the Promoting social skills in early childhood using Thai folk game activities Ban Nang Lae Nai School

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) study appropriate Thai folk games for promoting social skills in preschool children and 2) compare the social skills of preschool children before and after experiencing Thai folk games. The target group consisted of 9 preschool children in the second semester of the 2024 academic year at Ban Nang Lae Nai School, Chiang Rai Province, selected using purposive sampling.

          The research tools used included: 1) 10 lesson plans for learning experiences using traditional Thai games, and 2) an assessment form for early childhood social skills. Data was analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and dependent samples t-test. The research results showed that: 1) Suitable Thai traditional games for promoting social skills in preschool children include Mon Son Pha (hide and seek), Re Re Khao San (rice harvesting game), Ngu Kin Hang (snake eating its tail), Ka Fak Kai (crow hatching eggs), and double jump rope, as these activities promote teamwork, waiting, sharing, and following agreements. 2) The social skills of preschool children after the intervention were significantly higher than before the intervention at the .05 statistical significance level. The post-intervention mean was 3.40 with a standard deviation of 0.55