The concept of "perezhivanie" has received increasing attention in recent years. However, a clear understanding of this term has not yet been established. Mostly what is highlighted is the need for more informed theoretical discussion. In this paper, discussions centre on what "perezhivanie" means for research in early childhood education. "Perezhivanie" as a phenomenon is discussed in relation to "perezhivanie" as the unity of emotions and cognition, "perezhivanie" as a prism (Veresov, 2014), "perezhivanie" as a unit of analysis (Bozhovich, 2009), and "perezhivanie" as a double subjectivity in play/art (Davis et al., 2015). The latter theoretical reading re-introduces one of Vygotsky's (1925/1971) earliest conceptions of art and play from "The Psychology of Art." Through an analysis of how others have discussed the concept from the perspective of an everyday reading and a theoretical analysis, this paper takes up the challenge of conceptualising "perezhivanie" in relation to research. Four design principles underpinning a research method to investigate children in early childhood settings are introduced: the child's perspective, an indivisible unit of relations, differing "perezhivanie," and levels of consciousness. Together, these principles for research provide a more nuanced reading of this concept, and contribute to the current discussions found in the literature where some clarification is needed.