Drama-based kinesthetic engagement and motor skill development in kindergarten children: a play integrated intervention study

Introduction: Kinesthetic engagement based on drama is nowadays perceived as a developmentally adequate approach to developing fundamental motor skills (FMS) in early childhood. Objective: The aim of the study given was to determine the efficacy of an 8-week drama-based kinesthetic program on locomotors, object control, and stability skills among kindergarten children. Methodology: The children of the Al-Surra Kindergarten in Kuwait with an age of 4 to 6 years were quasi-randomly divided into experimental (EG, n = 20) and control group (CG, n = 20). The EG underwent a systematic 8-week drama-based intervention (3 times/week, 45 minutes/session) where the FMS was practiced by immersion in fantasy plots. Results. The EG showed a great improvement in each of the motor domains: 25-m sprint (1.25 s, 0.92), standing broad jump (1.53 cm, 2.87), softball throw (.47 m, 2.00), catch score (.55, 2.28), standing balance (2.56 s, 3.65), and beam walk 10-m (1.25 s, 3.13). Comparisons between groups established much larger improvements in the EG in all skills (partial η 2 =0.72-0.78, p