RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access

Space, body, time and relationship experiences of recess physical activity: a qualitative case study among the least physical active schoolchildren Charlotte Skau Pawlowski1,2*, Henriette Bondo Andersen1,2, Tine Tjørnhøj-Thomsen2,3, Jens Troelsen1,2 and Jasper Schipperijn1,2 Background: Increasing recess physical activity has been the aim of several interventions, as this setting can provide numerous physical activity opportunities. However, it is unclear if these interventions are equally effective for all children, or if they only appeal to children who are already physically active. This study was conducted to explore the least physically active children’s “lived experiences ” within four existential lifeworlds linked to physical activity during recess: space, body, time, and relations. Methods: The study builds on ethnographic fieldwork in a public school in Denmark using a combination of participatory photo interviews and participant observation. Thirty-seven grade five children (11–12 years old) were grouped in quartiles based on their objectively measured daily physical activity levels. Eight children in the lowes