The Right to Move: Experiencing Movement and Physical Activity in Preschool as a Basis for Substantial Learning and Development

Childhood in the 21st century is commonly characterized by increased sedentary behavior and exposure to screens, along with decreased individual and social physical activity. Furthermore, parents, teachers, and education environments are typically oriented towards the traditional acquisition of academic skills, hence promote sedentary behavior at the expense of encouraging children to move and use their body. However, there is a growing body of evidence stressing the contribution of physical activity to motor, socio-affective, and cognitive development, and its implication for later life. Taken together, it seems that there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift among parent, teachers, and policy makers in the education system.

Guided by this notion, in this symposium we will present the product of an extensive three-year work, aimed at bringing the most updated research and recommendations to the awareness of policy makers, field workers, and kindergarten-and school-teachers. To this end, we present relevant scientific literature and specific activities that may be implemented in educational environments and in teacher training to provide children with the physical conditions needed for better development. In this symposium we will present our conclusions concerning the contribution of movement to the development of motor coordination, emotion regulation, cognitive abilities, bone properties, self-guidance, and more.