Effects of Laughter Yoga and Finger Puppet Play in Preschool Children

NCT07496476 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: IDU-NURSING-SD-02
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Laughter Yoga; Psychological Well Being; Psychological Resilience

Keywords

Preschool Child; Psychological Well Being; Psychological Resilience; Laughter Yoga; Play

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Play Behavior Scale For Children Aged 36-71 Months

  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)

  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

Study Arms (3)

Laughter Yoga Group

EXPERIMENTAL

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

Finger Puppet Group

EXPERIMENTAL

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

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

The control group did not receive any intervention. Participants continued their regular daily activities without additional Laughter Yoga or Finger Puppet sessions.

Interventions

Laughter Yoga BEHAVIORAL

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.

Laughter Yoga Group

Finger Puppet BEHAVIORAL

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.

Finger Puppet Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 36 Months - 72 Months
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• 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.

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Izmir Democracy University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Sevgi-Ferit Akın Ortaokulu Preschool

Izmir, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Interventions

Laughter Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: This study used a parallel-group randomized controlled design with two intervention groups (Laughter Yoga and Finger Puppet) and one control group. Participants were randomly assigned to groups using the URN randomization method.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 22, 2026
• First Posted: March 27, 2026
• Study Start: March 31, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 7, 2025
• Study Completion: May 12, 2025
• Last Updated: March 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)