The Effect of Play on The Development of Social Skills Among Pre-School Pupils: A Case Study of Selected Schools in Kiambaa Constituency, Kiambu County

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of play on the development of social skills among pre-school pupils. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. They included; what is the description of play in the context of pre-school children’s education? How is play implemented in private and public kindergartens? And how can educators utilize play to further the development of social skills among pre-school children? The study employed descriptive survey design. The target population was preschools in Kiambaa Constituency of Kiambu County. Five schools were randomly selected for the study with each providing five teachers for the study. The sample size was 30 respondents in total. The researcher utilized questionnaires as study tools together with observation schedules. The instruments were piloted in Ndumberi Early Childhood Development. The study revealed that availability of play materials influenced children’s social skills development. The study findings also indicated that children were involved in physical activities such as physical play (70%). The teachers were also found to engage the pupils in outdoor activities which were found to be influencing the pupil’s social skills development. Majority of the teachers (76%) were found to be participating in plays with their pupils. Forty percent of the teachers were found to be engaging their pupils fully during their entire play time. Sixty four percent of the teachers agreed to the fact that their schools had adequate play resources while 36% lacked enough play resources. Seventy three percent of the educators used play to further the development of the social skills among the preschool pupils. Based on the findings it is recommended that schools need to be provided with the required learning materials which include playthings to enhance social skills development.