–7 years demonstrate a low level of dialectical thinking. Observations of children at the formative stage showed that the quest game creates a favorable atmosphere for actualizing children’s potential in the application of dialectical strategies. The results of the control stage showed that the levels of dialectical actions in children in the experimental group increased significantly.
Conclusions. The quest game is an effective means of developing dialectical thinking in preschool children. Children perceive such games not as an activity, but as entertainment, relieving anxiety and tension. This promotes the development of dialectical strategies for resolving problematic situations.