Table 3.
Mapping of intervention strategies synthesised in the included reviews to the recommended practices [12].
| Recommended Practics | 1. PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN TO BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE (MORE IS BETTER) | 2. DEVELOP AND ADOPT POLICIES FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS | 3. OFFER EDUCATOR TRAINING TO PROVIDE SAFE AND DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY | 4. EDUCATORS TO PROMOTE THE BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH CHILDREN [25] | 5. LIMIT THE TIME CHILDREN SPEND SITTING (LESS IS BEST) | 6. LIMIT THE USE OF SCREEN TIME (LESS IS BEST) | 7. SUPPORT HEALTHY SLEEPING HABITS | 8. CREATE A PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY [24] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended sub-practices | 1.1 Ensure physical activity is incorporated into daily routines and formal childcare curriculum | 2.1 Engage staff and parent support for physical activity standards | 3.1 Staff should be trained to counsel parents about their child’s physical activity | 4.1. Educators should model physical activity by participating in activities | 5.1 Children should not be sitting for extended periods (or be restrained for more than 1 h) | 6.1 No screen time is recommended for children <2 years | 7.1 Include a nap within the daily routine, with regular sleep and wake-up times | 8.1 Provide play equipment that encourages physical activity [23] |
| 1.2 Include at least 180 min of physical activity of any intensity, spread throughout the day | 2.2 Seek consultation from experts annually on the physical activity programs delivered in the childcare | 3.2 Staff should be trained in counselling parents in appropriate sleep duration | 4.2 Engage children in physical activity they enjoy, including games and sport (age appropriate, fun and offer variety) | 5.2 When sedentary, children should be engaged in educational and creative pursuits, and be engaged socially. | 6.2 No more than 1 h of screen time/week is recommended for children >2 years | 7.2 Provide an environment that provides restful sleep: remove screen media from sleeping/napping areas and low noise | 8.2 Provide simple play equipment to encourage creative play and exploration (e.g., cardboard boxes) and portable play equipment that encourages indoor and outdoor play | |
| 1.3 For children 3–4 years, include at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during the day | 2.3 Provide parent education at least 2 times a year (to reduce screen time) | 3.3 Staff should be trained in encouraging child physical activity and decreasing sedentary behaviour [26] | 4.3 Expressive play is encouraged e.g., music, dancing and make believe | 5.3 Engage children that tend to be sedentary in active play | 6.3 Screens should not be used/available during mealtimes or nap times | 7.3 Maintain a calm nap-time routine | 8.3 Provide adequate space for children to be physically active | |
| 1.4 Include opportunities for adult-led, structured physical activity [24] | 2.4 Develop a written policy promoting physical activity and the removal of barriers to physical activity participation (including limiting screen time) | 3.4 Offer staff annual training opportunities in physical activity programs and practices | 4.4 Educators embed physical activity into educational activities | 6.4 Limit the use of screen time for educational activities or active movement programs | 8.4 Ensure the outdoor area offers variety in terms of secure equipment in shade, open grass and varying surfaces | |||
| 1.5 Include opportunities for unstructured physical activity, free play (play-time) | 4.5 Avoid punishing children for being physical active | 6.5 Parent permission should be requested for children to participate in any screen based activity | 8.5 Ensure that the educator to child ratio is fairly low (i.e., less than 10 children to one educator) | |||||
| 1.6 Provide daily opportunities for activity through outdoor playtime (should be supervised) | 4.6 Avoid withholding physical activity as a punishment | 6.6 Screen time should be supervised by an adult (to help children apply what they are learning) | ||||||
| 1.7 Provide opportunities for children to develop and practice gross motor and movement skills [27] | 4.7 Elimination games should be avoided as well as competitive activates and games | 6.7 When offered, screen/digital media should be free from advertising, violence or should that tempt children to overuse | ||||||
| 1.8 Include culturally appropriate physical activities | 4.8 Engage equal participation from boys and girls in physical activity | 6.8 Work with parents to limit overall screen time | ||||||
| 4.9 Celebrate special occasions with physical activity (games, dancing and extra playground time). |
Legend: green = positive effect, orange = mixed/inconclusive effect, white = no systematic review evidence available. Reproduced with permission from Jackson et al. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; published by MDPI, 2021.