Impact of situational sport games on gross movements and social development among children aged 4-5 years old

Objective  To explore the impact of situational sport games on gross movement and social development among children aged 4-5 years, and to provide references for promoting the healthy development of preschool children. Methods  Seventy-one children aged 4-5 were randomly selected from one public kindergarten in Beijing during Apr. to Jul. of 2019 and were randomly divided into experimental group (n=36, 8-week situational sports game intervention) and control group (n=35, regular learning and playing). The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3) and social development scale for children aged 3-9 were used to assess gross movement and social development, respectively, which were then compared and analyzed. Results  Before intervention, the total score of gross motor development[intervention group (42.63±7.62), control group (43.00±9.16)] and social development[intervention group (211.88±6.68), control group (212.71±9.80)] showed no significant differences between the two groups(t=-0.18, -0.37, P>0.05). After intervention, increases in gross motor development[intervention group (67.80±9.80), control group (45.68±9.47)] and social development level[intervention group (228.30±6.37), control group (214.71±8.65)] were observed in both groups(t=25.82, 3.22;15.90, 2.13, P Conclusion  8-week situational sports games can promote gross movement and social development of 4-5-year-old children. It is suggested that interventions to promote early childhood development should be aware of multiple dimensions of development.