Children living in countryside outperform children living in metropolitan area in motor skills

[Judi Lynn]

June 27, 2019

In a recent study with 3 to 7-year-old children provided an example of how children's daily living environment and motor skills are closely related in the Finnish context. The main finding revealed that residential density is related to children's motor skills, engagement in outdoor play and organised sports. It was found that Finnish children living in the countryside spent more time outdoors and had better motor skills than their age peers in the metropolitan area. On the other hand, children living in the metropolitan area participated the most in organised sports.

Motor skills comprise locomotor, object control and balance skills, all of which are present in everyday life tasks like running, climbing and drawing. Adequate motor skills enable participation in typical games and plays for different ages and developmental phases, for example, in running and ball games.

- In early childhood, the mastery of basic motor skills is one of the main developmental task of the child. Motor skills enable children to participate in various physical activities and physically active play. Mutual plays and games enable children to have friends to play with. Moreover, motor skills are also crucial when it comes to school adaptation, says PhD. student Donna Niemistö from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä.

Motor skills do not develop to an optimal level without practising. So far, we know that one out of ten children have delays in their motor development. These delays can complicate everyday tasks, such as putting clothes on, writing and riding a bike.

More:
https://www.brightsurf.com/news/article/062719486578/children-living-in-countryside-outperform-children-living-in-metropolitan-area-in-motor-skills.html