In light of the interrelation between motor and cognitive development and the predictive value of the former for the latter, the secular decline observed in motor coordination ability as early as preschool urges identification of interventions that may jointly impact motor and cognitive efficiency. The aim of this study was twofold. It (1) explored the outcomes of enriched physical education, centered on deliberate play and cognitively challenging variability of practice, on motor coordination and cognitive processing; (2) examined whether motor coordination outcomes mediate intervention effects on children’s cognition, while controlling for moderation by lifestyle factors as outdoor play habits and weight status. Four hundred and sixty children aged 5-10 years participated in a 6-month group randomized intervention in physical education, with or without playful coordinative and cognitive enrichment. The weight status and spontaneous outdoor play habits of children (parental report of outdoor play) were evaluated at baseline. Before and after the intervention, motor developmental level (Movement Assessment Battery for Children) was evaluated in all children, who were then assessed either with a test of working memory (Random Number Generation task), or with a test of attention (from the Cognitive Assessment System, CAS). Children assigned to the ‘enriched’ intervention showed more pronounced improvements in all motor coordination assessments (manual dexterity, ball skills, static/dynamic balance). The beneficial effect on ball skills was amplified by the level of spontaneous outdoor play and weight status. Among indices of executive function and attention, only that of inhibition showed a differential effect of intervention type. Moderated mediation showed that the better outcome of the enriched physical education on ball skills mediated the better inhibition outcome, but only when the enrichment intervention was paralleled by a medium-to-high level of outdoor play. Results suggest that specifically tailored physical activity games provide a unique form of enrichment that impacts children’s cognitive development through motor coordination improvement, particularly object control skills, which are linked to children’s physical activity habits later in life. Outdoor play appears to offer the natural ground for the stimulation by designed physical activity games to take root in children’s mind.

The promotion of physical activity (PA) in young children requires effective interventions. This article reviews the evidence on PA interventions in childcare by applying a socio-ecological approach. A computer-based literature search for intervention studies aimed at increasing children’s PA levels was run across four databases: SPORTDiscus, ISI Web of Science, PsycINFO and ERIC. The participants had to be in childcare, aged 2-6-year-old, and their pre- and post- intervention PA levels measured. Selection was restricted to peer-reviewed publications and to studies conducted in childcare settings. Twenty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and their methodological quality was assessed. Seven studies exhibited high methodological quality; twelve were rated as moderate and four low. The effectiveness of the interventions was determined according to the post-intervention behavioral changes reported in children’s PA. Fourteen studies found increases in PA levels or reductions in sedentary time, although the changes were modest. The data remain too limited to allow firm conclusions to be drawn on the effectiveness of the components mediating PA interventions, although PA-specific in-service teacher training seems a potential strategy. The findings of this review indicate that children’s PA remained low and did not approach the 180 min/day criteria. It may be that more intensive multilevel and multicomponent interventions based on a comprehensive model are needed.

Fundamental motor skills (FMS) affect children's physical, social, and cognitive development. To plan successful interventions when promoting the development of children's FMS, the underlying positive determinants for the acquisition of FMS competence during preschool years need to be identified. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify positive determinants of FMS such as stability, locomotor, and manipulative movements in children between the ages of three and six. Five electronic databases (ERIC, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, and Physical Education Index) were used for the systematic search and in our final analysis there were 29 articles. Four categories of determinants were identified: (1) individual characteristics (gender, ethnicity, age, physical activity, physical fitness, and playfulness), (2) education-related (programmes promoting physical activity and motor skill, attendance of physical education lessons, practice schedules), (3) social environments (parent- and family-related variables, older siblings, and sport club participation), and (4) physical environment (population density, size of preschool area, clothing). Age, gender, physical activity, and preschool-based programmes were positive determinants of FMS in preschool-aged children.

Altogether 38 girls and 46 boys aged four to five years were studied to analyse the linear and non‐linear development of fundamental motor skills. The children were grouped into one experimental and one control group to study the effects of an eight‐month preschool physical education curriculum. In the course of one year, the balance skills of the girls, the running speed of the boys and the standing broad‐jump and manipulative skills of both genders progressed linearly according to the children's age. Two weekly 45‐minute physical education lessons instructed by preschool teachers promoted the linear development of the girls' standing broad‐jump and non‐linear development of the boys' running speed during spring, compared to the group that did not follow a specific structured programme. We encourage educators to organise skill‐specific practise and to ensure that the choice of tasks, equipment and environment interact to promote motor development.