Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 27, 2025
Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
Impact of the Childcare Physical Activity (PLAY) Policy on Young Children's Physical Activity and Sedentary Time: A
Monika Szpunar1, Molly Driediger2, Andrew M Johnson1,3
1Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
Insights
The Childcare Physical Activity (PLAY) policy increased light physical activity in young children attending childcare. This pilot study suggests the policy shows promise for improving movement behaviors in this age group.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Child Development
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Daily physical activity is vital for early childhood development.
- Canadian childcare centers lack formal physical activity policies.
- The Childcare Physical Activity (PLAY) policy offers a structured approach to enhance children's activity, outdoor play, and reduce sedentary time.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the Childcare PLAY policy on physical activity and sedentary time in children aged 18 months to 4 years.
- To assess the policy's effectiveness in a childcare setting.
Main Methods:
- A cluster randomized controlled trial involving nine childcare centers in London, Ontario.
- Children wore accelerometers for five days during childcare hours at multiple time points (baseline, mid-, post-intervention, 6-month follow-up).
- Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze data, with an adjusted alpha of p < 0.017.
Main Results:
- A total of 148 children provided valid accelerometry data.
- The PLAY policy intervention led to a significant increase in light physical activity at the six-month follow-up (+1.07 min/h, 11.16% increase; p = 0.0017).
- No statistically significant effects were observed on total physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, or sedentary time.
Conclusions:
- The Childcare PLAY policy effectively increased light physical activity in toddlers and preschoolers.
- This pilot intervention shows potential for improving movement behaviors in childcare settings.
- Further research with larger, diverse samples is recommended to confirm feasibility and effectiveness.
Abstract:
Background: The importance of daily physical activity is crucial for healthy development during the early years. Currently, a formal written physical activity policy is lacking in Canadian childcare centers, but holds promise for offering consistent physical activity opportunities. With eight recommendations, the Childcare PLAY policy is an evidence-informed, institutional-level document, targeting children's physical activity, outdoor play, and sedentary time. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Childcare Physical Activity (PLAY) policy on the physical activity and sedentary time of young children (18 months-4 years) in childcare. Methods: Nine childcare centers in London, Ontario participated in the cluster, randomized controlled trial. The centers in the control condition (n = 4) continued their typical daily routines, while the centers in the intervention condition (n = 5) implemented the PLAY policy for eight weeks. To assess physical activity levels, toddlers and preschoolers wore ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers for five consecutive days during childcare hours, at baseline, mid- and post-intervention, and at the six-month follow-up. Raw accelerometry data were converted to 15 s epochs, and age- and device-specific cut-points were applied. The participants with two or more days of at least 5 h/day of wear-time at baseline, and at one additional time point, were included in the linear mixed-effects models. An adjusted alpha (p < 0.017) was used to account for multiple comparison bias. Results: A total of 148 children (31.92 ± 7.41 months) had valid accelerometry data. The intervention resulted in a significant increase in light physical activity among the participants in the experimental group at the six-month follow-up (+1.07 min/h, an 11.16% increase; p = 0.0017). The intervention did not have a statistically significant effect on the total physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, or sedentary time. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the Childcare PLAY policy was effective at increasing the toddlers' and preschoolers' light physical activity. This pilot intervention appears promising for supporting some improved movement behaviors among children in childcare settings; however, additional investigations are needed to explore the feasibility and effectiveness with larger and more-diverse samples.
