Associations between overexcitabilities and playfulness of kindergarten children

This study examined the associations between overexcitabilities and playfulness of Chinese kindergarten children in Hong Kong. Participants were 107 children (43.4 % girls, mean age = 60.1 months) and their parents. Parents reported their child’s overexcitabilities (imaginational, psychomotor, sensual, intellectual, and emotional), playfulness (physical spontaneity, social spontaneity, cognitive spontaneity, manifest joy, and sense of humor), household play choices, and household play opportunities through a questionnaire. The hierarchical regressions showed that, controlling for child age, gender, household play choices, and household play opportunities, children’s imaginational overexcitability was significantly predictive of their cognitive spontaneity, manifest joy, and sense of humor. Children’s psychomotor overexcitability was associated with their physical spontaneity, social spontaneity, and manifest joy, whereas their intellectual overexcitability was a significant predictor of social spontaneity and cognitive spontaneity. Theoretically, these findings suggest that children’s overexcitabilities may predispose them to certain play styles. Practically, results highlight the utility of creating a play context that embraces children’s diverse characteristics of overexcitability as this approach may cultivate their creativity. Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.