Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Four Temporary Waterslide Designs Adapted to Different Slope Conditions to Encourage Child Socialization in Playgrounds
06:00

Four Temporary Waterslide Designs Adapted to Different Slope Conditions to Encourage Child Socialization in Playgrounds

Published on: December 9, 2022

2.2K

Foundational Movement Skills and Play Behaviors during Recess among Preschool Children: A Compositional Analysis

Lawrence Foweather1, Matteo Crotti1, Jonathan D Foulkes1

  • 1Research Institute for Sport & Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AT, UK.

Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Preschool recess play without equipment positively impacts foundational movement skills (FMS). However, a richer playground environment with varied equipment is needed to fully develop FMS in children.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Motor Learning
  • Physical Education

Background:

  • Foundational movement skills (FMS) are crucial for children's physical health and participation in physical activity.
  • Preschool recess offers a unique opportunity for children to engage in play behaviors that may influence FMS development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between different types of play behaviors during preschool recess and FMS in typically developing children.
  • To determine if specific play behavior compositions are linked to better locomotor and object-control skills.

Main Methods:

  • Video-assessment of 133 preschool children (mean age 4.7 years) using the Champs Motor Skill Protocol for 12 FMS.
  • Modified System for Observing Children's Activity and Relationships during Play to assess recess play behaviors.
  • Compositional data analysis and linear regression to analyze associations between play behaviors and FMS.

Main Results:

  • Time spent in play without equipment was positively associated with total and locomotor FMS.
  • Time spent in locomotion activities showed a negative association with total and locomotor FMS.
  • No significant associations were found between activity level, group size, and FMS.

Conclusions:

  • Play behavior type during recess is associated with FMS development in preschoolers.
  • While unstructured play without equipment is beneficial, a diverse playground environment with varied equipment is recommended to enhance FMS.
  • Future research should explore the impact of specific equipment on FMS acquisition during play.

Keywords:
cross-sectionalearly childhoodearly childhood education centersfundamental movement skillsmotor skillsobservationalphysical literacyplaypreschoolyoung children

More Related Videos

Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools11:29

Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools

Published on: June 20, 2020

9.4K
A Tablet-Based Curriculum-Based Measurement Protocol for Kindergarten Writing15:00

A Tablet-Based Curriculum-Based Measurement Protocol for Kindergarten Writing

Published on: February 7, 2025

852

Related Concept Videos

Social Foundations of Self I: Play and Game01:24

Social Foundations of Self I: Play and Game

The development of self in children is deeply rooted in social interactions, mainly through stages of play and structured games. These stages, outlined by sociologist George Herbert Mead, illustrate how children progressively learn to understand and adopt social roles, forming a cohesive sense of self.The Play Stage: Imitation and Simple Role-TakingIn the early years of childhood, the play stage is characterized by imitative behavior, where children engage in role-playing based on familiar...
49
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other01:20

Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other

According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group...
57
Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
211
Naturalistic Observations02:30

Naturalistic Observations

If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...
16.7K
Piaget's Stage 3 of Cognitive Development01:17

Piaget's Stage 3 of Cognitive Development

During Piaget's concrete operational stage, from ages 7 to 11, children exhibit a marked increase in logical thinking skills, specifically in relation to tangible, real-world events. This stage is characterized by the development of several essential cognitive concepts, including conservation, reversibility, and classification, all of which support the child's evolving capacity for structured thought.
Conservation and Constancy of Quantity
A significant cognitive milestone in the...
762
Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development01:14

Piaget's Stage 1 of Cognitive Development

The sensorimotor stage, the initial phase of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, spans the first two years of a child's life. During this period, infants actively engage with their surroundings, building cognitive awareness through direct interaction with the world. This interaction is primarily based on sensory perception and motor actions, allowing infants to gradually understand basic physical properties and predict how objects interact within their environment.
Exploration...
1.1K