The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations between 5-year-olds' leadership and
playfulness according to peer popularity type and gender. Subjects of this study were 38 popular
children and 38 unpopular children out of 125 children who were conducted by Peer Popularity Test
in a kindergarten and a nursery school in D city. To examine leadership style and playfulness
according to young children's peer popularity type and gender, based on popularity types and gender.
The findings of this study were as follows: First, leadership had significant differences in visionary,
coaching, affiliative, and democratic style according to the peer popularities, and difference in
democratic style according to the genders. Second, children's playfulness had difference in the social
spontaneity according to the peer popularities, and differences in physical spontaneity, cognitive
spontaneity, and humor sense according to the genders. Third, there was a significantly positive
correlation between leadership of pacesetting and commanding style and physical spontaneity
playfulness according to peer popularity types, but there was no correlation between leadership and
playfulness according to the genders. Therefore, this study will help teachers to recognize the
importance of the children's peer popularity, leadership, and playfulness and to understand children's
social relationships and social aspect in various contexts and social interactions