The effect of child-appropriate play with various types on preschoolers' executive function

Abstract

This study examined the immediate and delayed effects of movement, puzzle, and language play on the executive function (EF) of 4- to 5-year-old children. A 10-week randomized controlled trial with a 3-month follow-up (N = 62) revealed that, compared to the control group, all three play interventions resulted in significant and sustained improvements in inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. However, the effects on working memory varied by play type: the initial gains in the movement play group were not maintained at follow-up; the puzzle play group showed improvement only at the follow-up assessment; whereas the language play group demonstrated consistent and enduring enhancements across all three core EF components. Although no significant differences in intervention effects on the individual EF components were observed among the three play groups, the findings underscore that these scaffolded play activities, particularly language play, are effective in promoting EF. Subsequent analyses revealed that these benefits stem from shared underlying elements within the play activities-the systematic integration of EF demands into adult-guided, rule-based structures, in synergy with the implicit practice of emotional regulation and contextual engagement in role-play scenarios.

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