Physical activity and early childhood

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Physical activity and early childhood

• Geraldine Naughton
• Filling the Gaps Team RCH
• CoPAAL Australian Catholic University

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Presentation outline

• Re-thinking the value of play
• Recommendations
• Supportive statementsReprioritising play
  challenges

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Re-thinking the value of active play

• The importance of MOVEMENT from birth to one
  year keep bodies and minds active develop
  senses /natural curiosity develop good posture,
  strength and balance allow children to feel
  loved and secure develop language and
  communication learn about the world around them

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Consider the value of
Tummy time
Independent function
Understanding sounds
Developing touch and sight
Outdoor active play
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The importance of movement for children aged 1 to
5 years
Improve the health of the muscles, bones, heart
and mind
Develop skills fundamental to movement
Creativity, decision making, imagination
Self-confidence, coping, communicating
Interacting, sharing, taking turns,
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Consider the value of
Structured and unstructured play
Active transport /reducing stroller time
Everyday physical tasks
Prompts for play / risk aversion / supervision?
Types of equipment for upper body lower
body climbing balancing building creative
movement outdoor play
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Barriers to resources
absence of supportive or educative processes in
disseminating resources to communities in highest
needsneed for culturally inclusive
photosnetworks for additional referrals when
parents request further information
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Barriers to physical activity?

• time poor
• other higher priorities
• social isolation
• transport
• too expensive
• health problems
• safety concerns

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Facilitators for effective resources
well-informed and culturally inclusive resource
dissemination parents values and attitudes to
health changepractical ideas for everyday
tips internet accessibility for some but not
all families using networks closest to families
in high need
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Facilitators for physical activity

• play buddies
• low cost or free activities
• opportunities to play in and out of child care
  services
• family encouragement / priorities
• variety of play items
• better transport
• safe play environments

• non competitive activities
• family modeling
• local community activities
• child-centred play

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Consider making the most of awake times-
reduce sedentary time

• Non-productive
• playing video games
• television
• sleeping in
• talking on telephone

• Productive
• books, art, quiet play
• computers
• doing home work
• work/chores

• 1 in 3 children (5-12 yrs) spent excessive time
  (gt2 hrs) watching TV or using a computer for
  leisure Spinks et al. 2006
• Excessive TV and computer use associated with
  insufficient activity levels Spinks et al. 2006

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Why reduce sedentary behaviour in young children?
Often competes with time that could be spent
being more active
Sub-optimal development of bones, muscles, heart
Poorer social skills
Slower development of language???
Not helpful for children at risk of being
overweight ?
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Consider replacing sedentary time with
Active outdoor play options
Reduced time in passive transport/strollers
Increasing everyday tasks that need activity e.g.
walking, carrying, tidying
Setting limits to electronic screen time from an
early age
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Recommendation 1
For healthy development in infants (0 to1),
physical activity particularly floor-based
play in safe environments should be
encouraged from birth
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Recommendation 2
Toddlers (1 to 3 years of age) and pre-schoolers
(3 to 5 years of age) should be physically
active every day for at least three hours, spread
throughout the day
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Recommendation 3
For children 2 to 5 years of age, sitting and
watching television and the use of other
electronic media should be limited to less than
one hour per day
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Recommendation 4
Children younger than two years of age should not
spend any time watching television or using other
electronic media (DVDs, computer and other
electronic games)
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Recommendation 5
Infants, toddlers, and pre-schoolers should not
be sedentary, or kept inactive, for more than one
hour at a time, with the exception of sleeping
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Supportive statements
These physical activity recommendations apply to
children of all abilities and ages   How can
children be active before they can walk? Once
mobile, what types of activity are possible?
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For toddlers and preschoolers, physical activity
should occur primarily through physically active
play but also as part of games, getting to
and from places, free time, structured
activities
Not all activity needs to be lead by adults
Activities for infants and children should
develop enjoyment of outdoor physical activity
Toys may not be accessible, but loose materials
are almost always available, low cost, and just
as much fun
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Parents/carers are important role models and can
help foster their childs involvement in, and
enjoyment of physical activity and play.
For children 0-5, competitive sport is
developmentally less appropriate than less
structured or infant-oriented programs
The benefits in the challenges of play, far
outweigh the serious health risks of not being
active in early childhood
Parents should select child-care providers who
prioritise and promote physical activity.
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Re-prioritising challenges
Developmentally and socially appropriate
activity - Age? Sex? Background? - Parents-
working, low income, issues? - Siblings?- Family
priorities? Living arrangements- high rise,
large family?