Conclusion
’ FMS
We observed that participation in the PLEY project was positively associated with the development of domains of physical literacy (physical activity, physical competence, confidence and motivation, knowledge and understanding) among a sample of preschoolers. Using a mixed-methods design, we reported that OLPP contributed to higher total levels of physical activity using both quantitative and qualitative data. There was no intervention effect on the quantitative assessments of preschoolers’ FMS. However, qualitative analyses of focus group data revealed that educators perceived OLPP contributed to the development of physical competence and increased movement repertoires. Educators also perceived that preschoolers became more confident and motivated to play outdoors, and that they started to develop the knowledge and understanding to be active for life. Future studies should consider the use of additional tools to quantitatively assess physical activity and physical competence in ways that measure the types of movements children use when engaging in OLPP, such as behavioural mapping or other direct observation techniques. Future work should continue to explore the use of mixed-methods (i.e., accelerometers and interviews/focus groups) to simultaneously capture the volume and context of physical activity participate in childcare settings. As more physical literacy-specific assessment batteries are developed and validated, it will be essential to use these tools in future work to align findings with other research in this field. Our findings suggest early learning settings may consider implementing OLPP as a novel strategy to support the development of all domains of physical literacy in young children. The addition of loose parts to outdoor play settings may be advantageous for the development of young children’s physical literacy, positioning them to be active for life.