Western researchers who study activity among young kids have created an online course to help tackle a pervasive problem: Children are not getting enough daily movement, especially while in childcare.
"We've been working in childcare settings for more than a decade, trying to understand environmental factors that influence physical activity in kids," said Trish Tucker, professor in the School of Occupational Therapy in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Western.
Trish Tucker
According to Tucker, children should be engaged in 180 minutes of physical activity every day, with 120 of those minutes ideally happening in childcare settings. For preschoolers (three and four years old) one-third of the total 180 minutes should be moderate to vigorous activity.
However, an analysis of childcare settings led by post-doctoral researcher Sophie Phillips, under Tucker's supervision, shows preschoolers spend a lot of time sitting - more than 40 minutes out of every hour - while in childcare. The study was published in Child: care, health and development.
She says it's not that kids are doing nothing during these slower times.
"It might be that young children spend a lot of time sitting, playing with toys, with their friends or they might have story time and circle time. All of these activities contribute to their sedentary time," said Phillips.
But it means children are spending less time physically active.
"Lack of activity can impact young children's motor skills, fitness and bone health, as well as cognitive and psychosocial development," said Phillips. "Instilling activity behaviours from the early years sets children on a healthy trajectory, as these behaviours have been shown to track throughout childhood."
Educating caregivers
The researchers have been advocating for increased child-activity levels and weren't surprised by the numbers. They say it's not just about the amount of time children spend sedentary - the intensity of their movement is also a key factor.
"Our recent analysis shows young children engaging in moderate to vigorous activity at childcare is very beneficial for their development. Replacing time that would otherwise be spent sedentary or in light activity with higher-intensity activity can improve children's psychosocial health, leads to fewer emotional challenges and improves their motor skills," said Phillips.
Sophie Phillips
The researchers' goal is to support childcare professionals in understanding the importance of physical activity, including more vigorous movement, and how to implement it.
"We need to think about how we can support higher-intensity movement behaviours across the different environments where kids are spending time," said Tucker.
Alongside post-doctoral associates Brianne Bruijns and Matthew Bourke, Tucker has been testing a new course, Training EArly CHildhood educators in physical activity (TEACH). It's aimed at teaching Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) about the role physical activity plays in child development.
College and university programs for childcare professionals don't currently include much education on how to get kids active or be creative with indoor spaces, Tucker said.
"Based on my experience in many centres, the space is often not that big and we're almost seeing discouragement of movement - not intentionally, but just simply because ECEs are trying to maintain a calm environment," she said.
Despite these spatial limitations, helping childcare professionals understand the value of physical activity and how to work with what they have is central to the course.
'Perfect time for prevention'
Among ECEs who have taken the course, Tucker and her research team have seen an increase in their knowledge and confidence to promote movement in young children. They're now consulting educators to make sure the material is responsive to their needs and delivered in a way that is useful.
"We've tried to make it very experiential, recognizing online delivery doesn't allow for hands-on practice," said Tucker.
The course has been fully tested in English, and testing in French is underway.
For now, ECEs or ECE students must contact the research team to access the course, but it is freely available to any ECE in Canada who is interested in using it. The goal is to eventually implement it across the country. There's already interest from public health units in Ontario and New Brunswick, Tucker said.
"The early years are a perfect time for prevention to help ensure children have the best start in life" said Phillips.
