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‘Let them play’ the effect of active play on motor proficiency and social maturity of children

Taylor & Francis
Early Child Development and Care
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Abstract

Predominantly, childhood provides a window of opportunity for the promotion and development of social maturation and fundamental movement skills. The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of active play on the motor proficiency and social maturity of children. Thirty participants (age range: seven to nine years old) were randomly assigned to either an active play (n = 15) or a control (n = 15) groups. The intervention was 60 min/day, three days/week for four weeks for the active play group, while the control group did not participate in a specific training programme. All outcome variables (motor proficiency and social maturity) were measured twice (before and after the intervention). The significant results revealed that at the end of the intervention, the active play group showed improvement regarding outcome variables and had higher social maturity and motor proficiency, compared to the control group (p < .0001).

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... The basic characteristics of the nine included studies are shown in Table 1. The earliest study was published in 2011 [27], the most recent in 2023 [28], and the most intensive publication for the included studies was 2016-2019 (66.67%) [29][30][31][32][33][34]. Due to possible delays in publication, this study also collated the timing of the collection of posttest data for each study to obtain more accurate timing information. ...
... Due to possible delays in publication, this study also collated the timing of the collection of posttest data for each study to obtain more accurate timing information. Four studies did not report the posttest data collection time [27,28,33,35]. The other five studies reported the timing of posttest data collection [29][30][31][32]34], and all were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
... The other five studies reported the timing of posttest data collection [29][30][31][32]34], and all were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Geographically, three studies were from the UK (33.33%) [29,31,32] and Canada (33.33%) [30,33,35], respectively; and one study was from Iran (11.11%) [28], Australia (11.11%) [27] and Italy (11.11%) [34], respectively. ...
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Background Many countries worldwide face the problem of underdeveloped fundamental movement skills (FMS) in children. Active play (AP) holds significant potential for enhancing children’s FMS based on its free-choice and unstructured nature, as well as its ease of implementation and dissemination. Therefore, the primary objective of this systematic review was to determine the effects of AP interventions on FMS in typically developing children. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in six electronic databases, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan Fang Data, from database inception to May 30, 2024. The main inclusion criteria for literature screening included the intervention modality being AP, the outcome indicator as FMS, and the intervention being for typically developing children. Information on countries and regions, study types, experimental designs, sample characteristics, measurement methods, and intervention effects of the included literature were extracted for the included literature. To assess the risk of bias in the literature, the RoB2.0 tool was used for RCTs, while the ROBINS-I 2.0 tool was applied to non-RCTs. Result Of the 3,672 articles retrieved, 9 studies were ultimately included in this review. The risk of bias assessment identified 3 studies as having a low risk of bias and 6 as having a moderate risk. The AP interventions in these 9 studies exhibited varying characteristics, with individual intervention durations ranging from 45 to 60 min, intervention frequencies ranging from once a week to four times per week, and intervention periods spanning from 4 weeks to 6 months. FMS were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2), the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP), the Peabody Development Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2), and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC). Regarding the effects of AP interventions on children’s FMS, seven studies reported a significant effect, while two others reported no significant effect. Conclusion Although the results of the included studies are inconsistent, AP interventions generally demonstrate a positive effect on FMS in typically developing children. To better understand the potential of AP in developing FMS in children, high-quality AP interventions and more in-depth studies across diverse populations, settings, and timeframes are needed. Additionally, greater clarity is needed regarding the components of AP interventions and their quantitative relationships with FMS efficacy.
... The association between motor proficiency and social skills in typical early childhood development is evident in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies [19][20][21] . Quantitative findings of an intervention study involving seven-to nine-year-old children revealed that active play enhanced social maturity 22 , whereas qualitative reflections from a motor intervention in children aged two to five years suggested improvements in social skills 23 . While we expect social skills to improve following motor skills training, there is currently limited evidence to support a causal relationship between motor proficiency and social development. ...
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With limited evidence from intervention studies, causal relationships between motor competence and cognitive and social development have yet to be clearly established. In this research, we investigated whether a targeted training programme to improve fundamental movement skills (i.e., object control, locomotor) in young children would also lead to improvements in the cognitive (i.e., executive function) and social (i.e., socioemotional competence) domains. Using a two-arm group randomised intervention design, 185 children aged 36 to 60 months (mean 47.51, SD 8.11 months) were allocated to a motor skill intervention group or an active control group. The intervention was implemented over one school year, and outcomes were monitored across five time points. Longitudinal analysis was performed using hierarchical linear mixed-effects and latent growth curve models. Participation in the motor skill intervention led to higher rates of development of object control skills (p < 0.001) and executive function (p < 0.001). A dose‒response relationship was found in which those children who displayed greater development of object control skills over time also displayed greater development of executive function (p = 0.001). We found no significant effects of the intervention on locomotor skills, social behaviours, or socioemotional competence. These findings provide evidence of a causal relationship between motor and cognitive development.
... Several previous studies have discussed structured play and free play in children's physical activity [28], playtime activities participate in the development of long-term motor skills [29], and children's active play improves children's social development and basic motor skills [30]. With play-based learning, children can improve their physical (motor), mental and social abilities among their peers [31]. ...
... A pesar de ello, aunque con efecto moderado, la introducción de los juegos motores específicos ha contribuido a mejores resultados del grupo experimental. La introducción metódica de los mismos puede contribuir a depender en menor medida del tipo de profesor, su experiencia y feedback que aporta al alumno para conseguir los efectos deseados (Feleihi, Abedanzadeh, & Saemi, 2023). ...
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Este estudio analizó si la aplicación de dos programas de iniciación a la natación conseguía mejorar la autoestima corporal y socio afectiva de alumnos de cinco y seis años, y conocer cuál era más efectivo en dicha mejora. Sendos programas se aplicaron durante tres meses. Los programas se diseñaron bajo el planteamiento de etapas de la Real Federación Española de Natación. El primero se estableció en el grupo control (31 niñas y 27 niños), y el segundo en el grupo experimental (29 niñas y 23 niños). El grupo experimental incluyó la aplicación de juegos motores acuáticos diseñados para fomentar el conocimiento del propio cuerpo y el juego cooperativo. Los resultados mostraron que en el grupo experimental se lograron mejoras significativas de ambas autoestimas, mientras que en el grupo control solo mejoró la autoestima corporal. En la comparación entre grupos, el grupo experimental fue significativamente más eficiente en ambas autoestimas. No se encontraron diferencias en función del sexo. Se concluye que la utilización de los juegos motores orientados al conocimiento del propio cuerpo, y los juegos cooperativos son más eficaces para la mejora de ambas autoestimas. De este modo es conveniente su uso en las clases de iniciación a la natación.
... A pesar de ello, aunque con efecto moderado, la introducción de los juegos motores específicos ha contribuido a mejores resultados del grupo experimental. La introducción metódica de los mismos puede contribuir a depender en menor medida del tipo de profesor, su experiencia y feedback que aporta al alumno para conseguir los efectos deseados (Feleihi, Abedanzadeh, & Saemi, 2023). ...
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This study analyzed whether the application of two swimming initiation programs managed to improve the bodily and socio-affective self-esteem of five- and six-year-old students, in addition to knowing which of the two programs was more effective in said improvement. For this, two programs were applied with a duration of three months. The programs were designed under the stage teaching approach of the Royal Spanish Swimming Federation. The first program was established in the control group (31 girls and 27 boys) and the second program in the experimental group (29 girls and 23 boys). The program of the experimental group included as a fundamental variant the application of specific aquatic motor games designed with the aim of promoting knowledge of one's own body and collaborative play. The results obtained showed that the experimental group achieved significant improvements in both self-esteem. In the control group, only body self-esteem improved. In the comparison between groups, the experimental group that included motor games to promote body awareness, and collaborative play was significantly more efficient in improving both self-esteem. On the other hand, no differences related to sex were found. https://revistas.um.es/reifop/article/view/570041.
... Active play involving vigorous movement is associated with a more optimal level of child development. [11]. Specifically, preschoolers who engage in group physical activities have more effective social skills and fewer internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems [12]. ...
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Physical activity can influence cognitive, linguistic, and emotional development from an early age in a positive way, emphasizing the importance of play in the daily activities of children. The aim was to describe the association between the weekly time spent by preschoolers in games that included physical activity and their child development, comparing that development when the game was played in the company of others. Fifty Chilean preschoolers with typically normative development (51.20 ± 9.92 months) participated. Sociodemographic data were collected employing an ad-hoc questionnaire. Parents recorded the types of games their children played for one week, the time spent, and with whom they played them. Finally, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire 3rd edition and socioemotional (ASQ-3 and ASQ-SE) were applied to assess child development in different areas. Those preschoolers who spent more time playing with weekly physical activity had higher scores in the communication area that included expressive and comprehensive communication (p=0.01), emotional communication (p≤0.05), socio-individual development (p=0.001), and adaptive functioning (p≤0.05). Likewise, children who performed plays that included physical activity with nearby adults showed higher scores in ASQ-SE adaptive functioning area (p≤0.05). The frequency of active play employed by preschoolers seems to influence different areas of child development associated with social factors.
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Introduction An active play is designed to increase children’s physical activity levels and fundamental movement skills through outdoor play and is well-suited to the needs of children with intellectual disabilities. However, no active play interventions have included children with intellectual disabilities. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of a school-based active play intervention for children with intellectual disabilities. Method Children aged 7–12 years who had intellectual disabilities and were independently ambulatory were eligible. This single-group 17-week intervention was implemented in two additional support needs schools. It consisted of a weekly 1-h active play session incorporating 30 min of structured games and 30 min of free play. Feasibility of recruitment/retention, adherence, and outcome measures were investigated. Outcome measures included school-based physical activity (ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer), fundamental movement skills (Test of Gross Motor Development-2), and social interactions (Playground Observation of Peer Engagement). Staff feedback was collected via open-ended questionnaire. Feasibility was investigated using descriptive statistics and questionnaire data analyzed using thematic analysis. Potential pre-post changes were investigated for school-based physical activity, fundamental movement skills, and social interactions using paired samples t tests. The progression criteria were (1) > 50% of eligible participants recruited, (2) > 50% of recruited participants retained, (3) > 50% of active play sessions spent in MVPA, and (4) > 50% of participants complete outcome measurements. Results All progression criteria were met. Recruitment and retention rates were 100% ( n =21 participants). Intervention adherence was high, based on data from n =1 school, with 90% of participants attending all sessions. Measuring physical activity using accelerometry and fundamental movement skills using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 were feasible. The Playground Observation of Peer Engagement tool to measure social interactions was not feasible. The only significant increase post-intervention was for social interactions during structured play (pre–post mean difference: –1.46, 95% CI −1.99, −0.93). Staff feedback was positive with the intervention well received by schools and potential benefits post-intervention identified by teachers. Conclusion The Go2Play Active Play intervention is feasible for children with intellectual disabilities. Future research should further investigate feasibility and implementation on a larger scale using a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial. Trial registration ISRCTN registry: ISRCTN10277566 .
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Abstract The growth of all aspects of the child's existential origins arises. Environmental affordances are considered as a provocative factor to exploit opportunities and promote developmental change. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of play in two space, natural outdoor and indoor space on the social and perceptual development of preschool children. For this purpose, semi-experimental research design with pretest–posttest design and two homogeneous groups was used by convenient method. Statistical sample of research were 30 pre-school children aged 4/5-6/5 that 15 of them at the Natural School (natural outdoor space) and 15 in kindergarten (indoor space) registered. To measure social development, the Vineland Social Maturity Scale and to assess perceptual development, the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration was used. Results of mixed ANOVA showed that activity in outdoor and indoor, had a positive and significant effect on the social and perceptual development of children, but playing in nature had a greater effect on the social and perceptual development of children than indoor space. So that 84% of changes in social age and 88% of changes in their visual motor Integration were due to outdoor activities. Therefore, the natural environment has a greater improvement in the social and perceptual development of children. Keywords: Freely Play, Nature, Social Development, Perceptual Development, Preschool Children.
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Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) has been one of the main psychological assessment tools for the evaluation of social and adaptive functions for several decades globally as well as in India. In addition to assessing social competence, VSMS is also used as a substitute test to assess intelligence when other core intelligence tests cannot be used due to various reasons, such as poor speech ability and in conditions where the child is not cooperative. The original version (Doll, 1953) was adapted to the Indian setting by A.J. Malin (1965) and later it saw further modification by Bharat Raj (1992). However, due to the extreme difficulty of obtaining the manuals, especially the Indian adapted, several errors have crept in over the years in its administration as well as scoring. Two important errors that need immediate attention of the professionals are the maximum possible Chronological Age (CA) to be considered and the way the final Social Age (SA) is calculated. In this regard, to help in arriving at a consensus across professionals, this article will discuss few of the important aspects in administration and scoring with appropriate examples.
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Background Few school settings offer opportunities for preschool children to engage in structured physical activity, and only a few studies have been conducted examining exergaming's effectiveness on health outcomes in this age group. This study's purpose, therefore, was to examine a school-based exergaming intervention's effect on preschool children's perceived competence (PC), motor skill competence (MSC), and physical activity versus usual care (recess), as well as to examine gender differences for these outcomes. Methods A total of 65 preschool children from 2 underserved urban schools were assigned to 1 of 2 conditions, with the school as the experimental unit: (1) usual care recess group (8 weeks of 100min of recess/week (5 days × 20 min)) and (2) exergaming intervention group (8 weeks of 100min of exergaming/week (5 days × 20 min) at school). All children underwent identical assessments of PC, MSC, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at baseline and at the end of the 8th week. Results A significant Group × Time effect was observed for MVPA, F(1, 52) = 4.37, p = 0.04, ηp2 = 0.04, but not for PC, F(1, 52) = 0.83, p = 0.37, ηp2 = 0.02, or MSC, F(1, 52) = 0.02, p = 0.88, ηp2 = 0.00. Specifically, the intervention children displayed significantly greater increased MVPA after 8weeks than the comparison children. Additionally, there was a significant time effect for MSC, F(1, 52) = 15.61, p < 0.01, ηp2 = 0.23, and gender effect for MVPA, F(1, 52) = 5.06, p = 0.02, ηp2 = 0.09. Although all preschoolers’ MSC improved across time, boys demonstrated greater MVPA than girls at both time points. Conclusion Exergaming showed a positive effect in promoting preschool children's MVPA at school and has the potential to enhance PC and MSC. More research with larger sample sizes and longer study durations are warranted.
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Previous research on associations between screen time and psychological well-being among children and adolescents has been conflicting, leading some researchers to question the limits on screen time suggested by physician organizations. We examined a large (n = 40,337) national random sample of 2- to 17-year-old children and adolescents in the U.S. in 2016 that included comprehensive measures of screen time (including cell phones, computers, electronic devices, electronic games, and TV) and an array of psychological well-being measures. After 1 h/day of use, more hours of daily screen time were associated with lower psychological well-being, including less curiosity, lower self-control, more distractibility, more difficulty making friends, less emotional stability, being more difficult to care for, and inability to finish tasks. Among 14- to 17-year-olds, high users of screens (7+ h/day vs. low users of 1 h/day) were more than twice as likely to ever have been diagnosed with depression (RR 2.39, 95% CI 1.54, 3.70), ever diagnosed with anxiety (RR 2.26, CI 1.59, 3.22), treated by a mental health professional (RR 2.22, CI 1.62, 3.03) or have taken medication for a psychological or behavioral issue (RR 2.99, CI 1.94, 4.62) in the last 12 months. Moderate use of screens (4 h/day) was also associated with lower psychological well-being. Non-users and low users of screens generally did not differ in well-being. Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being were larger among adolescents than younger children.
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Play is of vital importance for the healthy development of children. From a developmental perspective, play offers ample physical, emotional, cognitive, and social benefits. It allows children and adolescents to develop motor skills, experiment with their (social) behavioural repertoire, simulate alternative scenarios, and address the various positive and negative consequences of their behaviour in a safe and engaging context. Children with a chronic or life-threatening disease may face obstacles that negatively impact play and play development, possibly impeding developmental milestones, beyond the actual illness itself. Currently, there is limited understanding of the impact of (1) aberrant or suppressed play and (2) play-related interventions on the development of chronic diseased children. We argue that stimulating play behaviour enhances the adaptability of a child to a (chronic) stressful condition and promotes cognitive, social, emotional and psychomotor functioning, thereby strengthening the basis for their future health. Systematic play research will help to develop interventions for young patients, to better cope with the negative consequences of their illness and stimulate healthy development.
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Background: Children's physical activity levels are low and efforts to improve their physical activity levels have proven difficult. Freely chosen and unstructured physical activity (active play) has the potential to be promoted in a variety of settings and potentially every day of the year in contrast to other physical activity domains, but active play interventions are an under-researched area. Therefore, the primary aim of this systematic review was to determine the effect of active play interventions on children's physical activity levels, particularly moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), and fundamental movement skills (FMS). Methods: Studies were included if they were solely or predominantly active play randomised, or cluster randomised controlled trials that targeted children aged 3-12 years. They had to report on at least one of the following outcomes: objectively measured physical activity, FMS, cognition and weight status. During December 2016, four databases (PE Index, SPORTDiscus, Medline and ERIC) were searched for relevant titles. Duplicates and irrelevant titles and abstracts were removed. The included studies had their quality assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool. Suitable studies were combined in a meta-analysis using a random-effect model. A narrative synthesis was conducted for all outcomes. Results: Of the 4033 records, 91 studies were eligible for full text screening, of which 87 were removed, leaving four studies (representing five papers). The meta-analysis of two studies highlighted there was no significant effect of active play interventions on MVPA. However, the narrative synthesis suggested that active play interventions may increase total volume of physical activity. Only two studies examined the effect of active play interventions on children's FMS, one study examined effects on weight status and none examined effects on cognition. Conclusions: Due to the small number of eligible studies and their heterogeneity, the review could not draw firm conclusions on the effect of active play interventions on children's physical activity levels. High-quality active play interventions, targeting different times of the day (school and after school) in different populations and settings, and with a wider range of outcomes, are required to determine the potential of active play.
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Purpose of review: The objectives were to identify specific characteristics and patterns of children's play following events of political violence or disasters, examine their associations with risk and resilience, and explore their implications for preventive and therapeutic intervention. Recent findings: Patterns of individual, dyadic, and social play are associated with measures of children's adaptation following collective traumatic events. Modifying the traditional child-centered play therapy, by integrating CBT principles or including parents, may increase efficacy. Preventive interventions in the aftermath of collective traumatic events must address children's need to play in safe spaces, with the support of significant adults. Recognizing that posttraumatic play is a multifaceted phenomenon implies the need for more individualized play therapy models, varying in level of therapist's activity and techniques employed. Research is needed to clarify the validity of play measures for assessing adaptation and to study the effectiveness of integrative play-based models.
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Background The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a bi-directional relationship between sleep characteristics (time in bed, sleep duration, sleep chronology, and sleep efficiency) and time spent participating in outdoor active play among children. Methods Participants consisted of 433 children aged 10–13 years from Kingston, ON, Canada. Time in bed, sleep duration, sleep chronology, and sleep efficiency were measured for 8 consecutive nights using data from a sleep log and Actical accelerometer. Outdoor active play was measured for the 7 days that fell in between these 8 nights using a combination of data from accelerometers, global positioning system loggers, and geographic information systems. Generalized estimating equation models were used to assess the relationships between sleep characteristics and outdoor active play. These models accounted for the repeated measures nested within participants and adjusted for several confounders (e.g., age, sex, family income, neighborhood traffic and green space). ResultsTime in bed, sleep duration, sleep chronology, and sleep efficiency were not significantly associated with the following day’s outdoor active play. There was a significant (p = 0.017) association between outdoor active play and the following night’s time in bed, which suggested that each hour increase in outdoor active play was associated with a 4.0 min increase in time in bed. Outdoor active play was not significantly associated with sleep duration, sleep chronology, or sleep efficiency. Conclusions None of the sleep characteristics predicted the following day’s outdoor active play. Increase time spent in outdoor active play predicted a longer time in bed, but not sleep duration, sleep chronology, or sleep efficiency.
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Active play is a novel approach to addressing low physical activity levels and fundamental movement skills (FMS) in children. This study aimed to determine if a new school-based, ‘Go2Play Active Play’ intervention improved school day physical activity and FMS. This was a pragmatic evaluation conducted in Scotland during 2015–16. Participants (n=172; mean age=7years) were recruited from seven primary schools taking part in the 5-month intervention, plus 24 participants not receiving the intervention were recruited to act as a comparison group.189 participants had physical activity measured using an Actigraph GT3X accelerometer at baseline and again at follow-up 5months later. A sub-sample of participants from the intervention (n=102) and comparison (n=21) groups had their FMS assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2) at baseline and follow-up. Changes in school day physical activity and FMS variables were examined using repeated measures ANOVA. The main effect was ‘group’ on ‘time’ from baseline to follow-up. Results indicated there was a significant interaction for mean counts per minute and percent time in sedentary behavior, light intensity physical activity and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (all p<0.01) for school day physical activity. There was a significant interaction for gross motor quotient (GMQ) score (p=0.02) and percentile (p=0.04), locomotor skills score and percentile (both p=0.02), but no significant interaction for object control skills score (p=0.1) and percentile (p=0.3). The Go2Play Active Play intervention may be a promising way of improving physical activity and FMS but this needs to be confirmed in an RCT.
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Changes in current societies are affecting childhood experiences. Time for outdoor play is diminishing, contributing to more sedentary lifestyles, disconnected from the natural world. Recognizing the importance of outdoor play for young children's healthy growth, a project focused on the exploration of the outdoor environment was developed with a group of young children in an early childhood education setting in Portugal. The project aimed to transform educational practices, moving from frequent indoor activities to a regular use of the outdoor environment. In this paper, we present the main dimensions related to outdoor play that emerged during the project (contact with natural elements, importance of risk, socialization opportunities) and highlight the role of professionals and families in creating quality outdoor play opportunities.
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Background: Many young children are not meeting the Canadian physical activity guidelines. In an effort to change this, the term "active play" has been used to promote increased physical activity levels. Within this young cohort, physical activity is typically achieved in the form of active play behaviour. The current study aimed to review and synthesize the literature to identify key concepts used to define and describe active play among young children. A secondary objective was to explore the various methods adopted for measuring active play. Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching seven online databases for English-language, original research or reports, and were eligible for inclusion if they defined or measured active play among young children (i.e., 2-6 years). Results: Nine studies provided a definition or description of active play, six measured active play, and 13 included both outcomes. While variability in active play definitions did exist, common themes included: increased energy exerted, rough and tumble, gross motor movement, unstructured, freely chosen, and fun. Alternatively, many researchers described active play as physical activity (n = 13) and the majority of studies used a questionnaire (n = 16) to assess active play among young children. Conclusions: Much variability in the types of active play, methods of assessing active play, and locations where active play can transpire were noted in this review. As such, an accepted and consistent definition is necessary, which we provide herein.
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The objective of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between screen time (ST) and children’s motor proficiency. The amount of time 113 children spent watching television, using a computer, and playing video games as reported by parents at ages 4, 5, and 7 was measured and children’s motor skills were evaluated at age 7 with the short version of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Second Edition. The results revealed that children who spent more time in front of a screen at age 4 also do so at ages 5 and 7. A negative relationship was observed between ST at ages 4, 5, and 7 and motor proficiency at age 7. Mediation analysis suggested that the negative effect of ST at age 4 on motor competence was mediated by ST at age 7. This result emphasizes the adverse influence of ST stability on motor proficiency.
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Background: Early childhood provides a window of opportunity for the promotion of physical activity. Given the limited effectiveness of interventions to date, new approaches are needed. Socio-ecological models suggest that involving parents as intervention targets may be effective in fostering healthier lifestyles in children. This study describes the effectiveness of a family-focused 'Active Play' intervention in decreasing sedentary time and increasing total physical activity in preschool children. Method: Seventy-seven families were recruited from 8 randomly selected SureStart children's centres in the North West of England. Centres were randomly assigned to either an intervention (n = 4) or a comparison group (n = 4). Parents and children in the intervention group received a 10-week active play programme delivered by trained active play professionals; this included an activity and educational component. Families in the comparison group were asked to maintain their usual routine. Each participating parent and child wore a uni-axial accelerometer for 7 days at baseline and post-test. Week and weekend day sedentary time and total physical activity adjusted for child-and home-level covariates were analysed using multilevel analyses.
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) indicates several neurodevelopmental impairments which may end in impairments in motor or physical activities. Daily physical activity involvement was investigated in a total of 83 children (52 boys and 31 girls) with ASD aged 6-15 years. Results indicated that only 10 (12%) of children with ASD were physically active. Children were predominantly engaged in solitary play rather than social play activities. Gender, family income, and household structure were found to be associated with activity scores. Financial burden and lack of opportunities were noted as the leading barriers to physical activities. In conclusion, findings indicated a low rate of physical activity participation in children with ASD that is closely associated with sociodemographic variables.
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Background Screen-viewing is one of the most common sedentary behaviors among preschoolers. Despite the high prevalence of sedentary behaviors in childcare, little research exists on the context and/or type of activities that account for these particular behaviors. Accordingly, if the amount of screen-viewing accumulated by preschoolers in childcare is not considered, researchers may be underestimating total screen time among this population, as only a portion of their day is being captured (i.e., the home environment). This systematic review provides a synthesis of research on the levels of screen-viewing among preschool-aged children (2.5-5 years) attending childcare (i.e., centre- and home-based childcare). This review also examined the correlates of screen-viewing among preschoolers in this setting. To provide additional contextual information, availability of screen activities was used to help ameliorate the understanding of preschoolers’ screen-viewing behaviors in childcare. Methods Twelve electronic databases were searched to retrieve relevant articles for inclusion (dating from 2000 onwards). Additional studies were identified via manual searching techniques (i.e., hand searching and citation tracking). Only English, published peer-reviewed articles that examined preschoolers’ screen-viewing behaviors in childcare (i.e., rates of screen-viewing and access to/opportunities for related activities) were included. No restrictions to study design were applied. Results Seventeen international studies (4 experimental; 12 cross-sectional; 1 mixed-methods) published between 2004 and 2014 were examined. Of those, eight studies reported rates of screen-viewing and found that preschoolers spent approximately 0.1 to 1.3 hrs/day and 1.8 to 2.4 hrs/day engaged in this behavior in center- and home-based childcare, respectively. High staff education (negative association) and type of childcare arrangement (notably, home-based childcare in comparison to center-based childcare; positive association) were identified as two correlates in relation to preschoolers’ screen-viewing in childcare. Nine studies spoke to the availability of screen-viewing activities in childcare, and found the childcare environment to be conducive to this behavior. Conclusions Despite some variability, preschoolers appear to engage in somewhat high levels of screen-viewing while in childcare, particularly within home-based facilities. This paper also highlighted the conduciveness of the childcare environment with regard to screen-viewing among preschoolers. Additional exploration into the correlates of screen-viewing in childcare is required. (PROSPORO registration: CRD42013005552).
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To quantify and compare the number of calories that school-aged Canadian children expend to meet established benchmarks for active play and organized physical activities (i.e., organized sport, physical education, active transportation). This study was informed by the benchmarks (i.e., amount of activity a child needs to be sufficiently active) and grades (i.e., how Canada as a country is doing) for the physical activity domains included in the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. Established physical activity energy expenditure data were used to calculate the number of calories that the average 6-11 year old child would expend to meet the Report Card physical activity benchmarks. The increase in energy expenditure at the population-level that would occur if each Report Card grade was to improve by one letter grade was estimated based on the aforementioned estimates and the proportion of the population impacted should the grade improve. When averaged across all 365 days of the year, the average 6-11 year old Canadian would expend an added 186 kcal/day to meet the active play benchmark, 23 kcal/day to meet the organized sport benchmark, 6 kcal/day to meet the physical education benchmark, and 16 kcal/day to meet the active transportation to school benchmark. Increasing the Report Card grades for these four domains would address 37%, 1%, 1%, and 3% of the energy gap, respectively. Initiatives aimed at increasing physical activity in an attempt to address childhood obesity should include an active play component.
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Play is one of the important components of a child's life and it is one of the major activities that promotes children's imagination and creativity Children can learn the basic and social skills and develop through play. Also some components such as play materials, play ground and play mate have a considerable role in play. Especially play materials have a positive impact on a child to learn and explore the world with a rich imagination in a joyful way. Previous studies on children's play have stressed on the positive relationship between play and creative thinking ability. In addition, previous studies about play and play materials have shown that in recent years creativity in children's play have declined and the preference of play materials have changed in some aspects. Therefore main purpose of the present study was to examine creativity in children's play and their preference of play materials in a materialist and technological world.
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There is little research that explicitly compares the lives of children from different social backgrounds, particularly with regard to their freedom, safety, and use of public space. Drawing on the findings of a participatory research project with 42 children from different socio-economic backgrounds, this article shows how and why children's play differs depending on their social background. It also highlights the importance of street play in the lives of disadvantaged children, arguing that they engage in street play as a consequence of having less space and fewer alternatives, and yet their opportunities for play are further restricted due to local development and community ‘policing’. The article calls for the safeguarding of open public space, and an increased recognition of the importance and value of street play. Finally, it points out the contradictions in government policy regarding children's play and well-being.
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Background: Early childhood provides a window of opportunity for the promotion of physical activity. Given the limited effectiveness of interventions to date, new approaches are needed. Socio-ecological models suggest that involving parents as intervention targets may be effective in fostering healthier lifestyles in children. This study describes the effectiveness of a family-focused 'Active Play' intervention in decreasing sedentary time and increasing total physical activity in preschool children. Method: Seventy-seven families were recruited from 8 randomly selected SureStart children's centres in the North West of England. Centres were randomly assigned to either an intervention (n = 4) or a comparison group (n = 4). Parents and children in the intervention group received a 10-week active play programme delivered by trained active play professionals; this included an activity and educational component. Families in the comparison group were asked to maintain their usual routine. Each participating parent and child wore a uni-axial accelerometer for 7 days at baseline and post-test. Week and weekend day sedentary time and total physical activity adjusted for child- and home- level covariates were analysed using multilevel analyses. Results: Significant intervention effects were observed for sedentary time and physical activity for both week and weekend days. Children in the intervention group engaged in 1.5% and 4.3% less sedentary time during week and weekend days, respectively and 4.5% and 13.1% more physical activity during week and weekend days, respectively than children in the comparison group. Parent's participation in sport and their physical activity levels, child's sex, availability of media in the home and attendance at organised activities were significant predictors of sedentary time and physical activity in this age group. Conclusion: A 10-week family focused active play intervention produced positive changes in sedentary time and total physical activity levels in preschool children. Specific covariates were identified as having a significant effect on the outcome measures. Moreover, children whose parents were active engaged in less sedentary time and more physical activity suggesting that parent's activity habits are mediators of physical activity engagement in this age group.
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Regular physical activity is important for promoting health and well-being; however, physical activity behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have received little attention. We compared physical activity levels among 53 children with ASD and 58 typically developing children aged 3–11 years who participated in the Children’s Activity and Meal Patterns Study (CHAMPS). After adjustment for age and sex the amount of time spent daily in moderate and vigorous activity was similar in children with ASD (50.0 minutes/day and typically developing children 57.1 minutes/day). However, parents reported that children with ASD participated in significantly fewer types of physical activities than did typically developing children (6.9 vs. 9.6, p <.0001) and spent less time annually participating in these activities than typically developing children (158 vs. 225 hours per year, p < 0.0001) after adjusting for age and sex. Although both groups of children engaged in similar levels of moderate and vigorous activity as measured by accelerometry, children with ASD engaged in fewer physical activities and for less time according to parental report, suggesting that some of the activity in children with ASD is not captured by standard questionnaire-based measures.
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To examine associations between active play and the physical activity of 10- to 11-year-old children. Cross-sectional study of 747, 10- tot11-year-olds, conducted between February 2008 and March 2009 in Bristol, UK. Mean minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and mean activity levels (counts per minute, CPM) were assessed by accelerometer. Frequency of active play was self-reported. Regression models indicated that frequent active play (5 or more days per week) was associated with mean daily activity levels (CPM) (girls: p=<0.01; boys: p=<0.01), but was only associated with mean daily MVPA for girls (p=<0.01). For leisure-time physical activity, active play was associated with children's CPM (girls: p=0.02; boys: p=<0.01) and MVPA (girls: p=<0.01; boys: p=0.03) on weekdays after school, but was only associated with weekend day CPM for boys (p=<0.01). Active play is associated with children's physical activity with after-school potentially being a critical period. Strategies to promote active play may prove to be a successful means of increasing children's physical activity.
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Recent research suggests that children’s linguistic competence may play a central role in establishing social acceptance. That possibility was evaluated by examining children’s peer relationships in a preschool classroom attended by children with varying degrees of communication ability. Three groups of children were compared: children with normally developing language skills (ND), children with speech and/or language impairments (S/LI), and children learning English as a second language (ESL). Two sociometric tasks were used to measure peer popularity: positive nominations and negative nominations. Children in the ND group received more positive nominations than the children in either the ESL or S/LI groups. When the children’s positive and negative nominations were combined to classify them as Liked, Disliked, Low Impact, or Mixed, the ND children predominated in the Liked cell, whereas the other two groups of children fell into the Disliked or Low Impact cells. In addition, the PPVT-R, a receptive measure of single-word vocabulary, was found to be the best predictor of peer popularity. The findings are discussed in terms of a social consequences account of language limitations.
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Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an exergaming program on physical activity, motor competence, and enjoyment in preschool children. Materials and methods: A sample of 65 preschool children was recruited from an urban preschool located in the Western United States. Children were randomly assigned to either an exergaming (n = 36) or a free-play group (n = 29). The intervention was 30 min/day, 5 days/week for 12 weeks for both groups, and all outcome variables were measured once during the final week of the intervention. The exergaming program included three active videogames: GoNoodles, Adventure to Fitness, and Cosmic Kids Yoga. Children in the free-play group were offered a variety of sport activities. School-day step counts were recorded using pedometers, motor competence was assessed by the Test for Gross Motor Development-Edition 3 (TGMD-3), and enjoyment was accessed using one subscale of the Intrinsic Motivational Inventory. A 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test was employed to examine the differences between sexes and groups on the outcome variables. Results: The omnibus MANOVA yielded a statistically significant multivariate group main effect (F = 3.71, P = 0.016). Follow-up tests revealed statistically significant differences between groups on average school step counts (mean difference = 785 steps, P = 0.003, d = 0.68) and total TGMD-3 scores (mean difference = 8.7, P = 0.019, d = 0.51), with the exergaming group displaying higher mean scores compared with the free-play group. Conclusion: Young children who were randomly assigned to the exergaming group demonstrated higher school-day step counts and higher motor competence levels compared with the free-play group. These results support the use of this modality in childcare settings.
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One hundred sixty seven 6 to 8 years old children were assessed for interpersonal social problem-solving skills. Socio-emotional behaviour was rated on a Likert-type scale by their class teachers. Results revealed that aggression, emotionality and impatience were negatively and significantly correlated with total number of strategies suggested, total number of different strategies, total relevancy and flexibility scores. The results suggested that aggressive, emotional and impatient children were less likely to suggest greater number of strategies and different strategies in social problem solving situations with their peers. Also, these children were less likely to suggest more relevant and alternatives solutions to problems. Further, results revealed that aggressive, emotional and impatient children were more likely to suggest forceful strategies and less likely to suggest non-forceful strategies.
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This study examined the effectiveness of an active play intervention on fundamental movement skills among 3- to 5-year-old children from deprived communities. In a cluster randomized controlled trial design, six preschools received a resource pack and a 6-week local authority program involving staff training with help implementing 60-minute weekly sessions and postprogram support. Six comparison preschools received a resource pack only. Twelve skills were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and at a 6-month follow-up using the Children’s Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol. One hundred and sixty-two children (Mean age = 4.64 ± 0.58 years; 53.1% boys) were included in the final analyses. There were no significant differences between groups for total fundamental movement skill, object-control skill or locomotor skill scores, indicating a need for program modification to facilitate greater skill improvements.
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Despite their frequency and clinical relevance, disturbances in the acquirement of language skills are not infrequently overlooked or are recognized too late, in particular when the problem is speech understanding, or when behavioral disturbances predominate. Diagnostic guidelines differentiate between circumscribed articulation disorders and expressive and receptive speech problems. The diagnostic work-up must take account of the changes in symptoms occurring during the course of the child's development. Mental comorbidity may be observed in every second speech-disordered child. For the operationalized establishment of speech performance--also during the course of treatment--greater use should be made of standardized test procedures. In order to early recognize speech acquisition disorders, the regular use of pediatric routine diagnostic should be practiced. With regard to management, direct treatment of the child--especially when very young--should taken second place to training of the parents on language-furthering behavior.
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A high value is attributed to playing, particularly for its role in children's development, health and well-being. There is a recent awareness, however, that the way children play has changed considerably over the last few decades with a decline in ‘free-play’ documented. In response, there has been a call to resurrect free-play. Concomitantly, public health alarms over a childhood-obesity ‘epidemic’ have emerged. A utilitarian conception of play has thus begun to be advanced as a means to ‘fight’ the childhood obesity epidemic and physical inactivity. We reflect on the fact that views of play as useful are beginning to seep into public health discourse and this may constitute a danger for the health and well-being of populations. We explore some of the popular discourses regarding play and analyse them, drawing on social theory, to describe a nascent one that involves a critical paradox.
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Social play—that is, play directed toward others—is a readily recognizable feature of childhood. In nonhuman animals, social play, especially seemingly competitive rough-and-tumble play or play fighting, has been the most studied of all forms of play. After several decades of study, researchers of play fighting in laboratory rats have pieced together the rudiments of the neural mechanisms that regulate the expression of this behavior in the mammalian brain. Furthermore, the understanding of the organization, development, and neural control of play in rats has provided a model with which to examine how the experiences accrued during play fighting can lead to organizational changes in the brain, especially those areas involved in social behavior.
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Play and creativity have been linked in numerous ways. Theoretically, pretend play fosters the development of cognitive and affective processes that are important in the creative act. Russ's (1993) model of affect and creativity identified the major cognitive and affective processes involved in creativity and the relations among them, based on the research literature. Central to both play and creativity is divergent thinking. Both cognitive and affective processes in play have been related to divergent thinking in children. In a longitudinal study, quality of fantasy and imagination in play predicted divergent thinking over time. Divergent thinking itself was relatively stable over time. An important question is whether play can facilitate creativity. Play has been found to facilitate insight ability and divergent thinking. Studies have also shown that children can be taught to improve their play skills. Future research studies should: (i) investigate specific mechanisms that account for the relationship between play and creativity; (ii) develop play intervention techniques that improve play skills; and (iii) carry out longitudinal studies with large enough samples to enable the application of statistical procedures such as path analysis.
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In speaking of play and its role in the preschooler's development, we are concerned with two fundamental questions: first, how play itself arises in development — its origin and genesis; second, the role of this developmental activity, which we call play, as a form of development in the child of preschool age. Is play the leading form of activity for a child of this age, or is it simply the predominant form?
Chapter
This chapter discusses the emphasis in contemporary scholarship about human development on developmental systems theories, models of development that emphasize relational approaches to the multiple levels of organization involved in development across the life span. Philosophical and scientific interest in developmental systems theory has influenced the study of human development to change from an emphasis on psychological science to an interest in integrating ideas and methods from multiple scientific fields in the service of describing, explaining, and optimizing the course of human life. Within this relational approach, the study of diversity and the promotion positive development across the life span become major substantive foci of developmental science. Keywords: application; developmental science; diversity; plasticity; positive human development; relationism
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Little evidence exists about the prevalence of adequate levels of physical activity and of appropriate screen-based entertainment in preschool children. Previous studies have generally relied on small samples. This study investigates how much time preschool children spend being physically active and engaged in screen-based entertainment. The study also reports compliance with the recently released Australian recommendations for physical activity (≥3 h·d(-1)) and screen entertainment (≤1 h·d(-1)) and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education physical activity guidelines (≥2 h·d(-1)) and American Academy of Pediatrics screen-based entertainment recommendations (≤2 h·d(-1)) in a large sample of preschool children. Participants were 1004 Melbourne preschool children (mean age = 4.5 yr, range = 3-5 yr) and their families in the Healthy Active Preschool Years study. Physical activity data were collected by accelerometry during an 8-d period. Parents reported their child's television/video/DVD viewing, computer/Internet, and electronic game use during a typical week. A total of 703 (70%) had sufficient accelerometry data, and 935 children (93%) had useable data on time spent in screen-based entertainment. Children spent 16% (approximately 127 min·d(-1)) of their time being physically active. Boys and younger children were more active than were girls and older children, respectively. Children spent an average of 113 min·d(-1) in screen-based entertainment. Virtually no children (<1%) met both the Australian recommendations and 32% met both the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations. The majority of young children are not participating in adequate amounts of physical activity and in excessive amounts of screen-based entertainment. It is likely that physical activity may decline and that screen-based entertainment may increase with age. Compliance with recommendations may be further reduced. Strategies to promote physical activity and reduce screen-based entertainment in young children are required.
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This study compared the gross motor skills of school-age children (mean age 7 y 8 mo, range 6-9 y) with developmental speech and language disorders (DSLDs; n=105; 76 males, 29 females) and typically developing children (n=105; 76 males, 29 females). The relationship between the performance parameters and the children's age was investigated as well as the role of the type of DSLD. The children with DSLDs were classified by their schools' speech and language therapists into three subgroups: children with speech disorders (n=16), those with language disorders (n=41), or those with both (n=48). They were tested with the Test of Gross Motor Development, 2nd edition. Compared with their typically developing peers, all three DSLD subgroups scored lower on the locomotor (all p values<0.001) and object control sub tests (all p values<0.001). Significant performance differences were found between the three types of DSLD (all p values<0.01) where the children with language disorders only performed better. Older children performed better than the younger ones (plocomotor=0.029, pobject control<0.001), but the magnitude of differences between the children with DSLDs and their peers did not change with increasing age. Children with DSLDs have poor gross motor skills. Although the performance of children with DSLDs improves with increasing age, it lags behind that of typically developing children. The present results emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and intervention for children with motor deficits.
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There is a growing body of evidence supporting the many connections between cognitive competence and high-quality pretend play. This article defines the cluster of concepts related to pretend play and cognition and briefly synthesizes the latest research on the role of such play in children's cognitive, social, and academic development. The article notes that there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that high-quality pretend play is an important facilitator of perspective taking and later abstract thought, that it may facilitate higher-level cognition, and that there are clear links between pretend play and social and linguistic competence. The article also notes that there is still a great need for research on the relationship between high-quality pretend play and development of specific academic skills. The article concludes with a discussion of the challenges and potential policy directions suggested by research findings.
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As the survival rate of infants who are born prematurely increases, the need for accuracy in early identification and prediction of developmental outcome in these infants is imperative. This study examined the predictive validity of the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) and the relationship between perinatal risk and motor performance in children who are of school age. A stratified, random sample of 35 children was selected from subjects who had been examined using the TIMP and the Problem-Oriented Perinatal Risk Assessment System (POPRAS). The subjects were between 32 weeks gestational age and 4 months postterm (mean age=10 days postterm). The stratification was based on age at the time of TIMP administration (AGE) and on POPRAS scores. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOTMP) was administered to the children at a mean age of 5.75 years. Predictive values were calculated and correlation and regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between the TIMP and POPRAS scores and the BOTMP score. Using the receiver operating characteristic curve and a cutoff z score of -1.6, the TIMP's sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were.50, 1.00, 1.00, and.87, respectively. The correlation between TIMP and BOTMP scores, with AGE controlled, was.36, and the correlation between POPRAS and BOTMP scores was -.55. Thirty-seven percent of BOTMP variance was accounted for collectively by POPRAS scores, TIMP scores, and AGE. The TIMP and POPRAS may be viable instruments that can be used together to identify infants who are at risk for poor long-term motor performance.
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We have observed that the nature and amount of free play in young children has changed. Our purpose in this article is to demonstrate why play, and particularly active, unstructured, outdoor play, needs to be restored in children's lives. We propose that efforts to increase physical activity in young children might be more successful if physical activity is promoted using different language-encouraging play-and if a different set of outcomes are emphasized-aspects of child well-being other than physical health. Because most physical activity in preschoolers is equivalent to gross motor play, we suggest that the term "play" be used to encourage movement in preschoolers. The benefits of play on children's social, emotional, and cognitive development are explored.