Motor Activities Strengthen Islamic Learning in Early Childhood Education: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Motor activities have increasingly been recognized as an important component of early childhood education; however, their contribution to Islamic education remains fragmented across the literature. This study investigated how motor activities support Islamic learning among young children by addressing three research questions: (1) What forms of motor activities are implemented in Islamic education? (2) How do these activities facilitate children's understanding of Islamic concepts, values, and practices? and (3) What contributions do they make to children's cognitive, affective, and psychomotor development? An integrative review design was employed to synthesize empirical evidence published between 2017 and 2025. A systematic search of Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar identified 45 potentially relevant studies, from which 17 peer-reviewed journal articles met the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using an integrative thematic synthesis approach. The review identified three major findings. First, motor activities in Islamic education include practical worship movements, Sunnah-based outdoor activities, traditional games, and Islamic educational play materials. Second, motor activities function as experiential learning strategies that translate abstract religious concepts into meaningful learning experiences while strengthening independence, moral behavior, and habitual worship through repeated practice. Third, integrating motor activities contributes holistically to children's cognitive, affective, and psychomotor development by improving attention, visual memory, emotional regulation, cooperation, physical coordination, and the performance of daily religious practices. These findings highlight the pivotal role of motor experiences in facilitating the internalization of Islamic values and suggest that movement-based learning should become an integral pedagogical approach in early childhood Islamic education.