Developing fundamental movement skills in outdoor settings: Three case studies of children playing

Recent studies have shown that many children are not developing competence in fundamental movement skills. Three comparative case studies examined the opportunities that that pre- primary children (5 year olds) have to engage in fundamental movement skills in outdoor play settings. Results indicated that many children are not engaging in the manipulative skills of throwing, catching, hitting and kicking, while running, jumping and climbing were the predominant skills performed. Variability in the practice of fundamental movement skills relate to time allocation, teacher/​adult presence in the play setting, playground design and equipment usage/​ availability