Effects of Laughter Yoga and Finger Puppet Play in Preschool Children

March 22, 2026 updated by: Sadiye Dur, Izmir Democracy University

The Effect of Laughter Yoga and Finger Puppet Play Behavior on Social-Emotional Well-Being and Psychological Resilience in Preschool Children

This study aimed to examine the effects of Laughter Yoga and Finger Puppet on preschool children's play behavior, social-emotional well-being, and psychological resilience. 90 children in Buca, İzmir, were randomly assigned to three groups: Laughter Yoga, Finger Puppet, or a Control group. The Laughter Yoga group participated in two sessions per week for four weeks, and the Finger Puppet group participated in two sessions per week for two weeks. Data were collected with the help of parents and teachers using questionnaires and observation scales.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The preschool period is a critical developmental stage in which children's growth is supported through play-based approaches and structured activities. During this period, providing experiences that foster cognitive and social-emotional development plays a significant role in the acquisition of fundamental skills. Laughter Yoga and Finger Puppet are among the non-pharmacological and non-invasive intervention methods that support children's development. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of these interventions on play behavior, social-emotional well-being, and psychological resilience in preschool children.

The study was carried out using a randomized controlled pretest-posttest design including two intervention groups and one control group. A total of 90 preschool children enrolled in a kindergarten in the Buca district of İzmir during the 2024-2025 academic year were selected using a random numbers table and assigned to the Laughter Yoga (n = 30), Finger Puppet (n = 30), and Control (n = 30) groups through the URN randomization method. The Laughter Yoga group received two sessions per week for four weeks, while the Finger Puppet group received two sessions per week for two weeks; no intervention was applied to the control group. Data were collected face-to-face with the guidance of parents and teachers using the Descriptive Characteristics Form for Children and Parents, the Play Behavior Scale for Children Aged 36-71 Months, and PERIK. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. The normality of the data distribution was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. For normally distributed data, paired samples t-tests were used for within-group comparisons, and independent samples t-tests were used for between-group comparisons. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

90

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children enrolled in the preschool of Sevgi-Ferit Akın Middle School during the 2024-2025 academic year.
  • Children aged between 36 and 72 months.
  • Children whose parents or legal guardians provide written informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Irregular attendance to intervention sessions.
  • Failure to complete all intervention sessions.
  • Withdrawal from the study by the child or parent/guardian's request.
  • Presence of intellectual or hearing disabilities.
  • Diagnosis of respiratory system diseases (e.g., asthma, bronchitis, dyspnea).
  • Diagnosis of inguinal hernia or epilepsy.
  • Having undergone abdominal surgery within the last 3-6 months.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Laughter Yoga Group
The Laughter Yoga group participated in two sessions per week for four weeks. Each session included guided laughter exercises, breathing techniques, and playful movements designed to support social-emotional development and psychological resilience in preschool children.
Behavioral: Laughter Yoga
The Laughter Yoga intervention consisted of two sessions per week for four weeks. Each session included guided laughter exercises, playful movements, and breathing techniques led by a trained instructor.
Experimental: Finger Puppet Group
The Finger Puppet group participated in two sessions per week for two weeks. Each session included interactive finger puppet activities guided by the researcher, designed to encourage imaginative play, social-emotional skills, and psychological resilience in preschool children.
Behavioral: Finger Puppet
The Finger Puppet intervention consisted of two sessions per week for two weeks. Each session included interactive finger puppet activities guided by the researcher, designed to encourage imaginative play, improve social-emotional skills, and promote psychological resilience in preschool children.
No Intervention: Control Group
The control group did not receive any intervention. Participants continued their regular daily activities without additional Laughter Yoga or Finger Puppet sessions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Play Behavior Scale For Children Aged 36-71 Months
Time Frame: Laughter Yoga Group: 4 weeks, Finger Puppet Group: 2 weeks
The Play Behavior Scale for Children Aged 36-71 Months, developed by Rubin (2001) was adapted to Turkish and its validity and reliability were established by Aslan (2017). The scale consists of 21 items across five subscales: "Quiet Behavior" (items 1-5), "Solitary Play" (items 6-9), "Parallel Play" (items 10-14), "Social Play" (items 15-19), and "Rough-and-Tumble Play" (items 20-21). A five-point Likert scale is used for scoring, ranging from "Never (1)," "Rarely (2)," "Sometimes (3)," "Often (4)," to "Always (5)." Since the content of the items differs across subscales, a total play behavior score is not calculated by summing all items.
Laughter Yoga Group: 4 weeks, Finger Puppet Group: 2 weeks
Social Emotional Well-Being and Psychological Resilience Scale for Preschool Children (PERIK)
Time Frame: Laughter Yoga Group: 4 weeks, Finger Puppet Group: 2 weeks
The Social-Emotional Well-Being and Psychological Resilience Scale (PERIK) for preschool children, developed by Mayr and Ulich (2009), was validated for Turkish by Özbey (2019). The scale consists of six subscales-communication/social performance, self-control/conscientiousness, assertiveness, emotional stability/stress coping, task orientation, and enjoyment of exploration-and includes a total of 36 items. A five-point Likert scale is used for assessment: Always (5), Often (4), Sometimes (3), Rarely (2), Never (1). The maximum possible score for each subscale is 30, and the minimum possible score is 1.
Laughter Yoga Group: 4 weeks, Finger Puppet Group: 2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Izmir Democracy University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 31, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 7, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

May 12, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 22, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 22, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IDU-NURSING-SD-02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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