Physical Activity and Learning Environment Qualities in Finnish Day Care

When evaluating children's physical activity in day care, both the direct education and the children's activities in their personal contexts must be studied. In this study children's physical activity level was systematically observed in 2010 in 47 day care centre groups. Other children increased children‘s physical activity (p < .05). If the educators had spent more time planning activities or concentrated more on children's social relations, children were more physically active (p < .05). The planning of educational activities and interaction planned between children in the group may activate them more effectively than traditional planning for the group.