”Fysisk aktivitet i barnehagen: Et casestudium av daglig fysisk aktivitet i en avdeling med 5-åringer”.

The purpose of this study is to elucidate how the level of physical activity of five-year-old children in kindergarten varies during a week, and whether the children reach the level of 60 minutes of moderate to high daily physical activity which is recommended by the Norwegian Directorate of Health.

Researchers define levels of physical activity as inactivity or activity of low, moderate or high intensity. It turns out that children have an activity level on average corresponding to a moderate or high intensity for 56 minutes a day. The children were inactive for 213 minutes a day. Five out of ten children do not reach the recommended level of 60 minutes of moderate or high physical activity while they are at kindergarten. The content of the day is of great importance for the physical activity because activities indoors, outdoors or in the gym entail differences in the level of activity. Activities in the gym result in the same physical activity level as outdoor play, while indoor activities lead to a low level of physical activity. The study also shows that the manner in which excursions are planned has an impact on the level of physical activity for the day. The study shows there are significant variations among the children, but does not state whether gender has an impact on the level of physical activity.

The study is based on the daily physical activity level of six boys and four girls at the age of five, who were monitored with an accelerometer during the course of a week. Based on predefined intensity levels of inactivity and respectively low, moderate and high physical activity, data was analysed on the basis of accelerometer readings to determine the differences between the children, the weekdays and the different types of activities.

Giske, R., Tjensvoll, M. og Dyrstad, S.M. (2010). ”Fysisk aktivitet i barnehagen: Et casestudium av daglig fysisk aktivitet i en avdeling med 5-åringer”. Nordisk Barnehageforskning, 3(2), 53-62.