This study examined the effect of small-sided football games (SSFG) and small-sided Ultimate Frisbee games (SSUFG) on working memory, response times, and feeling mood of boys with overweight. Twenty-eight boys (age 12.23 ± 1.58 years) participated in two trials during physical education lessons (20-min SSFG and 20-min SSUFG) in a counterbalanced, randomized crossover design. The response times and feeling mood were measured for all participants post-exercise through the Sternberg paradigm and feeling scale. For the response times, the paired samples t-test revealed a significantly better reaction time after SSUFG at the “One item level” of the Sternberg paradigm (p = 0.014, Hedges’ g = 0.27, small effect) and (p = 0.010, Hedges’ g = 0.74, medium effect), at “Three item level” (p = 0.000106, Hedges’ g = 1.88, very large effect). The SSFG also showed vigor at the “Five item level” (p = 0.047, Hedges’ g = 0.61, medium effect). For the feeling mood, the feeling score was significantly higher after the SSUFG session than the SSFG session and the increase in feeling scores observed after switching from SSFG to SSUFG was significantly different (p < 0.001) from the decrease observed in feeling scores after switching from SSUFG to SSFG. Therefore, the results of the study allow the teacher to introduce new sports and reflect on the motor tasks he or she proposes for boys with overweight during physical education classes.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the motor game “Treasure Game” (TG) on first-grade children’s level of geometric thinking and post-learning mood tracking (PLMT). Methods: The study employed 24 first-grade children aged 6.1 ± 0.7 years from a public primary school in Tunisia, all classified at Level 1 of van Hiele geometric thinking (GT). Participants were randomly in a counterbalanced, randomized crossover design in 2 groups and engaged in both the TG during physical education sessions and the conventional geometry course (CGC) during mathematics sessions over a 3-week period, with sessions counterbalanced to avoid order effects. The Van Hiele geometry test was administered to assess GT, and a mood chart was used to track PLMT. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software (Chicago), applying paired and independent samples t-tests to compare the effects of TG and CGC on GT and mood, with significance set at P < .05 and effect sizes calculated using Cohen D and Hedges g. Results: The results indicated that the TG had a significant positive impact on both GT and PLMT in first-grade children. In group 1, there was no significant difference in GT after the CGC compared to TG; however, group 2 showed a significant improvement in GT after TG compared to CGC, with a large effect size. Additionally, PLMT scores were significantly higher after TG than after CGC in both groups, with mood scores increasing when transitioning from CGC to TG and decreasing when transitioning from TG to CGC. Overall, the data demonstrate that TG significantly enhances both cognitive and emotional outcomes in young learners compared to traditional geometry instruction. Conclusion: The study confirms that participation in the TG significantly enhances GT and improves post-learning mood in first-grade children. This suggests that integrating motor activities like TG into the curriculum could be a viable strategy for enhancing early geometric education. Further research with larger sample sizes and considerations of gender differences is recommended.

This study investigated the effect of the motor game 'Exchequer Motor Game' (EMG) on first-grade children's Level of Geometric Thinking (LGT) and their post-learning mood tracking (PLMT). Thirty children (age 6.1 ± 0.7 years; physical education experience: 0.6 ± 0.4 years), classified at the “Visualization” stage of van Hiele’s geometric thinking, were randomly assigned to two groups. Both groups engaged in the EMG and the Conventional Geometry Course (CGC) in a counterbalanced, randomized cross-over design. LGT and PLMT were measured for all participants after the intervention using the Van Hiele Geometry Test (level 1) and a mood chart. Statistical analyses showed a significant increase in LGT after EMG (p < 0.05, Hedges'g = − 0.91, large effect) compared to that recorded after CGCwith a significant increase in LGT scores when switching from CGC to EMG (p < 0.001) and a significant decrease in scores when switching from EMG to CGC. Similarly, the PLMT was significantly higher after the EMG session than after the CGC session (p < 0.001) with significant increases in PLMT scores when switching from CGC to EMG (p < 0.001) and significant decreases when switching from EMG to CGC. Therefore, the results of the study suggest that practicing the EMG can positively contribute to improving the level of children's geometric thinking.