Vol. 3 - 2026
Knowledge gaps in relation to the impact of structured play activities on emotional development in young children have been investigated through this research in relation to the therapeutic value of imaginative play as a method for the emotional development of preschoolers. This research has explored whether structured imaginative play activities lead to better results in emotional regulation compared to unstructured play activities, identified the elements of play which promote empathy and social awareness and the long-term therapeutic effects of structured play. Sample size included 180 preschoolers between the ages of three and five randomly selected from six schools in Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria. The Emotion Regulation Checklist, Empathy Questionnaire for Children and adolescents’ Methodical Behavioural Observations (EmQue), and Social Skills Improvement System were tools used for data collection. Participants received 45-minute interventions three times a week for 12 weeks in groups that are randomly assigned to structured imaginative play, unstructured play control, role-playing focused, and storytelling/creative dramatics. Assessments were conducted at baseline, after the intervention, and six months later. The results indicated that structured imaginative play was much more effective, showing the improvement in emotional regulation of 58.0%, compared to 21.1% in unstructured settings. However, while combinations of storytelling and creative dramatics are the most effective way to enhance social awareness (37.9%), role playing proves to be most efficient for the development of empathy (46.8%). Sustained effects with more than 100% of retention of initial gains for six months after the end of the study have been discovered. The results are highly relevant to the policy-making on the use of imaginative play in preschool age emotional development.
Early childhood education, Emotional development, Imaginative play, Preschool children
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