Outdoor Play, Sports Can Promote Motor Skills In Youngsters

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 17, 2025 -- Children who spend more time playing outdoors or participating in different sports tend to develop better motor skills as they advance through elementary school, a new study says.

Even a half-hour of independent outdoor play after a day at childcare makes a difference in kids’ motor skill development, researchers reported in the Journal of Sports Sciences.

Children also did better if they tried more than one type of sport, researchers noted.

“Engaging in two or more sports during early childhood education predicted better motor competence later in school age,” lead investigator Nanne-Mari Luukkainen, a doctoral researcher with the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, said in a news release.

“Based on the results, coaches and physical education teachers should consider the importance of both organized and non-organized physical activities in the holistic development of children and encourage children to engage in diverse physical activities,” Luukkainen added.

For the study, researchers tracked more than 600 children living in Finland. The kids were ages 3 to 8 at the start of the study, and reached grades 1 through 3 during the three years that researchers followed their motor development.

Children who picked up more than one sport were better able to walk and run; had better hand-eye coordination; were better at holding, catching and throwing objects in their hands; and had overall better fundamental movement skills, the study found.

Likewise, kids who played outdoors more often had better fundamental movement skills and performed better at a test in which they jumped sideways.

The effects were more pronounced in girls than boys, possibly because boys tend to be significantly more active overall, researchers said.

These results jibe with previous studies showing that outdoor time and diverse physical activities can positively affect motor development, researchers said.

Sources

  • University of Jyvaskyla, news release, April 4, 2025

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-04-18 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords