Play and Move (Leiki ja liiku) activities provide children with experiences of success and increase physical activity in early childhood education and care and pre-primary education

The Play and Move activities are for groups of 5–6-year-old children in early childhood education and care and pre-primary education, together with their staff. The participants take part in the activities regularly throughout the year, either once a week or every other week, depending on the group’s choice. The activities are carried out in five different sports halls in different greater areas of Espoo, during the regular day of early childhood education and care/pre-primary education. Sports clubs’ instructors are responsible for the guiding and planning of the activities.

A total of 87 responses (38%, n=229) for the impact survey were received from ECEC and pre-primary education staff. The majority of the respondents’ child groups (85%) participated in the activities every other week. However, there was no significant difference between the responses of the groups that participated every other week and every week. A slightly smaller percentage of the groups participating every other week replaces other physical activity sessions with Play and Move activities. Compared to 2025, groups are increasingly less likely to replace their own physical activity sessions with Play and Move activities.

Based on the survey, people are more satisfied with the Play and Move activities and find the activities have more impact than before. The results of all sections of the survey improved from last year. The overall score given to the activities was 4.48 (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = Completely disagree and 5 = Completely agree), whereas in 2025 the overall score was 3.90. 

In the survey, the respondents also assessed how well a group of statements described factors related to the impact of Play and Move activities. The assessment was on a scale of 1–5. The averages of all factors increased compared to 2025. According to the respondents, the statements best describing the impact of the Play and Move activities are: “The joy of physical activity is visible during the activities” (average score: 4.74), “The children experience success during the activities” (average score: 4.71) and “The activities have developed the children’s motor skills” (average score: 4.71). 

In addition to physical skills, the respondents feel that the Play and Move activities have developed children's cognitive and social skills. Through physical activity and motor skills, the Play and Move activities comprehensively promote children's prerequisites for learning, as well as their linguistic and mathematical skills.

“This year, we focused on ensuring that ECEC staff would learn new things in the Play and Move activities and be able to utilise what they had learned in their everyday work. We are therefore particularly pleased that the responses indicate that we have succeeded in this. The lessons learned in the Play and Move activities are also increasingly utilised in children's regular early childhood education and care and pre-primary education programme. Our goal is for the Play and Move activities to inspire the staff and increase physical activity in children's everyday lives in a holistic manner, thus promoting their well-being and laying the foundation for a physically active lifestyle," says Sports Coordinator Maija Pelttari, coordinating the Play and Move activities.

“It’s wonderful that this kind of activity is organised. It should definitely be continued. Adults, children and parents are all happy with the activities,” says the early childhood education and care staff. Another staff representative commented on the activities as follows: “For the children, the activities offer wonderful experiences of success and inspire them to practice even in their free time.”

The Play and Move activities have grown year by year and gradually become a well-established concept. In the operating year 2026–2027, a record number of children and groups of children will participate in the activities: more than 300 groups of children and more than 4,100 children – 1,000 more than in the previous year. “This autumn, almost 60% of all 5–6-year-olds in Espoo are regularly exercising thanks to our activities,” says Sports Coordinator Maija Pelttari.

Read more about Play and Move activities on our website.