Depth and Quality of Recommendations in Popular Sources About How to Play with Infants: Content Analysis.

AIM: Systematically evaluate the depth and quality of play recommendations provided in popular sources for parents of infants in the first year of life. METHODS: This represents the second stage of a larger analysis of educational content available to parents. Two coders (>90% agreement) extracted and coded play activities from popular websites, applications, and books screened from a systematic online search. Depth of instruction variables were extracted. Activity quality was rated based on opportunities for child-initiated movement, problem-solving with objects, and responsive communication. RESULTS: 4370 play activities from 214 sources were analyzed. Activities were likely to suggest specific ages for infants and that a caregiver be present. Less than half of the activities incorporated toys or provided guidance about how to position or physically support infants. Activity quality was low; most activities did not explicitly encourage parents to provide opportunities for child-initiated movement, problem-solving with objects, or quality communication. CONCLUSIONS: Parents may encounter a large number of play activities in popular sources, but the depth of instruction and quality of those activities could be improved. Provision of higher-quality education to parents may enhance parent-child play interactions to positively impact parent and child outcomes, especially for children at risk for delays.

The use of robots for augmentative manipulation during play activities among children with motor impairment: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: To describe the extent, type, and quality of studies involving robots for augmentative manipulation during play by children with severe motor impairments (CwSMI), and to explore how they influenced children's cognitive skills and engagement. METHODS: Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed & EBSCO were systematically searched for articles published until March 2021, that reported cognitive skills and/or engagement outcomes from interventions involving the use of robots in play activities, where participants included CwSMI, and full-text was available. Data extracted comprised characteristics of participants, study design, purpose of the study, outcomes assessed, collection methods, and intervention carried out (robot-environment interaction and robot used). RESULTS: Eight mobile robots and five robotic arms were reported in the 17 included and reviewed articles. Most of them informed a positive impact on CwSMI's cognitive skills and/or engagement. However, the studies scored poorly on a five-criteria quality assessment, and only one single-case design proved strong evidence of treatment. None of the analysed interventions was an evidence-based practice. CONCLUSION: The use of manipulative robots during play activities may have a positive impact on the CwSMI's cognitive skills and engagement in activities. However, further studies with higher internal and external validity are needed to support stronger evidence.Implications for rehabilitationThe use of robots for augmentative manipulation during play activities may have a positive influence on the cognitive functions and the engagement in activities of children with severe motor impairments.Through manipulative robots, this population could be able to show the abilities that are hidden due to their motor impairments, and subsequently, receive educational and physical training more aligned with their real capacities and potential.

Efectos de un programa recreativo-pedagógico en las capacidades coordinativas en escolares / Effects of a recreational-pedagogical program on coordinating capacities in school children

RESUMEN Los bajos niveles de coordinación diagnosticados en los niños pueden afectar su desarrollo motriz posterior y su rendimiento académico, por lo tanto, se justifica formular y evaluar programas de intervención, que mejoren sus capacidades coordinativas. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el efecto de un programa recreativo pedagógico sobre las capacidades coordinativas, de 64 estudiantes, tanto de género masculino como femenino, con edades entre los 6 y 7 años, en una Institución educativa colombiana. En la investigación efectuada, se utilizó una metodología de corte cuantitativo, con un diseño cuasi experimental-descriptivo; la información, se recolectó mediante el test de Capón, usado antes y después de aplicar el programa recreativo-pedagógico diseñado. El procesamiento de los datos, se efectuó con el software libre R. Los resultados permitieron establecer que, en promedio, las diferencias entre las puntuaciones acumuladas entre el pre-test y el pos-test en el grupo experimental, sí son significativas y atribuibles al mencionado programa. En conclusión, tal programa sí produce efectos positivos en las capacidades coordinativas de los participantes en el estudio.

ABSTRACT The low levels of coordination diagnosed in children can affect their subsequent motor development and their academic performance; therefore, it is justified to formulate and evaluate intervention programs that improve their coordinative capacities. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a pedagogical recreational program on the coordinative abilities of 64 male and female students aged between 6 and 7 years in a Colombian educational institution. In the research carried out, a quantitative cut-off methodology with a quasi-experimental-descriptive design was used; the information was collected by means of the Capón test, used before and after applying the designed recreational-pedagogical program. The processing of the data was done with free software R. The results allowed to establish that, on average, the differences between the scores accumulated between the pre-test and the post-test in the experimental group are significant and attributable to the aforementioned program. In conclusion, such a program does have positive effects on the coordinative abilities of the study participants.

Energy Cost of Common Physical Activities in Preschoolers.

BACKGROUND: To determine the energy cost of common physical activities in preschoolers and to compare it with the Compendium of Energy Expenditure for Youth (CEEY). METHODS: In total, 42 children [age: 4.8 (0.8) y; body mass index: 15.3 (2.0) kg/m2; 22 boys] completed 13 common physical activities covering sedentary to vigorous intensities, while energy expenditure (EE) was measured continuously by indirect calorimetry. Activity-specific metabolic equivalents (AME) were calculated as the EE observed during each single activity divided by the EE during observed rest. Independent t tests were applied to analyze differences between boys and girls and between AME and CEEY. RESULTS: No significant differences in AME were observed between girls and boys. Except for playing hide-and-seek, all indoor activities revealed significantly higher energy costs compared with those stated in the compendium. Significant differences in outdoor activities were found for riding a tricycle [5.67 (95% confidence interval, 4.94-6.4) AME vs 6.2 metabolic equivalents, riding a bike, P < .05] and for fast walking [5.42 (95% confidence interval, 4.84-6.0) AME vs 4.6 metabolic equivalents, P < .05]. CONCLUSIONS: Applying the CEEY to preschoolers will lead to a substantial underestimation of EE. Therefore, we recommend that a CEEY for preschool children be developed if measurement of EE is not feasible.

Engagement in Play Activities as a Means for Youth in Detention to Acquire Life Skills.

This study describes how occupational therapists in a community-based programme, Occupational Therapy Training Program (OTTP), use play activities to facilitate the acquisition of life skills by youth in detention. This pilot study explored the extent of engagement of male and female inmates aged 14 to 18 years old in structured play activities on topics such as interpersonal relationships, self-awareness, cultural celebrations and the transition to community. Retrospective analysis of data collected from surveys using the Engagement in OTTP Activities Questionnaire (EOAQ), completed by youth participants at the end of each group session, was used to measure the extent of occupational engagement. Worksheets and artworks produced by OTTP participants during those group sessions were also analysed. The participants reported very high engagement in OTTP. Engagement scores for male participants were higher than those for female participants, and male and female participants had higher engagement scores for different activities. Over 90% of the worksheets and artworks were found to be complete and relevant to the topic of the session. Play activities could be an appropriate way for occupational therapists to encourage youth in detention to acquire life skills. Demographic information and the actual number of participants are unknown because of how the existing data were collected. Future studies examining the potential gender-related preferences for specific topics deserve further investigation as well as research comparing the youth's engagement in OTTP interventions using play activities to other group interventions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Atividades lúdicas na avaliação psicomotora de pré-escolares / Play activities in psychomotricity assessment of preschool children

Muitas crianças apresentam incoordenação motora não detectada no período pré-escolar, ingressando no ensino fundamental com déficits nas habilidades necessárias para a aprendizagem. Este estudo teve come objetivo descrever as atividades lúdicas utilizadas para avaliar aspectos psicomotores de crianças pré-escolares, bem como refletir sobre as vantagens e desvantagens de aplica-las e o quanto esta pratica lúdica encoraja as crianças a realizarem as tarefas da avaliação. Foram avaliadas 15 crianças na faixa etária de 6-7 anos com a aplicação da escala psicomotora de Vitor da Fonseca (1995), focalizando as áreas de motricidade global e fina. A utilização das atividades lúdicas proporcionou espontaneidade nas ações das crianças. Embora o tempo gasto na avaliação utilizando atividades come recursos para a apresentação de comportamentos motores ser bem maior que apenas solicitar a execução do comportamento, essa pratica possibilitou maior motivação e adesão por parte das crianças.

Many children, in spite of showing no detected motor incoordination, start fundamental school with deficits in the skills required for the learning process. The present paper had the objective of discribing the play activities used to evaluate psychomotricity aspects of preschool children, as well as reflecting about the advantages and disadvantages of applying them, and how this play practice encourage the children to perform the evaluation tasks. Fifteen children aged 6-7 years were evaluated. The measurement instrument was the psychomotor scale proposed by Vitor da Fonseca (1995), focusing on the global and fine motricity. It was noticed that the utilization of play activities provided spontaneity in the children's actions- Although time spent with the evaluation using activities as resouces to motor behaviour presentation is much longer than just asking for the behaviour performance, it allowed greater motivation and adhesion of the children.