SANTIAGO CITY, PHILIPPINES — Traditional games and digital construction applications can help children develop their ability to understand shapes, directions, distances, and the position of objects. This finding comes from research by Lorrie Jean E. Tilo and Celso C. Dumalig of Northeastern College, Inc. Graduate School, Santiago City, Philippines, published in 2026. Involving 44 Grade 4 pupils during the 2025–2026 academic year, the study found that the children demonstrated a high level of spatial reasoning, particularly in understanding the position of objects in their surroundings. The findings became the basis for a proposed learning module that combines physical and digital play to support children’s cognitive development.
Spatial reasoning is the ability to understand and manipulate objects in two- and three-dimensional space. This skill is important in mathematics, geometry, technology, and STEM education. Children develop it through everyday experiences, including moving around, arranging objects, estimating distances, and imagining changes in shape. Play is one of the natural ways children learn to understand relationships between objects and their environment.
Traditional games such as Piko, Patintero, Luksong Baka, Agawan Base, and activities involving the construction of blocks or stones provide learning experiences through movement and direct interaction with the environment. Children must estimate positions, distances, boundaries, and directions while playing. Meanwhile, digital construction applications such as Minecraft, Roblox, and SimCity allow children to build three-dimensional structures virtually, experiment with different forms, and observe changes immediately. Both types of play offer different experiences for developing spatial skills.
The study was conducted because there is still limited research directly comparing traditional local games with digital construction applications. The researchers also highlighted the need for a better understanding of spatial skills developed in digital environments and how they relate to children’s real-world experiences. The study therefore examined three main areas: mental rotation, spatial visualization, and spatial orientation.
The research used a descriptive-comparative design involving 44 Grade 4 pupils from an elementary school. Respondents were selected through stratified random sampling to ensure that their initial characteristics were represented. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and a standardized spatial reasoning assessment. The questionnaire also recorded the students’ demographic profiles, frequency of traditional game participation, and average daily time spent using digital construction applications.
The results showed that the children had a high level of spatial reasoning, with an overall average weighted mean of 3.25 on the study’s rating scale. Spatial orientation recorded the highest score at 3.45, followed by mental rotation at 3.18 and spatial visualization at 3.13. These findings suggest that the children were more confident in understanding the position of objects and finding their way than in imagining more complex changes in shape.
Spatial orientation was strongest when the children assessed their ability to find their way around a playground or a new building. This statement received an average score of 3.55, categorized as strongly agree. In contrast, imagining how a piece of paper would look after being folded received the lowest score, 2.85. The difference suggests that experience with real-world environments helps children understand positions and directions, while abstract shape transformations require additional practice.
The children’s play habits also show that traditional games remain an important part of their daily lives. 34.09 percent of respondents played traditional games three to four times a week, while 31.82 percent played one to two times a week. Another 18.18 percent played every day. Overall, 84.09 percent of the children played traditional games at least one to four times a week or daily.
The use of digital construction applications was also common. 36.36 percent of the children used them for less than one hour per day, 34.09 percent for one to two hours, and 18.18 percent for more than two hours. Only 11.36 percent did not use these applications. The data indicate that most children already have experience with digital environments that allow them to construct shapes, understand perspective, and manipulate structures virtually.
According to Lorrie Jean E. Tilo and Celso C. Dumalig, the findings show that traditional and digital play can complement each other. Physical games provide direct experiences through movement, touch, and interaction with real space. Digital construction applications, meanwhile, give children opportunities to explore shapes, assemble structures, and experiment with changes virtually. Combining both approaches may provide broader spatial learning experiences.
However, the study also shows that spatial abilities do not develop evenly. The children were stronger in understanding real-world spaces and assembling parts of objects, but they still needed support in imagining abstract shape transformations. Learning should therefore not rely only on games or construction applications, but should also include activities specifically designed to strengthen the ability to visualize objects from different perspectives.
The findings have important implications for primary education. Teachers can connect play activities with mathematics and geometry lessons, for example by asking students to build shapes with blocks and then draw or recreate them using digital applications. Activities such as paper folding, tangram puzzles, mental rotation, and spatial problem-solving can also be used to strengthen spatial visualization skills.
The study also recommends preserving traditional games as part of learning activities. Games such as Piko and Luksong Baka are not only forms of entertainment but can also serve as affordable and accessible learning tools. At the same time, digital application use should remain guided and balanced so that children can gain cognitive benefits without losing opportunities for physical play.
Overall, the research by Tilo and Dumalig shows that traditional games and digital construction applications both have the potential to support children’s spatial development. Traditional games strengthen real-world spatial experience, while digital applications provide opportunities to explore shapes and structures virtually. Integrating both approaches may offer a relevant learning strategy for helping children develop geometry, mathematics, and thinking skills needed for STEM education.
Authors
Lorrie Jean E. Tilo — Northeastern College, Inc. Graduate School, Santiago City, Philippines. Celso C. Dumalig — Northeastern College, Inc. Graduate School, Santiago City, Philippines.
Research Source
Title: The Geometry of Play: Assessing Spatial Reasoning Skills Through Traditional Local Games Versus Digital Construction Apps
Journal: International Journal of Scientific Multidisciplinary Research (IJSMR), Vol. 4, No. 8, 2026, pp. 2009–2022.
DOI: 10.55927/ijsmr.v4i8.116
Journal Link: International Journal of Scientific Multidisciplinary Research (IJSMR)
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