Efectos de la Gamificación en el Desarrollo Cognitivo de Niños en Etapa Preescolar

Justification: In preschool education, children increasingly interact with digital environments, which requires active, motivating, and participatory learning experiences. Gamification is proposed as an innovative strategy to address these needs. Objective: To analyze the effects of gamification on the cognitive development of preschool children. Methodology: A non-experimental, cross-sectional design with a mixed approach (quantitative and qualitative) was employed. Participants included 40 preschool children, 40 caregivers, and 2 teachers, selected through convenience sampling. Surveys, interviews, and observations were conducted using two questionnaires and an observation checklist validated by experts. The instruments assessed children’s participation, motivation, and cognitive skills, showing high validity and reliability (CVI > 0.91; Cronbach’s Alpha 0.87–0.91). Results: Teachers and caregivers agreed that gamification increases children’s motivation, participation, and curiosity, although concentration and collaboration vary among individuals. Observations indicated that 100% of children participated enthusiastically, while 35–52.5% explored new dynamics, communicated, classified objects, recalled stories, and established relationships between concepts, showing significant progress alongside areas needing additional support. Conclusion: Gamification has a significant impact on the cognitive development of preschool children.