Movement behaviour and active play space standards: a review of early childhood education frameworks in the United Kingdom

Background: Early childhood education (ECE) settings help shape young children's health behaviours. While the importance of healthy movement behaviours (i.e., physical activity, sedentary behaviour, sleep) on early childhood development is well understood, the extent to which these behaviours are incorporated in the United Kingdom's (UK) government-issued ECE frameworks remains unexplored. This study aimed to review current UK ECE frameworks to explore movement behaviour and active play space/infrastructure standards.

Methods: A search of the grey literature was conducted (July 2024) to identify all relevant UK government-issued ECE frameworks. An extraction table was used to systematically retrieve content, followed by content analysis to examine and compare frameworks. Extraction and analysis of each document focused on standards for movement behaviour and active play spaces, as well as considerations concerning standards for inclusive PA for children with disabilities.

Results: All frameworks mentioned the importance of PA, emphasising motor skill acquisition and outdoor play, though none provided standards on activity frequency, duration, or intensity. Several frameworks had guidance on digital technology use in ECE for learning opportunities and to develop digital competence. There was minimal focus on other sedentary behaviours, sleep, and none on 24-hour movement behaviours. All frameworks referenced regulations for supporting children with disabilities, but minimal guidance on how activities or play spaces may meet these requirements.

Conclusion: Current UK ECE frameworks offer substantive variation in standards for movement behaviours. Consistent, evidence-informed, frameworks prioritising healthy movement behaviours, including consideration of the mediator behaviours for physical development (i.e., physical activity, sedentary time) are crucial to support young children’s development.