The purpose of this study was to examine the values of movement and physical activity (MoPA) using government policy documents (e.g., laws and curricula) on early childhood education and care (ECEC) from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. This descriptive, comparative study was designed based on curriculum theory and used word count and content analyses to identify similarities and differences in the occurrence of MoPA in the ECEC policies of Nordic countries. Seven terms were identified as MoPA-related in Nordic policy documents. These terms occurred in various content contexts: development, environment, expression, health and well-being, learning and play, albeit sparsely. MoPA was referred to as both a goal in and of itself and as a means of achieving other goals (e.g., learning or development in another area). Formulations specifically dedicated to MoPA as a goal were present in the Danish and Finnish curricula and, to some extent, also in the Norwegian curriculum, while the Icelandic and Swedish curricula mentioned MoPA mostly as a means. Findings indicated that MoPA, which is important for children’s development, health, and well-being, is a low-priority value, to varying degrees, in the ECEC policies enacted by Nordic countries and the guidance provided to educators and stakeholders therein is inexplicit.

The purposes of this study were to assess seasonal, daily, and gender variations in children's physical activity (PA). ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers were used to record the three-year-old children's PA levels for five consecutive days in autumn and winter. Complete data for both seasons were obtained for 47 children. Despite a significant difference in seasonal temperatures (p < .001), differences were only found for weekdays light PA (p = .021). No difference in PA was observed between weekdays and weekend days. Only 20% of the sample had ≥120 minutes light-to-vigorous PA (LMVPA), and 46% of children had ≥60 minutes moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). Boys spent more minutes in LMVPA (p = .001) and MVPA (p = .004) than girls. The current findings indicated that season and day of the week only minimally influence children's PA levels, whereas gender continues to be a significant factor.

The main purpose of the study was to determine 3-year-olds’ physical activity levels and how these vary across season, gender, time of day, location, and the physical and social environment in childcare settings in Finland. A modified version of the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool (OSRAC-P) was used to measure physical activity levels and contextual variables (e.g., group composition, prompts) of children attending childcare centres. In total, 81 children (42 boys and 39 girls) were observed in autumn and in winter. Three-level linear regression analyses were used to assess differences between the seasons in the association between the context variables and physical activity. During the observations, the present sample of children was mostly sedentary in nature, engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity in only 2 % of all observations. The results further showed a significant difference between season and the children’s physical activity levels: in winter, the children spent significantly more time in sedentary-level activities and less time in moderate to vigorous physical activity than in autumn. The present sample of children was physically more active outdoors than indoors. Boys showed significantly higher physical activity levels than girls. The majority of the observations did not include any oral prompting. We conclude that childcare centres offer good opportunities to increase children’s physical activity. Interventions should focus on enhancing children’s outdoor time, free play, and positive prompting and encouragement by teachers. L’objectif principal de l’étude était de déterminer les niveaux d’activité physique chez les enfants de trois ans, et la façon dont ils varient selon la saison, le sexe, le moment de la journée, le lieu et l’environnement physique et social dans les garderies en Finlande. Une version modifiée de l’Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool (OSRAC-P) a été utilisée pour mesurer les niveaux d’activité physique et les variables contextuelles (notamment, la composition du groupe, les incitations) des enfants fréquentant les garderies. Au total, 81 enfants (42 garçons et 39 filles) ont été observés en automne et en hiver. Des analyses de régression linéaire à trois niveaux ont servi à évaluer les différences entre les saisons en lien avec les variables contextuelles et activité physique. Au cours des observations, l’échantillon d’enfants était principalement de nature sédentaire avec une activité physique d’intensité modérée à élevée dans seulement 2 % de toutes les observations. Les résultats ont aussi révélé une différence significative entre la saison et les niveaux d’activité physique, en hiver les enfants passant sensiblement plus de temps dans des activités de niveau sédentaire et moins de temps dans des activités d’intensité modérée à élevée qu’en automne. L’échantillon d’enfants était physiquement plus actif à l’extérieur qu’à l’intérieur. Les garçons avaient des niveaux d’activité nettement plus élevés que les filles. La majorité des observations ne présentait aucune incitation verbale. Nous en concluons que les garderies offrent de bonnes possibilités pour augmenter l’activité physique des enfants. Les interventions devraient se concentrer sur l’augmentation du temps passé à l’extérieur, le jeu libre ainsi que l’incitation positive et l’encouragement des éducateurs. El objetivo principal del estudio fue determinar los niveles de actividad física (AF) y cómo estos varían en relación a la estación, al género, el momento del día y al ambiente físico y social de un centro de cuidado en Finlandia. Durante el día en la guardería, los niveles de actividad física y las variables contextuales (como la composición del grupo o incentivo) fueron determinados con un método de observación modificado de OSRAC-P (Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children - Preschool Version). En total 81 niños (42 niños, 39 niñas) participaron en las observaciones durante otoño e invierno. Análisis lineales de regresiones de tres niveles fueron utilizados para evaluar las diferencias entre las estaciones climáticas en relación con los contextos variables elegidos y la actividad física. Durante las observaciones, la muestra de niños fue, en su mayoría, naturalmente sedentaria, siendo semi-activa en solo un 2 % de todas las observaciones. Los resultados mostraron una diferencia significante entre estaciones climáticas y los niveles de actividad física de los niños: en invierno los niños pasaban la mayor parte del tiempo en actividades físicas de nivel sedentario y menos tiempo en actividades semi-activas que durante el otoño. Los niños y niñas que participaron en la investigación fueron físicamente más activos fuera que dentro de la guardería. La actividad física de los niños fue de nivel más alto que el la de las niñas. La mayoría de las observaciones no incluyeron un incentivo verbal. En base a los resultados podemos concluir que las guarderías ofrecen buenas...

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers have a central role in supporting young children’s physical activity (PA) and overall development in the early years. However, the value of early childhood education teacher training (ECETT) programmes is not widely understood. This study aimed to investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of perceived competence when (1) supporting a child’s PA, (2) teaching PE, and (3) observing and assessing a child’s motor skills and PA. These self-evaluations were compared with a range of individual, educational, and behavioural characteristics. Final-year Bachelor degree pre-service teachers (n = 274; 54%) from seven universities in Finland participated in the self-report questionnaire. The results of the linear regression models showed that the relevant PE studies and previous experiences of pre-service teachers predicted higher perceived competence of supporting a child’s PA, teaching PE, and observing and assessing a child’s motor skills and PA. Thus, the study findings demonstrated how teacher training could positively influence perceptions and attitudes to increase a person’s perceived competence when implementing PE in the early years. Overall, results reinforce the importance of PE in ECETT, and the time devoted to this syllabus area should be maintained or increased.

The aim of the current study was to determine Finnish and Dutch three-year-old preschool children’s physical activity (PA) levels and how levels vary across gender, location, time of day and social contexts in both countries. A modified version of the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool (OSRAC-P) was used to measure children’s PA levels and contextual variables (e.g. group composition, prompts) of children attending childcare centres in Finland and the Netherlands. In total, 90 Finnish children (46 boys and 44 girls) and 97 Dutch children (46 boys and 51 girls) were observed. Three-level linear regression analyses with cross level interactions were used to assess differences between the countries in the association between the context variables and PA. During the observations, the present sample of children was mostly sedentary in nature. Outdoor location and prompts (both positive and negative) were associated with higher levels of activity in both countries. Non-solitary playing was associated with higher activity levels in the Netherlands, but not in Finland, whereas child-initiated play was positively associated with Finnish but not Dutch children’s PA levels. Finnish children were more active in the morning compared to the afternoon, while in the Dutch children PA was unaffected by time. The present findings indicate that better understanding of the contextual factors and interactions in children’s PA behaviours across the two countries could help in planning childcare interventions to increase the PA levels of preschool children.

Sand play may be a significant determinant of health and development in early childhood, but systematically synthesised evidence is absent in the literature. The main objective of this study was to present a planned methodology to systematically review, and synthesise, the evidence regarding sand play and its associations with 0–8-year-old children’s health and development. The systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols statement was registered to PROSPERO (CRD42021253852). Literature searches will be conducted using information from eight electronic databases. Studies will be included when participating children were aged 0–8 years, settings provided children with exposure to sand environments and/or materials, and child-level outcomes related to physical, cognitive, and/or social–emotional health and development. The search results will be imported to software; duplicates will be removed; and independent double screening, and study quality assessments using appropriate tools, will be conducted. Synthesis without meta-analysis will be conducted for quantitative studies similar in exposure, outcome, and content analysis to qualitative studies. Our overall confidence in each review finding will be assessed. The findings of this systematic review can inform policy makers and early childhood education teachers about the associations between sand play and children’s health and development, and its impact in practice.