This study examined the effects of targeted interventions aimed at enhancing children’s experiences with locomotor and manipulative movements during free play. Participants were 22 four-year-old kindergarten children (12 boys, 10 girls). Teacher-led interventions focusing on locomotor and manipulative movements were implemented once a week over a two-week period, with each type of movement addressed in three separate sessions. The results showed that interventions targeting ball-manipulative movements － activities rarely observed in daily play － led to increases in the variety, frequency, and number of children engaging in these movements during free play. However, these effects were not sustained over time without continued support. Balance-related movements, which were not targeted by the intervention and are also infrequent in daily play, did not show similar improvements. In contrast, intervention focusing on locomotor movements—commonly occurring in everyday play—did not result in changes in children’s behavior. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of movement-based interventions may depend on the baseline frequency of specific movement in children’s daily play. Interventions were particularly effective in promoting engagement in less frequently experienced movements such as ball-manipulative movements, although maintaining these effects required ongoing implementation. The results underscore the importance of regular, intentional interventions that incorporate rarely performed movements in early childhood settings, thereby broadening children’s motor experiences and supporting the development of overall motor competence.
