Kinesiological activities of preschool-aged children in the family environment

Abstract

It is essential to enable early and preschool-aged children with the highest quality of growth and development, which they can achieve in an adequate familial environment in which they spontaneously and through motor play develop kinantropological characteristics, as well as through out-of-home forms of education and participation in various kinesiological programs. This research aimed to gain an insight into the involvement of children in the realization of different physical activities compared to sedentary activities. The research was conducted by interviewing 149 parents whose children were enrolled in a preschool program in 2016. The results show that 21.5% of children are included in a preschool sports program. When it comes to children's activities outside institutional education, it is an encouraging fact that, despite the many stressful situations experienced by parents with preschool and early school-aged children, 77.2% of parents spend time with their children in indoor and outdoor play during the working week and the same amount of time during the weekends and holidays. However, despite this, it is a worrying fact that 83.9% of the children spend their free time watching TV and playing games on their computers and tablet. When we add to this the time spent on walking, swimming, or riding a bicycle, it can be concluded that already in the preschool period, children lead a more sedentary than active lifestyle.