Digital resources in the Social Sciences and Humanities OpenEdition Our platforms OpenEdition Books OpenEdition Journals Hypotheses Calenda Libraries OpenEdition Freemium Follow us

¿Puede la Educación Física influir en la mejora de las habilidades sociales y la inteligencia emocional de los prescolares?

Por Nerea García[i] y Markel Rico-González[ii]

 

 

 

Palabras clave: REVISTA PUBLICACIONES, primera infancia, programas de intervención, psicomotricidad, competencia social, competencia emocional

 

La educación física en la etapa preescolar juega un papel esencial en el desarrollo integral de los niños, ya que a través del juego y la diversión se fomentan habilidades básicas que influyen en su aprendizaje futuro. Este estímulo físico no solo mejora la experiencia sensorial y motora, sino que también fortalece aspectos sociales y afectivos. Los educadores físicos, por tanto, se centran en potenciar cuatro competencias clave en los más pequeños: la social, la emocional, la motriz y la cognitiva. De todas ellas, las competencias social y emocional han recibido especial atención, dado que están relacionadas con mejores resultados académicos, habilidades para la vida cotidiana, la creación de amistades y actitudes positivas hacia los demás. Por ello, esta revisión busca presentar una recopilación de programas basados en la educación física que pueden ser útiles para los docentes en la promoción de estas habilidades desde los primeros años de vida.

Métodos y resultados

Se realizó una revisión sistemática siguiendo las directrices PRISMA para garantizar un enfoque transparente y exhaustivo. La información de cada artículo incluido fue cuidadosamente extraída y organizada, y se detalla en la Tabla adjunta. Esta extracción estructurada facilita la comparación y síntesis clara de los resultados entre las intervenciones seleccionadas.

Tabla 1

Efectos de la Educación Física en las Competencias Sociales y Emocionales de Niños en Edad Preescolar

Reference Aims Sample Results Conclusions
 SOCIAL COMPETENCE
Boyd et al. (2018)

 

Efficacy of the ASAP Intervention for Preschoolers with ASD Nº children: 161

 

Schools:

78

 

Country: EEUU

.

Range:

4 years

Regarding the primary results of the kids’ social communication game, there were no discernible variations between the groups. Children in the ASAP group participated more actively in class.
Caldwell et al.(2023) To analyze the effects of PLEY intervention Nº children:

209

 

Schools:

19

 

Country:

Canada.

 

Range:

 3-5 years

Playing with loose parts outdoors favored social development The goal of the intervention program was to improve preschoolers’ perceptions of and progress toward physical literacy.

 

Diamond et al.(2019) To analyze the effectiveness of a program for reducing

bullying and peer

ostracism

Nº children: 351

 

Schools: 18

 

Country: Canada

 

Mean age 5.2 years

 

Range:

5-6 years

Tools improves self-control and it reduces children being ostracized or excluded. Kindergarten kids in more conventional classrooms had less bullying and peer ostracism and more compassion and helpful behavior than those in a curriculum that focused on play, fostering relationships, working together, and supporting one another.

 

 

Moore et al. (1984) Determine the

benefits of self-concepts of children

taking part in the

Capon

Perceptual-motor

Program.

Nº children: 85

 

Schools: 4

 

Country:

EEUU

 

Range: ND

Major effects for the group and group interactions were not statistically significant.  

No differences in group interactions were found between the two programs

Aboud (2006) Whether preschoolers’ everyday play experiences with classmates and materials would help them reach increasingly sophisticated social and cognitive play levels. Nº children:

400

 

Schools:

6

 

Country:

Bangladesh

 

Mean age:

4.5 and 6.5 years

 

 

 

Preschoolers performed better during play in some areas of social development. Children performing program improved their social competence
Aadland et al. (2020)

 

To explore how the professional development of preschool staff influences child development outcomes Nº children:

1.2000

 

Schools: 60

 

Country: Norway

 

Range: 3-5

The program does not guarantee succeed. There is no assurance that ACTNOW will be implemented successfully or result in favorable consequences for children’s development.
Mulvey et al. (2020) Tested the hypothesis that gender-integrated friendships among preschool-aged children are fostered by the physical education teacher-led intervention known as Successful Kinematic Instruction for Preschoolers (SKIP). Nº children: 93

 

Schools:

1

 

Country:

EEUU

 

Mean age :

47.38

After the intervention, there was a higher likelihood of reporting gender-integrated friendships in the SKIP condition compared to the control free-play condition. These results highlight how interventions focused on motor competence can also generate benefits in the socio-emotional domain
Lee et al. (2020) Analyze the effectiveness of instructured loose parts and mindfulness against to usual play Nº children: 42

 

Schools:

2

 

Country:  Hong Kong

 

Range:

4-6 years

 

 

No detailed information about socioemotional outcomes. Students’ happiness and playfulness are effectively fostered by experimental intervention, which supports their mental health and wellbeing amid stressful events like transition and separation.
EMOCIONAL COMPETENCE
Lee et al. (2020) Examine how well organized loose parts and mindfulness compare to typical play. Nº children: 42

 

Schools:

2

 

Country:  Hong Kong

 

Range:

4-6 years

No detailed information about socioemotional outcomes. Students’ happiness and playfulness are effectively fostered by experimental intervention, which supports their mental health and wellbeing amid stressful events like transition and separation.
Eninger et al. (2021)  To investigate the results of encouraging alternative thinking techniques  

Nº children: 285

 

Schools: 26

 

Country: Sweden.

 

Mean age 4.8 years

 

Range:

4-5 years

Experimental group demonstrated gains in prosocial play and hyperactive behaviors. On the other hand, girls in the INT exhibited improved emotional understanding and decreased anxiety The program is more beneficial than usual activities to improve emotional knowledge and reduced anxiety
Lumeng et al. (2017) To evaluate the effects of an obesity prevention program combined with an intervention aimed at enhancing emotional and behavioral self-regulation on the incidence of obesity and related behaviors in preschoolers. Nº children: 697

 

Schools:

6

 

Country:

EEUU

 

Mean age 4.1 years

When HS+POPS+IYS was compared to HS+POPS and HS, results showed how the first enhanced teacher-reported self-regulation HS+POPS+IYS improves teacher-reported self-regulation
Solomon et al. (2018) The purpose of the study was to determine whether the TOOLS program—as opposed to Playing to Learn (YMCA PTL)—leads to more improvements in self-regulation. Nº children: 260

 

Schools:

20

 

Country: Canada

 

Range:

3-4 years

 

In comparison to their YMCA PTL peers, children who took part in the TOOLS program performed higher on a behavioral exam. But only for the kids whose parents had previously labeled them as hyperactive or inattentive was this distinction noteworthy. YMCA PTL and TOOLS could be good curriculum options for a preschool classroom with a diverse student body.

TOOLS seems to have no obvious cost to students who are less challenged in this area, making them useful in classes where students are having more difficulty with self-regulation.

 

Aadland et al. (2020)

 

To examine how preschool staff professional development affects kids’ physical activity levels and developmental outcomes Nº children:

1.2000

 

Schools: 60

 

Country: Norway

 

Range: 3-5

No detailed information about emotional outcomes. There is no assurance that ACTNOW will be implemented successfully or result in favorable consequences for children’s development.
Kaale et al.,

(2012)

Evaluate the impact of a JA proposal centered in preschools. Nº children: 61

 

Schools: 34

 

Country:

Norway

 

Mean age

26-60 months

 

The results indicated a noteworthy distinction between the control group and the intervention group, with the intervention group demonstrating higher levels of joint attention skill initiation during teacher interactions. With the moms, the impact expanded to a noticeably longer duration of JE. There have been extensive and positive results of preschool intervention in JA.
Moore et al. (1984) Determine the

benefits of self-concepts of children

taking part in the

Capon

Perceptual-motor

Program.

Nº children: 85

 

Schools: 4

 

Country:

EEUU

 

Range: ND

The self-concept test revealed substantial impacts (= 8.06, p <.01). From the pretest to the posttest, both groups’ results improved. Self-concept received no further gain from the perceptual-motor program.  

No differences in self-concept were found between the two programs

 

Conclusiones

Esta revisión sistemática ofrece algunas conclusiones útiles para profesionales que trabajan con niños en la primera infancia, especialmente en edad preescolar. En cuanto a la competencia social, se recomienda considerar diversos programas de intervención que fomenten las relaciones sociales entre los niños, incluyendo aquellos con necesidades educativas especiales. Algunos ejemplos efectivos son TOOLS, Early Childhood Preschool Program, SKIP, ACTNOW, PLEY, el Programa Perceptivo-Motor Capon y ASAP. De manera similar, otros programas como HS+POPS+IYS, TOOLS, JA-intervention, el Programa Perceptivo-Motor Capon, intervenciones basadas en juegos libres no estructurados combinados con mindfulness, y PATHS, pueden potenciar habilidades como la autorregulación, la autoestima, el bienestar emocional, la capacidad lúdica, el conocimiento emocional y reducir la ansiedad.

Fuente de la imagen: Pixabay

Aplicaciones Prácticas

Tras analizar los estudios revisados y los resultados obtenidos, se extrajeron algunas recomendaciones prácticas para profesionales que trabajan con niños en edad preescolar, dado que la competencia social y la autorregulación emocional están relacionadas con la salud mental a lo largo de la vida:

  • Fomentar el trabajo en parejas o pequeños grupos, dado que esto tiende a reducir el acoso escolar y la exclusión por parte de los compañeros, en comparación con ambientes poco supervisados.
  • Programar clases con una supervisión adecuada es más efectivo que dejar que los niños jueguen libremente todos los días. La combinación de aprendizaje supervisado y juego libre parece ser la mejor estrategia.
  • Aunque algunos estudios han encontrado mejoras tanto en intervenciones supervisadas como en el juego libre, se recomienda seguir investigando el potencial del juego libre. Sin embargo, los programas supervisados aseguran actividades grupales que, según otros análisis, son beneficiosas para la competencia social.
  • Las habilidades de autorregulación mejoran cuando se utilizan programas que combinan teorías de cognición social con técnicas de observación, aprendizaje y refuerzo, como la retroalimentación detallada, juegos de roles y entrenamientos para modelar comportamientos positivos
  • Los ejercicios planificados y dirigidos por un instructor, incluyendo juegos de simulación con estrategias escritas creadas por los propios niños, favorecen el desarrollo del autocontrol.
  • La combinación de intervenciones basadas en el ejercicio físico junto con prácticas de mindfulness contribuye a mejorar el bienestar emocional y la disposición lúdica.
  • Las lecciones interactivas y el apoyo para aplicar competencias socioemocionales son apropiados para fomentar el conocimiento emocional.

En definitiva, estos hallazgos sugieren estrategias prácticas y respaldadas por la evidencia para potenciar tanto la competencia social como la autorregulación emocional en niños en edad preescolar, contribuyendo así a su desarrollo saludable a corto y largo plazo.

Artículo original

García, N., & Rico-González, M. (2025). El impacto de la educación física en la competencia social y emocional de niñas y niños de edad prescolar: una revisión sistemática de ensayos controlados aleatorios. PUBLICACIONES, 55(1), 13–42. https://doi.org/10.30827/publicaciones.v55i1.34180

LINK: https://revistaseug.ugr.es/index.php/publicaciones/article/view/34180

Referencias

Aadland, E., Tjomsland, H. E., Johannessen, K., Nilsen, A. K. O., Resaland, G. K., Glosvik, Ø., Lykkebø, O., Stokke, R., Andersen, L. B., Anderssen, S. A., Pfeiffer, K. A., Tomporowski, P. D., Størksen, I., Bartholomew, J. B., Ommundsen, Y., Howard, S. J., Okely, A. D., & Aadland, K. N. (2020). Active Learning Norwegian Preschool(er)s (ACTNOW) – Design of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of Staff Professional Development to Promote Physical Activity, Motor Skills, and Cognition in Preschoolers. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1382. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01382

Aboud, F. E. (2006). Evaluation of an early childhood preschool program in rural Bangladesh. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21(1), 46–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2006.01.008

Boyd, B. A., Watson, L. R., Reszka, S. S., Sideris, J., Alessandri, M., Baranek, G. T., Crais, E. R., Donaldson, A., Gutierrez, A., Johnson, L., & Belardi, K. (2018). Efficacy of the ASAP Intervention for Preschoolers with ASD: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(9), 3144–3162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3584-z

Caldwell, H. A. T., Spencer, R. A., Joshi, N., Branje, K., Cawley, J., Hobson, H., Kirk, S. F. L., Stevens, D., & Stone, M. R. (2023). Impact of an outdoor loose parts play intervention on Nova Scotian preschoolers’ physical literacy: A mixed-methods randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1126. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16030-x

Cruz, B. D. Q., & Pottker, C. A. (2017). As contribuições da equoterapia para o  desenvolvimento psicomotor da criança com transtorno de espectro autista.

Diamond, A., Lee, C., Senften, P., Lam, A., & Abbott, D. (2019). Randomized control trial of Tools of the Mind: Marked benefits to kindergarten children and their teachers. PLOS ONE, 14(9), e0222447. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222447

Eninger, L., Ferrer-Wreder, L., Eichas, K., Olsson, T. M., Hau, H. G., Allodi, M. W., Smedler, A.-C., Sedem, M., Gull, I. C., & Herkner, B. (2021). A Cluster Randomized Trial of Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS®) With Swedish Preschool Children. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 695288. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695288

Gil-Moreno, J., & Rico-González, M. (2023). The Effects of Physical Education on Preschoolers’ Emotional Intelligence: A Systematic Review. Sustainability.

Goncalves, F. (2010). Psicomotricidade & educação física: Quem quer brincar põe o  dedo aqui. Cultural RBL Editora.

Jiang, C., & Shi, J. (2024). The relationship between bullying victimization and problematic behaviors: A focus on the intrapersonal emotional competence and interpersonal social competence. Child Abuse & Neglect, 152, 106800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106800

Kaale, A., Smith, L., & Sponheim, E. (2012). A randomized controlled trial of preschool‐based joint attention intervention for children with autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53(1), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02450.x

Lee, R., Lane, S., Tang, A., Leung, C., Kwok, S., Louie, L., Browne, G., & Chan, S. (2020). Effects of an Unstructured Free Play and Mindfulness Intervention on Wellbeing in Kindergarten Students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(15), 5382. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17155382

Lumeng, J. C., Miller, A. L., Horodynski, M. A., Brophy-Herb, H. E., Contreras, D., Lee, H., Sturza, J., Kaciroti, N., & Peterson, K. E. (2017). Improving Self-Regulation for Obesity Prevention in Head Start: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatrics, 139(5), e20162047. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2047

Martinez-Merino, N., & Rico-González, M. (2024). Effects of Physical Education on Preschool Children’s Physical Activity Levels and Motor, Cognitive, and Social Competences: A Systematic Review. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.

Martín-García, A., & Rico-González, M. (2023). The effect of free play on preschoolers’ physical activity level and motor, cognitive, and socioemotional competences: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.

Moore, J. B., Guy, L. M., & Reeve, T. G. (1984). Effects of the Capon Perceptual-Motor Program on Motor Ability, Self-Concept, and Academic Readiness. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 58(3), 711–714. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1984.58.3.711

Mu, Y., & Du, B. (2024). Peer factors and prosocial behavior among Chinese adolescents from difficult families. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 815. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50292-0

Mulvey, K. L., Miedema, S. T., Stribing, A., Gilbert, E., & Brian, A. (2020). SKIPing Together: A Motor Competence Intervention Promotes Gender-Integrated Friendships for Young Children. Sex Roles, 82(9–10), 550–557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-019-01079-z

Rico-González, M., Martínez-Merino, N., Ardigò, L. P., & Smaland Goth, U. (2024). Using Physical Education Interventions to Prevent Bullying at School: A Systematic Review. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2024.2369138

Secondary School „Nicolae Iorga”, Romania, & Constantin, I. L. (2021). THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PSYCHOMOTRICITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE LIFE CYCLE. The Science of Physical Culture, 36/2. https://doi.org/10.52449/1857-4114.2020.36-2.02

Serrano Sarmiento, Á., & Sanz Ponce, R. (2019). Reflexiones y propuestas prácticas para desarrollar la capacidad de resiliencia frente a los conflictos en la escuela. PUBLICACIONES, 49(1), 177–190. https://doi.org/10.30827/publicaciones.v49i1.9861

Solomon, T., Plamondon, A., O’Hara, A., Finch, H., Goco, G., Chaban, P., Huggins, L., Ferguson, B., & Tannock, R. (2018). A Cluster Randomized-Controlled Trial of the Impact of the Tools of the Mind Curriculum on Self-Regulation in Canadian Preschoolers. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2366. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02366

Zorrilla-Silvestre, L., Valverde Esteve, T., Carreguí Ballester, J., & Gómez Delgado, A. (2019). Emotional strategies in physical education through learning service: Application of the “feel while playing” program in primary students. PUBLICACIONES, 49(4), 165–181. https://doi.org/10.30827/publicaciones.v49i4.11734

 

Cómo citar esta entrada:

García, Nerea y Rico-González, Markel. (2025). ¿Puede la Educación Física influir en la mejora de las habilidades sociales y la inteligencia emocional de los prescolares? Aula Magna [Blog]. https://cuedespyd.hypotheses.org/20187


[i] Graduada en Educación Infantil.

[ii] Profesor Ayudante en el Departamento de Didáctica de la Expresión Musical, Plástica y Corporal de la Universidad del País Vasco (UPV-EHU), España. Es autor de más de 100 artículos científicos en revistas especializadas y más de 20 capítulos de libros. Además, es editor de los libros The Use of Applied Technology in Team Sport (Routledge, 2021) y Physical Education in Early Childhood: Movement and Development from 3 to 6 Years (Routledge, 2026).

 


OpenEdition le sugiere que cite este post de la siguiente manera:
Aula Magna 2.0 (21 de noviembre de 2025). ¿Puede la Educación Física influir en la mejora de las habilidades sociales y la inteligencia emocional de los prescolares? Aula Magna 2.0. Recuperado 16 de marzo de 2026 de https://doi.org/10.58079/156nv


Deja una respuesta

Tu dirección de correo electrónico no será publicada. Los campos obligatorios están marcados con *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.