Abstract
School represents a suitable setting for intervention programmes aiming to promote physical activity to benefit health. During the school day, physical education and school playtime offer children regular opportunities to engage in physical activity. However, there is growing concern that, internationally, curricular time allocated to physical education is not meeting statutory guidelines. The effectiveness of the playground environment to promote physical activity has been considered as a complementary setting to physical education.
Physical activity guidelines state that children should engage in at least 1 hour of moderate intensity physical activity a day. Currently no empirically tested guidelines exist for physical activity levels during playtime. However, studies cited in this article indicate that playtime can contribute between 5–40% of recommended daily physical activity levels when no interventions have been utilised.
The limited school-based investigations that have been reported in the literature suggest that boys engage in more physical activity during playtime than girls. Studies that have implemented intervention strategies in order to promote physical activity levels indicate that playtime can substantially contribute towards daily optimal physical activity guidelines. Energy expenditure and physical activity levels have increased during playtime following the implementation of playtime-based interventions. In order to advance knowledge of children’s physical activity during playtime, a number of key issues for consideration in future research are detailed. Research on children’s use of playtime to be physically active and the extent of the contribution of playtime to daily physical activity guidelines is warranted.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blair SN, Connelly JC. How much physical activity should we do? The case for moderate amounts and intensities of physical activity. Res Q Exerc Sport 1996; 67 (2): 193–205
Blair SN, Kohl HW, Paffenbarger RS, et al. Physical fitness and all-cause mortality: a prospective study of healthy men and women. JAMA 1989; 262: 2395–401
Riddoch CJ, Boreham C. Physical activity, physical fitness and children’s health: current concepts. In: Armstrong N, van Mechelen W, editors. Pediatric exercise science and medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000: 243–252
Taylor AH. Physical activity, anxiety and stress. In: Biddle SJH, Fox KR, Boutcher SH, editors. Physical activity and psychological well-being. London: Routledge, 2000: 10–45
Sallis JF, Patrick K. Physical activity guidelines for adolescents: consensus statement. Pediatr Exerc Sci 1994; 6 (4): 302–314
Harro M, Riddoch CJ. Physical activity. In: Armstrong N, van Mechelen W, editors. Pediatric exercise science and medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000: 77–84
Cale LA, Almond L. Children’s physical activity levels: a review of studies conducted on British children. Phys Educ Rev 1992; 15 (2): 111–118
Armstrong N, Welsman J. Young people and physical activity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997
Gavarry O, Giacomoni M, Bernard T, et al. Habitual physical activity in children and adolescents during school and free days. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2003; 35 (3): 525–531
Riddoch CJ, Andersen LB, Wedderkopp N, et al. Physical activity levels and patterns of 9- and 15-year-old European children. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36 (1): 86–92
Bailey RC, Olson J, Pepper SL, et al. The level and tempo of children’s physical activities: an observational study. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1995; 27 (7): 1033–1041
Sallo M, Silla R. Physical activity with moderate to vigorous intensity in preschool and first-grade schoolchildren. Pediatr Exerc Sci 1997; 9 (1): 44–54
Pate RR, Long BJ, Heath G. Descriptive epidemiology of physical activity in adolescents. Pediatr Exerc Sci 1994; 6 (4): 434–447
Sleap M, Warburton P. Physical activity levels of 5-11 year-old children in England: cumulative evidence from three direct observation studies. Int J Sports Med 1996; 17 (4): 248–253
Marshall SJ, Biddle SJH, Sallis JF, et al. Clustering of sedentary behaviours and physical activity among youth: a cross-national study. Pediatr Exerc Sci 2002; 14 (4): 401–417
Dale D, Corbin CB, Dale KS. Restricting opportunities to be active during school time: do children compensate by increasing physical activity levels after school? Res Q Exerc Sport 2000; 71 (3): 240–248
Sarkin JA, McKenzie TL, Sallis JF. Gender differences in physical activity during fifth-grade physical education and recess periods. J Teach Phys Educ 1997; 17: 99–106
McKenzie TL, Sallis JF, Kolody B, et al. Long-term effects of a physical education curriculum and staff development program: SPARK. Res Q Exerc Sport 1997; 68 (4): 280–291
Kelder SH, Mitchell PD, McKenzie TL, et al. Long-term implementation of the CATCH physical education program. Health Educ Behav 2003; 30 (4): 463–475
McKenzie TL, Sallis JF, Prochaska JJ, et al. Evaluation of a two-year middle-school physical education intervention: M-SPAN. Med Sci Sport Exerc 2004; 36 (8): 1382–1388
Stone EJ, McKenzie TL, Welk GJ, et al. Effects of physical activity interventions in youth: review and synthesis. Am J Prev Med 1998; 15 (4): 298–315
Hardman K, Marshall J. The state and status of physical education in schools in international context. Eur Phys Educ Rev 2000; 6 (3): 203–229
Blatchford P. Playtime in the primary school: problems and improvements. Berkshire: NFER-Nelson, 1989
Blatchford P, Baines E, Pellegrini AD. The social context of school playground games: sex and ethnic difference, and changes over time after entry to junior school. Br J Dev Psychol 2003; 21: 481–505
Stratton G. A preliminary study of children’s physical activity in one urban primary school playground: differences by sex and season. J Sport Pedag 1999; 2 (1): 71–81
Caspersen CJ, Powell KE, Christenson GM. Physical activity, exercise and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public Health Rep 1985; 100: 136–141
Welk GJ, Corbin CB, Dale D. Measurement issues in the assessment of physical activity in children. Res Q Exerc Sport 2000; 71 (2): 59–73
Biddle SJH, Sallis J, Cavill N. Young and active: physical activity guidelines for young people in the UK. London: Health Education Authority, 1998
Ridgers ND, Stratton G, Fairclough SJ. Assessing physical activity levels during recess using accelerometry. Prev Med 2005; 41 (1): 102–107
Boulton MJ. Participation in playground activities at middle school. Educ Res 1992; 34 (3): 167–181
Pate RR, Baranowski T, Dowda M, et al. Tracking of physical activity in young children. Med Sci Sport Exerc 1996; 28 (1): 92–96
Stratton G, Ridgers ND. Sporting playgrounds project: an overview. Br J Teach Phys Educ 2003; 24: 23–25
Sirard JR, Pate RR. Physical activity assessment in children and adolescents. Sports Med 2001; 31 (6): 439–454
Puhl J, Greaves K, Hoyt M, et al. Children’s Activity rating Scale (CARS): description and calibration. Res Q Exerc Sport 1990; 61 (1): 26–36
Janz KF. Use of heart rate monitors to assess physical activity. In: Welk GJ, editor. Physical activity assessments for health-related research. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 2002: 143–161
Welk GJ. Use of accelerometry-based activity monitors to assess physical activity. In: Welk GJ, editor. Physical activity assessments for health-related research. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 2002: 125–141
Nilsson A, Ekelund U, Yngve A, et al. Assessing physical activity among children with accelerometers using different time sampling intervals and placements. Pediatr Exerc Sci 2002; 14 (1): 87–96
Ott AE, Pate RR, Trost SG, et al. The use of uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers to measure children’s ‘free-play’ physical activity. Pediatr Exerc Sci 2000; 12: 360–370
Rowlands AV. Field methods of assessing physical activity and energy balance. In: Eston RG, Reilly T, editors. Kinanthro-pometry and exercise physiology laboratory manual. Tests, procedures and data, volume one, anthropometry. London: Routledge, 2001: 151–170
Stratton G, Mota J. Girls’ physical activity during primary school playtime: a validation study using systematic observation and heart rate telemetry. J Hum Movement Stud 2000; 38 (3): 109–121
Santos P, Silva P, Guerra S, et al. Gender differences in physical activity during recess time. Rev Port Cien Des 2003; 3: S150–S151
Mota J, Stratton G. Gender differences in physical activity at primary school recess in Portuguese Primary Schools. Rev Port Cien Des 2000; 3: S150
Johns DP, Ha AS. Home and recess physical activity of Hong Kong children. Res Q Exerc Sport 1999; 70 (3): 319–323
Hovell MF, Bursick JH, Sharkey R, et al. An evaluation of elementary students’ voluntary physical activity during recess. Res Q 1978; 49: 460–474
McKenzie TL, Sallis JF, Elder JP, et al. Physical activity levels and prompts in young children at recess: a two-year study of a bi-ethnic sample. Res Q Exerc Sport 1997; 68 (3): 195–202
Kraft RE. Children at play: behaviour of children at recess. J Phys Educ Recr Dance 1989; 60: 21–24
McKenzie TL, Marshall SJ, Sallis JF, et al. Leisure-time physical activity in school environments: an observation study using SOPLAY. Prev Med 2000; 30: 70–77
Zask A, van Beurden E, Barnett L, et al. Active school playgrounds: myth or reality? Results of the ‘Move It Groove It’ Project. Prev Med 2001; 33 (5): 402–408
Morgan CF, McKenzie TL, Sallis JF, et al. Personal, social and environmental correlates of physical activity in a bi-ethnic sample of adolescents. Pediatr Exerc Sci 2003; 15 (3): 288–301
Lindon J. Understanding children’s play. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes, 2001
Pellegrini AD. School recess and playground behaviour: developmental and educational roles. New York: SUNY Press, 1995
Stratton G. Promoting children’s physical activity in primary school: an intervention study using playground markings. Ergonomics 2000; 43 (10): 1538–1546
Scruggs PW, Beveridge SK, Watson DL. Increasing children’s school time physical activity using structured fitness breaks. Pediatr Exerc Sci 2003; 15 (2): 156–169
Connolly P, McKenzie TL. Effects of a games intervention on the physical activity levels of children at recess. Res Q Exerc Sport 1995; 66 Suppl.: A–60
Stratton G, Leonard J. The metabolism of the elementary school playground: the effects of an intervention study on children’s energy expenditure. Pediatr Exerc Sci 2002; 14 (2): 170–180
Stratton G, Mullan E. The effect of playground markings on children’s physical activity levels. Rev Port Cien Des 2003; 3: S137
Gabbard C. Enhance your elementary programme with a fitness break. J Phys Educ Recr Dance 1992; 63: 11–12
Weiss MR, Ferrer-Caja E. Motivational orientations and sport behaviour. In: Horn TS, editor. Advances in sport psychology. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 2002: 101–183
Riddoch CJ, Mahoney C, Murphy N, et al. The physical activity patterns of Northern Irish schoolchildren aged 11–16 years. Pediatr Exerc Sci 1991; 3 (4): 300–309
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on earlier drafts of this review. No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this review. The authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this review.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ridgers, N.D., Stratton, G. & Fairclough, S.J. Physical Activity Levels of Children during School Playtime. Sports Med 36, 359–371 (2006). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200636040-00005
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200636040-00005