Motor proficiency and physical activity in preschool girls: a preliminary study

Physical activity during preschool age promotes sports learning and the acquisition of fundamental and complex movement skills. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of three different four-month physical and/or pre-sport activity programmes on preschool children’s motor proficiency. Twenty-five girls, aged between four and six years, were involved in the study, 10 practising physical activity, six practising dance (classical), nine practising swimming. Girls’ motor proficiency was assessed before and after the intervention period by means of the BOT-2 Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Short Form (BOT-2 SF). Differential effects of interventions emerged in fine manual control and coordination and in running speed and agility. A playful and highly varied physical activity intervention conducted by a specialized teacher was more effective for the development of preschool girls’ motor proficiency.