Parent-child | preschool children need more play time

Preschoolers Need More Outdoor Playtime in Daycare

Original author: Traci Pedersen

Translator: Vita

Nursery centres play a very important role in helping preschoolers meet their daily sports needs. But a new study shows that most children don't get enough time off after school.

Although current guidelines recommend it, only three out of ten children have a 60-minute outdoor break in full-day childcare.

Senior author Kristen Copeland, M.D., of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said, "We know that daily physical activity is necessary for children's growth and development. It promotes cardiovascular and bone health and is also linked to mood, attention, and cognitive performance. However, few preschoolers receive the 60 minutes or more of physical activity recommended by the guidelines. ”

The findings of the study on eating and activity in kindergartens revealed that children who received at least 60 minutes of outdoor breaks at the nursery center were more active than those who did not. In fact, the amount of outdoor time spent in child care is the only factor predicting the total amount of outdoor time a child will receive in the 24 hours of the day.

"Exercise opportunities in the nursery centre are especially important for children who lack the opportunity to move at home, which is why the amount of time a child spends in the nursery centre has such an important and lasting effect on the child's total daily activity level."

In the study, researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center evaluated 380 children ages 3 to 6 who attended 30 different childcare centers between November 2009 and January 2011. Ninety percent of the childcare centres involved in the study reported two or more extra-curricular activities in the daily curriculum, whereas only forty percent of children were involved. Thirty-two percent of childcare centers have no outdoor activities.

The Kindergarten Diet and Activity Study is the first to investigate the effects of childcare centres on children's physical activity 24 hours a day and in a wide range of weather conditions. Copeland said: "To ensure that children have adequate opportunities to move, childcare centres often face adverse weather conditions. Indoor spaces should be used better and teachers should be encouraged to take their children outdoors for short activities on cold days. ”

The results were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.