Popping the bubble wrap- unleashing the power of play: an innovative playground intervention to increase children's physical activity

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Disturbing numbers of children in Australia are overweight, bullied or have poor mental health – problems that are often inter-related. Recent decreases in outdoor play may be partly responsible. Outdoor play “pulls for” social interaction and physical activity; indoor play is often sedentary and solitary. Most young children love active outdoor play but parents and teachers fear injury. This project is a school-based intervention to increase outdoor play by: (1) adding 'loose part' materials to the playground and (2) helping adults change their views of risk associated with active play. We expect to demonstrate a significant effect on children’s activity levels, coping and social skills through strategies that are replicable in every school playground in the nation and to contribute to policy regarding play, health, and education.

Engelen L, Bundy AC, Naughton G, Simpson JM, Bauman A, Ragen J, Baur L, Wyver S, Tranter P, Niehues A, Schiller W, Perry G, Jessup G, van der Ploeg HP.

2013-02-2473 citations

10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.02.007

The Sydney playground project: popping the bubblewrap--unleashing the power of play: a cluster randomized controlled trial of a primary school playground-based intervention aiming to increase children's physical activity and social skills.

Bundy AC, Naughton G, Tranter P, Wyver S, Baur L, Schiller W, Bauman A, Engelen L, Ragen J, Luckett T, Niehues A, Stewart G, Jessup G, Brentnall J.

2011-09-0131 citations

10.1186/1471-2458-11-680

Interventions

- Reprioritising play and reframing risk: one 2 hour workshop with teachers and parents. The adults will examine their beliefs regarding play and risk associated with active play. Discussions will focus on the benefits of play, healthy vs unhealthy risk and the consequences of preventing children from engaging in play and healthy risk taking. - Introduction of unstructured play materials: The play material (e.g. car tyres, milk crates, crash mats etc.) will be present on the school playgrounds

- Reprioritising play and reframing risk: one 2 hour workshop with teachers and parents. The adults will examine their beliefs regarding play and risk associated with active play. Discussions will focus on the benefits of play, healthy vs unhealthy risk and the consequences of preventing children from engaging in play and healthy risk taking. - Introduction of unstructured play materials: The play material (e.g. car tyres, milk crates, crash mats etc.) will be present on the school playgrounds during the 13 week intervention and can be used by all the children at the school.

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Primary purpose

Prevention

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

5 Years to 7 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

Children in kindergarten or year 1 where the parents have given consent. The children to be approached to participate from each school are randomly chosen.

Exclusion criteria

Parents refuse to sign consent. No other exclusion criteria

Outcome results