Using a group game increases preschoolers' step count.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric physical activity
• Behavioral interventions in education
• Childhood health and wellness

Background:

• Children require 60 minutes of daily physical activity for healthy development.
• Contingent attention is a proven method for enhancing moderate to vigorous physical activity.
• Recess provides a key opportunity for increasing physical activity in preschoolers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a group game on preschoolers' physical activity levels.
• To assess the effectiveness of the 'T-Rex game' in increasing steps per minute during recess.
• To determine if contingent attention within a game can enhance physical activity in an inclusive classroom.

Main Methods:

• A group game, the 'T-Rex game,' was implemented in an inclusive preschool classroom.
• The game incorporated rules where natural attention followed moderate to vigorous physical activity.
• Steps per minute were measured during baseline and intervention phases to track physical activity.

Main Results:

• A functional relationship was observed between the group game and step count.
• Students exhibited significantly higher step counts when participating in the T-Rex game compared to baseline.
• The intervention demonstrated a positive effect on physical activity levels during recess.

Conclusions:

• Contingent attention embedded in group games can effectively increase physical activity in preschoolers.
• The T-Rex game serves as a viable strategy for promoting higher step counts during recess.
• Findings support the use of game-based behavioral interventions to foster healthy physical activity habits in young children.