Overview

The objective of this longitudinal, quasi-experimental study is to improve children's fundamental motor skills and physical activity levels. In addition, the study aims to support pedagogical staff and educators in implementing physical activity during the workday, with the intention of facilitating a more supportive and enjoyable working environment that aligns with children's needs for physical activity.

The study is conducted in 18 child centers, combining childcare and preschool settings. Participants include children aged 2-6 years and their pedagogical staff and teachers.

The primary research questions addressed are:

• Can pedagogical staff and teachers be supported in increasing physical activity levels among children aged 2-6 years?
• Can a scalable intervention for child centers be developed that can be implemented in other regions following completion of the study? A total of nine intervention centers will be compared with nine control centers to determine whether observed effects can be attributed to the intervention.

Children will participate in assessments of motor skills, wear accelerometers to measure physical activity levels, and take part in walk-along interviews and a draw-and-tell method. Parents will complete questionnaires. Pedagogical staff and teachers will complete questionnaires and participate in observational assessments. Management representatives of the child centers (both preschool and childcare) will participate in interviews and complete a questionnaire to construct an echogram.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children must be in the child center in the recruitment period(s)
• Professionals in ECEC and management must be working at the child center during the recruitment period.