Play as an inclusive pedagogical device to prevent emerging disabilities in ageing processes: a systematic literature review

Resumen

The paper investigates the role of play as a pedagogical device in counteracting the enhancement of disabilities that emerge as a result of ageing processes and in maintaining/learning skills to support Active Ageing. The aim of this paper is to verify, through scientific literature, whether and how playful practices can act as mediators for the multidimensional wellbeing of elderly population. The systematic review comprises contributions published between 2019 and 2025; its analysis includes first and second level studies, mainly tracing the use of exergames, digital and board games, to be used in formal and informal contexts. Evidencebased research shows that play has a positive impact on four critical areas: physical (balance and muscle strength), cognitive (speed of processing and memory), social (contrasting loneliness and better intergenerational cohesion), psychological (improving relational wellbeing and a sense of selfefficacy). Play is configured as a way of displaying existence that does not consider stimulation as a special or compensatory intervention, but as a structural element for an accessible everyday life. By overcoming a merely carebased conception, playfulness renegotiates physical and social barriers, enabling individuals to keep a leading role in their own actions.