Correlation between parental permission for physical play and motor development of children aged 3-5

Abstract

The environment in which a child develops determines, to a greater extent, the direction of his motor development. The main aim of our study was to examine the influence of parental permission regarding free physical play on the development of children's motor ability. Different aspects of motor development were measured in 24 children aged 3 to 5 years. Parental permission for free play was assessed via a questionnaire filled by parents. The results showed significant correlations between parental permission and child's motor development. Permissions were related mostly to manual precision and coordination. Then, to a lesser degree with fine motor skills and endurance, while there was no correlation with balance. Additionally, we found that this strong relationship emerges at 4 and 5 years of age, while at the age of three it is not documented. Our research results emphasize the strong impact of parental permission on determining the process of child's motor development.