The relationship between children's play skills and social skills

This study aims to examine the relationship between children's play skills and social skills during the preschool period. The study group consisted of 200 preschool teachers working in early childhood education institutions located in Istanbul, Ankara, Balıkesir, and Bursa, Turkey, during the fall and spring semesters of the 2024–2025 academic year. The children involved in the study were between 48 and 72 months of age. Data were collected using the "Demographic Information Form," "Social Behavior Scale for Preschool Children," "Play Skills Assessment Scale," and "Social Skills Assessment Scale." The research employed a relational survey model, which is one of the quantitative research designs. Descriptive analyses were conducted for data evaluation. Independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation analysis were used. The level of statistical significance throughout the study was set at .05. The data were analyzed using a statistical software program, utilizing t-tests and ANOVA analyses. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between children's play skills and social skills during the preschool period, and findings indicated that children demonstrated a "positive and strong" level of skills in both areas. It was also examined whether these skills varied according to certain independent variables. The results revealed that skill levels did not significantly differ by gender, age group, or socioeconomic status. A weak but statistically significant relationship was found between self-control skills and both play and behavioral skills.