This study examined the use of fundamental movement skills among young children at play and analyzed the factors affecting the use of these skills. Forty-seven young children (aged 1-3 years) and their parents participated in the study at a childcare support center located in City A, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The participating children were pre-kindergarten or pre-nursery children. The initial part of the study included a survey administered to parents to assess their evaluation of the environment and substance of the childrenʼs at-home play. Next, the children were observed while at play in the childcare support center for 20 minutes. The frequencies and types of fundamental movement skills were recorded. Following the examination, the childrenʼs play situations were assessed. Overall, during play, the children employed 65 fundamental movement skills (stability：14 types, locomotion：15 types, manipulation：36 types). The use of each fundamental movement skill was observed an average of 4 times per child, in an average of 18 children. The mean number of types of skills employed in the overall sample was 25, and the mean frequency of use of skills per child was 271. The childrenʼs play and fundamental movement skill use influenced both the indoor and outdoor environments of the childcare support center. The at-home environment and substance of the childrenʼs play had non-significant effects on the fundamental movement skills observed in the childcare support center.

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This study examines the accuracy of motor ability estimation for young children by nursery school teachers on the basis of the relationship between the estimated and actual measured values. Six class teachers and 116 nursery school children (aged four-six) participated in this study. The study began with a survey to assess class teachersʼ evaluations of young childrenʼs motor abilities (running, jumping, and throwing) . These assessments are based on estimated values. Young children were then assessed through a physical fitness test (25 m run, standing long jump, and tennis ball throw) . Based on the test results, each of the three motor abilities was evaluated on a five-point rating scale. Finally, the concordance rate between the estimated and actual measured values was calculated in relation to age and sex for each of the three motor abilities.The results were as follows. The accuracy of the estimates for each of the three motor abilities (running,jumping, and throwing) was different. Among the three motor abilities, running ability was most accurately estimated. There was a marginal difference between the accuracy of estimates in relation to age and sex. Moreover, there was an absence of a pattern among the three motor abilities. However, young children in average ability were most accurately estimated. The tendency was common to three motor abilities in relation to age and sex. From the above results, a measure to improve the accuracy of these estimates is suggested.

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