The Effect of Play-Based Movment Education Program in Supporting the Development of Sedentary 5-Year-Old Children

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of a play-based movement education program conducted outdoors and in the classroom on the motor development, physical activity, and social skills of sedentary five-year-old children. The experimental phase of the study spans a total of eight weeks, divided into two consecutive four-week periods. In line with this, children in the experimental group participated in the movement education program both outdoors and in the classroom. On the contrary, children in the control group solely engaged in daily classroom activities during the same designated times. Throughout these activities, the number of steps taken by children in both groups was meticulously recorded through pedometer measurements. The findings of this study demonstrate that the play-based movement education program significantly boosted the motor development and social skills of the children in the experimental group, while no noticeable improvement was observed in these aspects among the children in the control group. Notably, the number of steps taken by the children in the experimental group was markedly higher compared to those taken by the children in the control group. The results indicate that the skills acquired by the children in the experimental group displayed a lasting impact.