Children's Enjoyment Research Articles

Is the twig bent as the tree is inclined? Children and parents interacting with school‐distributed literacy assignments

AbstractIn this study, we analyze in‐depth interviews conducted with 26 Dutch third‐graders as well as interviews with one of each child's parents. The children attended one of six schools, each with a relatively large population of families with a low socioeconomic status, where home‐based literacy assignments aimed at increasing children's enjoyment of reading were distributed for a duration of 3 years. The aim of this study is to gain knowledge of distinctive interaction characteristics of child‐parent dyads regarding at‐home literacy, to learn how these characteristics can help educational professionals and researchers answer to the needs of children and parents when designing and distributing at‐home reading assignments. Based on the attitudes towards reading and the skillset of child and parent(s), we distinguished three reader‐profiles: (1) Autonomously motivated readers, (2) Incompatible readers, and (3) Generational non‐readers. The practical implications of our research are that, to be appealing, at‐home reading assignments should be differentiated, nonrepetitive, and concrete, complete, and structured. Prerequisite implications are that both children and parents value regular positive feedback on their at‐home literacy activities and that, in approaching parents, it appears to be advisable to take them for what they are: parents, not substitute teachers.

We’ve been Offering It for Years, But Why Do They Come? The Reasons Why Adults Bring Young Children to Public Library Storytimes

Abstract While storytime programs for preschool children are offered in nearly all public libraries in the United States, little is known about why adults choose to bring children to participate. This survey study gathered information from 346 parents and caregivers who attended storytime programs at 35 public libraries in three states. Parents and caregivers indicated child enjoyment of hearing stories and participating in activities and the opportunity for children to interact as the primary reasons for attending; however, differences in motivation to attend were noted by community density, relationship to the child, educational level of the adult, and length of attendance. In addition to identifying those aspects of storytimes that resonate most for children and building upon them, librarians should integrate cooperative activities that facilitate interaction. Further, librarians should take stock of their own contexts and modify programs to best address the needs of their specific community.

Beginning power mobility: parent and therapist perspectives

Purpose To explore parent and therapist experiences of early power mobility following participation in a Power Mobility Day – a 60–90 min play-based session where children with mobility limitations (<6 years of age) experienced four different early power mobility devices. Method Participants were purposefully selected from parents and therapists who took part in Power Mobility Days as part of a larger cross-sectional study. One semi-structured interview with each participant was conducted via telephone. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a content analysis approach. Results Of 35 adults approached, 11 parents and 11 occupational or physical therapists completed interviews averaging 20 min (range 10–45 min), one week to three months after the session. Participants were parents or therapists of children aged 12 to 48 months of age with a variety of neuromotor diagnoses from different areas of the province. The overarching theme Empowering Children and Families to Explore was developed from themes: Earlier Experiences; A Novel Introduction; and Moving Forward. Conclusion Power Mobility Days provided a welcoming and inclusive child- and family-led introduction to power mobility. This novel approach may help change both therapists’ and families’ perception of child potential and perspectives on power mobility as an intervention. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Exploratory sessions can provide a novel introduction to power mobility interventions. Child enjoyment has a reciprocal impact on family engagement with early power mobility. Experiential child- and family-led learning can increase awareness of power mobility options and possibilities.

The Development and Feasibility of a Manualised Therapeutic Playgroup for Children with Developmental Delay

Playgroups are widely used throughout the Australian community yet understanding of their efficacy is hindered by inconsistent playgroup definitions and practice principles. This study aimed to develop, implement and evaluate the feasibility of a manualised therapeutic playgroup for children with developmental delay and their families using a three step process. Step one, manual development, involved triangulating findings from playgroup literature and utilising a working group of professionals (n = 10) and caregivers (n = 2) to identify practice principles and inform the content of a manualised playgroup. Step two, conducted a feasibility study involving parents (n = 9) and children (n = 8); with findings informing step three, manual revisions, in preparation for larger-scale efficacy testing. Step one resulted in the development of an 8-week manualised playgroup for children with developmental delay. In step two, playgroup participants demonstrated improvements in family support and child performance, with playgroup reported as being beneficial by both parents and facilitators. This perceived benefit was attributed to parents’ shared experience, access to skilled facilitators, parent learning and child enjoyment. In step three these findings were incorporated, finalising the manual. In a context where playgroup research is limited by model variability and poorly defined practice principles, this is the first study to systematically develop, implement and pilot a manualised therapeutic playgroup intervention for children with developmental delay. It provides an evidence-based definition of playgroup principles, delivers sufficient assurance of playgroup feasibility to warrant a larger definitive trial, and outlines a process for developing and testing the feasibility of a manualised, complex intervention.

Understanding Associations Of Children’s And Parents’ Enjoyment With Their Subsequent Co-participation In Physical Activity

PURPOSE: To determine if children’s or parents’ enjoyment of physical activity (PA) is associated with future co-participation in PA. METHODS: Each parent-child dyad (n=28; age (mean±SD), parents: 38.0±6.6 years, children: 6.0±1.7 years) was guided through five PAs (walking, jumping games, body-weight exercises, tag, dancing) in a research fitness center. Immediately after completing each PA, researchers provided the Visual Analog Scale (1-“Do not like it at all” to 5-“Like it very much”) to assess children’s and parents’ independent enjoyment of the PA. Dyads were asked to complete the PAs at home during the following week. Parents reported their dyad’s participation in the PAs one week later. Separate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association of children’s and parents’ PA enjoyment with subsequent completion of the PAs at home. RESULTS: For all five PAs, children's enjoyment of the activity was not significantly associated with the dyad’s completion at home (all p>0.05). However, parents' enjoyment of the activity was significantly associated with the dyad’s completion of the PA at home for jumping games (parental enjoyment (mean±SD): 4.73±0.65 for dyads that completed PA at home; 3.78±1.1 for dyads that did not; p=0.033) and dancing (parental enjoyment (mean±SD): 4.32±0.82 for dyads that completed PA at home; 3.10±1.73 for dyads that did not; p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Parents' enjoyment of PA may be more important than children's enjoyment of PA in predicting whether dyads complete activities at home. This could inform future exercise promotion research of parent-child dyads by focusing on PAs that the parents enjoy.

Physical Activity and Enjoyment in Parent–Child Dyads During Shared Physical Activity

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare objectively-measured physical activity (PA) and enjoyment of five shared PAs in parent-child dyads. Method: Thirty-one parent-child dyads (mean±SD; age, parents: 38.0 ± 6.6 years, children: 5.9 ± 1.7 years) completed separate PA sessions, which included five standardized PAs (brisk walking, jumping games, dancing, body-weight exercises, and tag games) in random order for each dyad. Parent and child moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and accelerometer counts per minute (CPM) were measured using Actigraph GT9X activity monitors. The Visual Analog Scale was used to assess enjoyment of children and parents. Repeated measures ANOVAs and paired t-tests determined differences in PA within and between children and parents for the activities, respectively. Friedman Tests with post hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests determined significant differences in enjoyment across the activities for children and parents and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared enjoyment between children and parents for each PA. Results: Jumping games resulted in the highest proportion of time spent in MVPA and highest overall CPM for children and parents (p < .05). Compared to parents, children spent proportionally more time in MVPA during jumping games, body-weight exercises, and tag games (all, p < .05). Tag games were the most enjoyable PA for children and parents (p < .05). Children enjoyed body-weight exercises more than parents (p < .05). Conclusions: Future indoor PA programs and research interventions that include parent-child dyads should consider implementing jumping games, body-weight exercises, and tag games during shared PA, which resulted in higher MVPA and enjoyment by both children and parents when compared to walking and dancing.

Interventions to Promote Positive Affect and Physical Activity in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults-A Systematic Review.

Interventions to promote physical activity (PA) in children, adolescents and young adults based on social-cognitive theories often fail to increase PA. In recent years, affect-based approaches have gained interest, but the current state of research is not sufficiently reported. Therefore, a systematic review about the influence of interventions to promote positive affect and PA enjoyment and PA in children, adolescents and young adults was conducted. Literature searches were carried out including studies published between September 2009 and April 2019. Intervention studies targeting healthy children, adolescents or young adults and measuring enjoyment and PA were included. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria, including five group-based PA interventions, three multi-component school interventions, two internet-based interventions and three exergaming interventions. Most studies use multiple components in their intervention. Group-based PA programs incorporating task-oriented teaching styles and opportunities for voluntary PA are most consistently associated with positive findings. This review shows moderate evidence of interventions for children, adolescents and young adults being effective in increasing enjoyment and PA. Besides physical education and comprehensive school interventions, heterogenous intervention designs limit the comparability of studies. Future research should focus on theory-based, multi-component interventions with mediator analyses.

Participation in Everyday Activities of Children with and without Specific Learning Disorder

Aim To evaluate the participation in everyday activities of school-aged children with and without Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) in two samples using two different standardized measures of participation. Methods Study 1 comprised 60 children between 8 and 12 years (M = 10.2, SD = 1.2), 30 of them with and 30 without SLD. Participation was assessed by the LIFE-H questionnaire. Study 2 comprised 30 children between 8 and 12 years (M = 10.1, SD = 1.3), 14 of them had SLD, and 16 were typically developing children. Participation was assessed using the Child Participation Questionnaire. Results As expected, the participation of children with SLD was significantly decreased in the learning domain compared with children without SLD as well as most other occupational domains. Parents of children with SLD reported lower child's enjoyment and lower parental satisfaction compared to parents of children without SLD. Conclusions Participation and satisfaction of children and families was lower in children with SLD. We suggest measuring participation and addressing it in evaluations and interventions with this population in order to support their engagement in daily activities beyond school participation and to focus on additional needs of this population.

Make a mark

Ensuring enjoyment, challenge and meaning in children's mark-making. By Penny Tassoni

Action 3:30R: process evaluation of a cluster randomised feasibility study of a revised teaching assistant-led extracurricular physical activity intervention for 8 to 10\u2009year olds

BackgroundNumerous interventions to increase children’s physical activity levels are published, yet, few studies report indicators of external validity. Process evaluations are critical for assessing intervention implementation, sustainability and effectiveness. A mixed-methods process evaluation, using the RE-AIM framework, was conducted to evaluate the internal and external validity of Action 3:30R, a revised teaching assistant-led after-school intervention which aimed to increase physical activity in children aged 8–10 years and was underpinned by Self-determination Theory (SDT).MethodsData were collected and reported in line with the five components of RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance). Quantitative measures included logbooks, registers and self-reported teaching-efficacy, autonomy support, child enjoyment and perceived exertion questionnaires. Questionnaire data were collected at three points throughout the 15-week intervention. Observations by trained researchers were also conducted to assess fidelity to the intervention manual and its underpinning theory. Post-intervention focus groups with pupils and interviews with teaching assistants (TAs), school staff and external stakeholders explored the implementation and potential sustainability of Action 3:30R from stakeholders’ perspectives.ResultsAction 3:30R appealed to a broad range of pupils, including girls and less-active pupils. The Action 3:30R TA training was implemented as intended and was perceived as valuable professional development. Releasing staff for training was a barrier in two of the six intervention schools, which were unable to deliver the intervention as a result. Pupils enjoyed the intervention, and the Action 3:30R core principles underpinned by SDT were implemented with high fidelity, as was the intervention itself. Scheduling conflicts with other clubs and lack of parental support were perceived as the main barriers to recruitment and attendance. Lack of space and season were cited as the main barriers affecting the quality of delivery. The study shows evidence of maintenance, as one intervention school decided to continue Action 3:30R beyond the study. Funding and continued TA training were suggested as factors which may affect the maintenance of Action 3:30R.ConclusionsAction 3:30R is an enjoyable, autonomy-supportive after-school programme, which engages a range of pupils and offers TAs valuable training. RE-AIM provided helpful structure and is recommended for intervention evaluations.Trial registrationISRCTN34001941. Prospectively registered 01/12/2016.

Virtual reality's effect on children's inhibitory control, social compliance, and sharing

We compared the effects of different immersive technologies on four- to six-year-olds' inhibitory control skills, social compliance (i.e., walking upon request), and sharing (i.e., physical stickers) with a children's media character (Grover from Sesame Street©). Children (N = 52) completed an inhibitory control task, Simon Says, with Grover either via TV or VR. Children using VR were less likely to suppress a dominant motoric response during Simon Says (i.e., not imitating Grover's actions at the appropriate time) compared to children using TV. More children in the VR condition approached Grover, and they shared a greater number of stickers with Grover compared to the TV condition (among those that shared). There were no differences between conditions for emotional or physical distress or children's enjoyment of the experience. These preliminary findings suggest that VR may elicit differential cognitive and social responses compared to less immersive technology.

Integrating Juggling with Math Lessons: A Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing Effects of Physically Active Learning on Maths Performance and Enjoyment in Primary School Children.

There are tentative indications that physical activity (PA) during school time can be beneficial for children’s academic performance. So far, most studies have focused on the effects of moderate-to-vigorous PA, for example, in the form of energizers or extra physical education lessons. Little is known about the effects of physically active learning, in which PA is integrated with the academic content of the lessons, especially in preadolescent children. Moreover, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the enjoyment of physically active learning in this age group. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to assess the effects of integrating juggling with math practice in primary school children, on (1) multiplication memorization performance and (2) enjoyment during the math lessons. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial, in which 312 children (mean age 10.4 years) from nine Dutch primary schools participated. Fourteen classes were randomly assigned to either a group that learned juggling whilst practicing multiplication tables (intervention group), or to a group that practiced the same multiplication tables while sedentary (control group). Both interventions had a duration of 5 weeks and consisted of 20 short lessons (4 lessons per week, 5 to 8 min). We used mixed-model analyses to examine the effect of the intervention on multiplication memorization performance. Group (control or intervention) was used as the fixed factor, and class and school as random intercepts. Analyses were adjusted for pretest multiplication performance, age, gender, general motor skill level, physical activity behavior (PAQ-C), and academic math performance. No significant intervention effect on multiplication performance were observed. However, the math-juggling program significantly increased enjoyment of children during the math lessons. We can conclude that the intervention did not improve, but neither deteriorated children’s math performance. The increased enjoyment in the math-juggling group can serve as an important starting point for structurally incorporating physical activities in the classroom setting.

Characteristics Associated with Improvement Following the SAM Robot Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Robot-based interventions have been shown to be useful in teaching social skills to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the SAM robot intervention for children with ASD across a range of cognitive ability. Methods: Twenty children ages five to 14 years old with ASD participated in the study and were assigned to the intervention (n = 10) or control group (n = 10). All children interacted with the SAM robot weekly across eight sessions. The intervention group played emotion-based games with the robot, and the control group completed an emotion-free dance activity with SAM. Outcome measures evaluated emotion identification, facial recognition, and parent- and teacher-rated social skills, and children and parents rated child enjoyment and motivation during the robot interactions. Results: Both groups rated high levels of enjoyment and motivation. The intervention and control groups did not differ on outcome measures. Within the intervention group, children who showed the greatest improvement were those with borderline cognitive and receptive language abilities at baseline. Conclusions: The SAM robot is effective for a subset of the ASD population. Robot-based interventions are motivating and engaging for children with ASD and can be useful for skill acquisition. The continued development of this treatment modality will provide a fun, engaging, and efficacious intervention experience for children with ASD, and the reproducibility of robot technology has the potential to improve access to services for this population. The inclusion of children across a range of intellectual and language abilities expands upon the existing literature on technology-based interventions, which often excludes children with below-average cognitive ability. Results provide evidence for continued research into technology-based interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder, including robot-based interventions.

Parent Support, Perceptions, and Child Attributes Affect Child Activity.

Objectives: In this study we examined the moderation effects of child attributes on the relationship between parent perception of child coordination, physical activity (PA) parenting practices, child enjoyment of PA, and child PA participation and examined the mediation effects of PA par enting practices and child PA enjoyment on the association between parent perception of child coordination and PA participation. Methods: Parents (N = 120) provided consent and completed data about their children's PA and related correlates. We used linear regression to examine child sex, age, race, and weight status as moderators, and to examine parent support and child enjoyment as mediators of the relationship between child coordination and PA participation. Results: Child race (b = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.20, 1.20) and weight status (b = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.99) moderated the relationship between child coordination and parent support of child PA. Parent support of child PA and child enjoyment fully mediated the relationship between child coordination and PA participation (95% CI: 0.08, 0.36), mediating 56% of the observed effect. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that future interventions need to examine parent and child attributes (eg, perception of child coordination and race/weight status) as effect modifiers of the relationship between PA parenting practices and child PA participation.

Enhancing fitness, enjoyment, and physical self-efficacy in primary school children: a DEDIPAC naturalistic study.

BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) (e.g., sport, physical education) promotes the psychophysical development of children, enhances health and wellbeing, offers opportunities for enjoyable experiences, and increases self-efficacy.MethodsIn the DEDIPAC framework, we conducted a naturalistic, cross-sectional study to evaluate the effects of a school-based, long-term intervention on fitness (i.e., cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, speed, and finger dexterity), body mass index (BMI), PA levels, sedentary levels, enjoyment, and physical self-efficacy in primary school children. A group of Italian children (41 boys and 39 girls, aged 10–11 years) involved in the project—named “Più Sport @ Scuola” (PS@S)—was compared with a group of children (41 boys and 39 girls) of the same age not involved in the project.ResultsAfter a four-year long attendance to the PS@S project, participants reported higher scores of cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, enjoyment, and physical self-efficacy compared to children not involved in the project. Correlation analysis results showed that muscular strength scores correlated positively with BMI, PA levels, and enjoyment. Flexibility of the upper body was positively related to physical self-efficacy, and negatively related to speed and BMI.ConclusionsFindings suggest that the PS@S project enhanced fitness level, enjoyment, and physical self-efficacy of children.

Measuring connectedness to nature in preschool children in an urban setting and its relation to psychological functioning.

BackgroundThe urban environment has been criticized for promoting ‘nature-deficit’ and ‘child-nature disconnectedness’. Keeping in mind the importance of nature exposure and its extensive health benefits, many environmental programs around the world hope to (re)connect children with nature. To evaluate the effectiveness of such efforts, valid tools to measure Connectedness to Nature (CN) are needed but do not exist today, especially for use with pre-schoolers.MethodsThe original CN Index was modified and tested among the Parents of Preschool Children (CNI-PPC) in an urban setting (Hong Kong) for its internal consistency (n = 299) and external validity (n = 194). The ‘Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire’ (SDQ) was chosen for divergent and convergent analysis. Conventional recommendations for test adaptation and translation were used.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the 16-item scale adequately captured four major dimensions: enjoyment of nature, empathy for nature, responsibility toward nature, and awareness of nature (Cronbach’s α were respectively .86, .87, .75 and .80). When tested against the SDQ, a validated measure for child psychological functioning, and identification of children’s problem behaviours, three CNI-PPC factors influenced the SDQ outcomes: (1) the more enjoyment of nature children displayed the less overall distress and impairment they exhibited (β = -.64); (2) greater responsibility toward nature in children was associated with less hyperactivity (β = -.50), fewer behavioural and peer difficulties (β = -.62 and β = -.65 respectively) and improved prosocial behaviour (β = .77); (3) the more aware children were of nature, the less emotional difficulties they exhibited (β = -.51). The variance explained was large (range R2 = .42 to .80).ConclusionsThus, CNI-PPC factors have meaningful and substantive associations with the strengths and difficulties parents perceive in their children. This indicates that the CNI-PPC is a valid and reliable instrument to measure CN at an age when children cannot respond for themselves. Further, this simple tool can help researchers/practitioners to better understand how connectedness to nature affects child psychological functioning and wellbeing.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02715544. Registered 8 March 2016.

The role of music-based parent-child play activities in supporting social engagement with children on the autism spectrum: A content analysis of parent interviews

ABSTRACTPlay skills in children on the autism spectrum have been observed to be different to their typically developing peers ever since autism was first formally identified. While the importance of play in child development is well recognised, there is limited research exploring the developmental benefits of different modes of play. This study aimed to explore parents’ perspectives of the quality of their child’s social engagement in music-play compared to block-play. Nine mothers participated in five, weekly, 45-minute play sessions with their child (male child, n = 5), as part of a multiple case study design. Each play session consisted of two alternating protocols comprising music-play and block-play parent-child activities that were facilitated by a music therapist. Mothers participated in a structured interview at the end of each play session to explore their perceptions of the child’s social engagement. Results of a content analysis revealed several differences in mothers’ experience of their child’s social engagement during music-play compared to block-play. In favour of music-play, mothers perceived high levels of child enjoyment, mutual enjoyment, and described using music-play strategies in the home environment. Block-play was perceived as a solitary play activity that did not readily support social engagement. The mothers’ perception that their child wanted to interact with them more in the music-play compared to the block-play may have provided motivation to continue to use these activities in the home.

Trampolines: What's the Harm?

Trampolines hold the promise of fun and enjoyment for many children, but they are associated with a significant number of orthopedic and other injuries. Injuries vary from minor to severe, and the most common are extremity injuries. Although most injuries are associated with residential (ie, backyard) trampolines, a growing number of injuries now occur in trampoline parks. Adult supervision has not been effective for prevention. Emerging data on trampoline park-related injuries indicate that caution should be exercised in these settings as well. [Pediatr Ann. 2018;47(10):e385-e387.].

Approaches to restrictive feeding: Associations with child weight and eating behavior

BackgroundIdentifying differences in how mothers communicate restriction of their children's eating may be important to understanding the effects of restriction on children's intake and weight status. ObjectivesTo characterize mothers' restrictive statements by affect and directness, and examine cross-sectional associations between restrictive statement types and children's body mass index and eating behaviors. MethodsMother-child dyads (N = 223, mean child age 5.9 years) participated in a structured eating task. A coding scheme reliably characterized mothers' restrictive statements. Mothers completed measures of child enjoyment of food, food responsiveness, and satiety responsiveness, and child anthropometrics were measured. Poisson regression was used to test associations between type of restrictive statements and child BMI z-score (BMIz) and eating behaviors, adjusting for covariates. ResultsHigher child BMIz was associated with mothers' more frequent use of negative direct restrictive statements, but not other types of statements. This association was stronger among girls (RR (95% CI) = 2.28 (1.45–3.59)) than boys (RR (95% CI) = 1.49 (1.05–2.10)). Among girls, but not boys, higher enjoyment of food and lower satiety responsiveness were associated with more frequent positive direct restrictive statements (RR (95% CI) = 1.63 (1.20–2.21) and RR (95% CI) = 1.94 (1.29–2.92), respectively). For both sexes, mothers' use of positive indirect restrictive statements was more frequent among children with higher enjoyment of food (RR (95% CI) = 1.38 (1.11–1.72). ConclusionsThe statements mothers use to restrict their children's eating vary in affect and directness. Child characteristics, such as sex, BMI, and the presence of specific eating behaviors, are associated with differing approaches to restriction by mothers.

Differences in Step Counts, Motor Competence, and Enjoyment Between an Exergaming Group and a Non-Exergaming Group.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an exergaming program on physical activity, motor competence, and enjoyment in preschool children. 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. 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. 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.