Estrategias lúdicas para desarrollar la inteligencia emocional en educación inicial: Unidad Educativa “Fe y Alegría”

Objective: Analyze the impact of playful strategies based on gamification on the development of emotional intelligence in preschool children at the "Fe y Alegría" Educational Unit in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, given the importance of strengthening socio-emotional competencies from early childhood. Methodology: A descriptive case study design was employed with a sample of 49 children aged 3 to 4 years (Initial I and II). Four playful activities aimed at emotional recognition, expression, and regulation were implemented, evaluated through direct observation and performance rubrics. The data were processed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05) to compare independent groups. Results: Both levels achieved an overall performance categorized as "Good," with a general average of 11 points. The activities facilitated the identification of basic emotions, the verbal expression of affective states, and empathetic behaviors. No statistically significant differences were found between Initial I and Initial II (p = 0.739), indicating homogeneity in the results. Conclusions: The playful strategies implemented significantly contributed to the strengthening of emotional intelligence, promoting self-awareness, empathy, and positive social interaction. Its systematic application in early childhood education represented an effective pedagogical alternative to enhance holistic child development. It was recommended to expand future research by incorporating contextual variables and comparisons between different educational environments.