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An exploration of parent perceptions of a take-home loose parts play kit intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: The restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic affected the regular routines of Canadians, including access to play and physical activity opportunities, while limiting social connections. In response to this, a recreation centre created take-home play kits that contained loose parts with the aim of facilitating unstructured play. Between August 2021 and January 2022, ten parents participated in semi-structured interviews via telephone or videoconferencing platforms that captured their experiences of the take-home play kits. Using Thematic Analysis, we identified themes and subthemes reflecting parent perceptions and experiences of the take-home play kit. Three themes emerged: (1 A forced renaissance of play; (2) Bringing unstructured play home, and; (3) Parenting is child's play. Parents shared how the pandemic resulted in decreased physical activity and social opportunities for their children. The parents described how the take-home play kits supported unstructured play as well as their perspectives on the importance of unstructured play. Parents in our study suggested that a take-home loose parts play kit could be a useful resource to help engage children in unstructured play in both indoor and outdoor environments.

SUBMITTER: Naish C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10564120 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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An exploration of parent perceptions of a take-home loose parts play kit intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Naish Calli C Doyle-Baker Patricia K PK Ingstrup Meghan S MS McCormack Gavin R GR

PloS one 20231010 10

The restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic affected the regular routines of Canadians, including access to play and physical activity opportunities, while limiting social connections. In response to this, a recreation centre created take-home play kits that contained loose parts with the aim of facilitating unstructured play. Between August 2021 and January 2022, ten parents participated in semi-structured interviews via telephone or videoconferencing platforms that capture ...[more]

PMID: 37816011

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Project description:It is important to consider physical activity and movement in early life to ensure children establish and maintain healthy physical activity patterns. Recent evidence has highlighted the importance of outdoor play and the childcare environment. Active outdoor play, especially free play, supports independence, self-regulation and allows children to explore their world and make decisions. Loose parts or open-ended materials are natural or synthetic resources that can be used in more than one way, allowing children to experiment through play. Incorporating loose parts into play environments creates opportunity for new play experiences. Despite growing evidence supporting loose parts play, the perspectives of childcare providers on the benefits and challenges of this type of play have been overlooked. The purpose of this study was to identify the benefits and challenges of incorporating loose parts play into the outdoor environments of childcare centres, from the perspectives of educators who took part in the Physical Literacy in the Early Years (PLEY) project. PLEY is a larger, mixed methods intervention study with the goal of evaluating a loose parts intervention in early childcare settings. This portion of the project used qualitative description to explore educators' perspectives. Data were collected using focus groups (n = 15) with early childhood educators (n = 3-5 in each group). Thematic analysis was used to identify five themes relating to benefits, and four themes relating to challenges. Benefit themes included: loose parts enable children to take risks; loose parts spark creativity and imagination; loose parts contribute to problem-solving abilities; loose parts cultivate independence and confidence; and loose parts build relationships and leadership. Challenges included: apprehension of loose parts; loose parts as a novelty; sustainability of loose parts; and loose parts present challenges with storage. Overall, we found educators perceived outdoor loose parts play to have multiple social and cognitive benefits for preschool-aged children that are critical for optimal growth and development, and overall health and wellness.

Project description:BackgroundPhysical activity participation among preschoolers in childcare settings are low, and interventions to increase physical activity levels have produced mixed results. The Physical Literacy in the Early Years (PLEY) project implemented a six-month childcare-based outdoor loose parts play intervention in childcare centres in Nova Scotia, Canada. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the PLEY project on the development of domains of physical literacy (physical activity, physical competence, confidence and motivation, knowledge and understanding) in preschoolers attending childcare centres using mixed-methods.MethodsPreschoolers (3-5 years) were recruited from 19 childcare centres in Nova Scotia and centres were randomized (parallel design) to the outdoor loose parts play intervention group (n = 11) or control (n = 8) group for 6 months. Participants, early childhood educators, and assessors were not blinded to group assignment. Quantitative and qualitative measures were used to comprehensively assess the impact of the PLEY project on all domains of physical literacy. At 3- and 6-months, early childhood educators participated in focus groups to assess how the intervention supported the development of 4 physical literacy domains: physical activity, physical competence, confidence and motivation, and knowledge and understanding. Physical activity and physical competence were also assessed with accelerometry and the Test of Gross Motor Development-3, respectively.ResultsTwo hundred and nine preschoolers participated in the study (intervention group: n = 115; control group: n = 94). Accelerometer data showed that while baseline physical activity was similar between groups, children in the intervention group had higher physical activity at 3- (F(1,187) = 8.30, p = 0.004) and 6-months (F(1,187) = 9.90, p = 0.002) post-intervention. There was no intervention effect on physical competence scores. Thematic analysis of focus group data revealed that outdoor loose parts play contributed to development in all 4 physical literacy domains, including increased movement repertoires, social development, and enjoyment of physical activity. No adverse events or side effects of the intervention were reported.ConclusionsParticipation in the PLEY project was associated with increased development of various domains of physical literacy and perceived physical literacy among preschoolers, and outdoor loose parts play may be encouraged as an effective strategy to increase physical literacy in early learning settings.Trial registrationBiomed Central (ISRCTN14058106), 20/10/2017.

Project description:BackgroundCompared to other children, those with disability have additional challenges to being physically active. Prader-Willi Syndrome is a genetic form of childhood obesity that is characterized by hypotonia, growth hormone deficiency, behavioral, and cognitive disability. In children, the low prevalence of this syndrome (1 in 10,000 to 15,000 live births) makes group-based physical activity interventions difficult. In contrast, the home environment presents a natural venue to establish a physical activity routine for this population. This manuscript describes the design of a parent-led physical activity intervention incorporating playground and interactive console-based games to increase physical activity participation in youth with and without Prader-Willi Syndrome.Methods/designThe study participants will be 115 youth ages 8-15 y (45 with the syndrome and 70 without the syndrome but categorized as obese). The study will use a parallel design with the control group receiving the intervention after serving as control. Participants will be expected to complete a physical activity curriculum 4 days a week for 6 months including playground games 2 days a week and interactive console games 2 days a week. Parents will be trained at baseline and then provided with a curriculum and equipment to guide their implementation of the program. Tips related to scheduling and coping with barriers to daily program implementation will be provided. Throughout, parents will be contacted by phone once a week (weeks 1-4) and then every other week to receive support in between visits. Measurements of children and parents will be obtained at baseline, 12 weeks, and at the end (week 24) of the intervention. Children main outcomes include physical activity (accelerometry), body composition (dual x-ray absorptiometry), motor proficiency (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency), quality of life and physical activity self-efficacy (questionnaires). Intervention compliance will be monitored using mail-in daily self-report checklists.DiscussionThis parent-guided physical activity intervention aims to increase physical activity by using a curriculum that builds physical activity related self-confidence through the development and/or enhancement of motor skill competency. Ultimately, helping children develop these skills as well as joy in being physically active will translate into sustained behavior change.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trial: NCT02058342.

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An exploration of parent perceptions of a take-home loose parts play kit intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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An exploration of parent perceptions of a take-home loose parts play kit intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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