Pedagogical strategies based on play to improve emotional self-regulation in early childhood education

Abstract

Socio-emotional development and self-regulation in early childhood form the foundation for holistic well-being and subsequent academic success. In recent years, early childhood classrooms have faced new social and emotional challenges that require innovative and effective pedagogical approaches. The aim of this research is to conduct a systematic review analyzing the most recent scientific evidence on the effects of play-based educational strategies on improving emotional self-regulation in children aged 3 to 6 years. A systematic review was used as the methodology, employing rigorous literature searches in effective databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and ERIC for the years 2020 to 2026. The results of the review show that methodologies based on structured and guided play increase inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and frustration management in early childhood. It also highlights that intentional teacher mediation acts as a critical moderator in the transformation of leisure activities into sustainable socio-emotional skills and identifies theoretical gaps in the integration of these practices in rural and vulnerable environments.