This paper investigates the construction of shared routines in a playgroup of two-year-old children. It rests on a psychoethological approach, which recognizes the human being as a biologically social-cultural species, and culture as their ontogenetic niche. The child is conceived as an agent of creation and transmission of culture. Two ludic episodes are analyzed and they show the construction of a playful routine in which large objects are dragged along in a sheltered patio. There are moments of stability and transformation in the development of the task. Children recognize the structure of participation in the routine and add innovations to it. Collective production seems to guide the group in the development of the activities. The data are interpreted as evidence of cultural processes in early childhood.
Play; social interaction routines; group culture; meaning-making process
