Estrategias metodológicas con enfoque lúdico para la enseñanza y aprendizaje de natación formativa infantil: revisión bibliográfica

Abstract

The present research addresses the lack of methodological guidelines integrating play-based strategies to facilitate the teaching and learning of swimming in formative contexts. The general objective was to conduct a literature review on methodological strategies with a play-based approach applied to formative swimming instruction. A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was employed, using a bibliographic review approach. The selection of sources included theses, scientific articles, academic journals, and specialized documents derived from Latin American research conducted by authors from Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico. The inclusion and exclusion of articles were carried out using reliable databases such as Scopus, Scielo, PubMed, and Google Scholar, accessible through the library of the Catholic University of Cuenca. Publications from 2019 to 2025 were included, while studies published between 2010 and 2018 were excluded. The search terms used were: methodological strategies, play-based swimming, children's swimming, and teaching and learning of swimming. The search process identified 37 documents, of which 20 articles were selected and incorporated into the literature review matrix. In conclusion, the literature review demonstrates that formative swimming for children is a sports discipline with multiple benefits that promotes children’s holistic development. Furthermore, the incorporation of play-based methodological strategies through games enables the instructor to act as a facilitator in the teaching and learning process of fundamental aquatic motor skills. Keywords: Methodological strategies, play-based approach, children's swimming, teaching and learning of swimming