Effects of indoor and outdoor play on children’s gross motor development: Implications for early childhood instructional design

Abstract

In spite of the growing evidence of the benefits of both indoor and outdoor play, studies on the effects of these play environments on gross motor skill development remain largely underexplored. Also, children spend more time on sedentary activities as against physical play which affects their childhood development. Thus, this study examined the impact of indoor and outdoor play sessions on children’s gross motor skills, with a focus on physical strength, coordination, balance, stability, spatial awareness, body control, timing, and rhythm and its implications on early childhood instructional design. A pre-/post-test quasi-experimental design was used involving 32 children aged 3- 5 years, randomly assigned into indoor play group (experimental group A) and outdoor play group (experimental group B). Data were collected using a performance-based assessment tool validated by early childhood education experts, and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and analysis of covariance. The results revealed significant improvements in children’s gross motor skills with a medium effect size, with outdoor play sessions showing greater gains in physical strength, coordination, balance, stability, and timing compared to indoor play. These findings provide insights into the benefits of outdoor play in enhancing motor development. The findings of this study have implications for policy makers and early childhood instructional designers on the need to incorporate play into children’s educational experiences to enhance gross motor development in order to boost emotional, cognitive, and social develooment of children for enhanced physical growth academic performance. Consequently, the study recommends that instructional designers should prioritize outdoor play activities within early childhood education programs to foster gross motor development, emphasizing the importance of movement, exploration, and physical engagement in open play environments for optimal developmental outcomes.