Table 2

Description of study characteristics

Reference (author, year, country)	Design and setting	Sample	Intervention length	Intervention groups	Intervention content	Motor skill measurement	Results
Alhassan et al 2012, USA17	RCT, preschool children	N: INT=43, CON=28, mean age=4.3 years	6 months	INT: Physical activity intervention, CON: unstructured free playtime	INT: Teacher-taught locomotor skill-based physical activity programme. 30 min, 5×/week. CON: Unstructured free playtime	TGMD-2	INT>CON for leaping skills (p<0.009)
Bellows et al 2013, USA18	RCT, early childhood settings	N: INT=98, CON=103, mean age=4.3 years	18 weeks	INT: The Food Friends: Get Movin’ With Mighty Moves Programme CON: Food Friends, a 12-week nutrition programme	INT: Motor skill intervention programme. 15–20 min, 4×/week. Nutrition programme, 12 weeks. CON: Nutrition programme, 12-week	PDMS-2	INT>CON (p<0.001)
Bonvin et al 2013, Switzerland19	RCT, child care centres	N=648, (baseline), N:INT=187, CON=202 (follow-up), mean age=3.3 years	10 months	INT: Physical activity intervention, CON: Regular care	INT: Physical activity programme designed to intervene at individual and environmental level. No time demands. CON: no intervention	Zurich Neuromotor Assessment Test	INT=CON
Hardy et al 2010, Australia23	RCT, preschool children	N: INT=263, CON=167, mean age=4.4 years	20 weeks	INT: Munch and Move, CON: Regular care	INT: Resource containing games and learning experiences related to healthy eating and fundamental movement skill activities. No time demands. CON: no intervention	TGMD-2	INT >CON (p<0.001)
Jones et al 2011, Australia20	RCT, early childhood settings	N: INT=52, CON=45, mean age=4.1 years	20 weeks	INT: Movement skill development physical activity programme. CON: Usual care	INT: Structured lessons and unstructured activities for children. 20 min, 3×/week. CON: no intervention	TGMD-2	INT>CON (p=.00)
Robinson and Goodway 2009, USA22	RCT, preschool children	N: INT (LA)=38, INT (MM)=39, CON=40, mean age=3.8 years	9 weeks	INT: LA or mastery motivational (MM) instructional climate CON: Comparison group	INT: Motor skill intervention programme. 30 min, 2×/week. LA: Students following guidance and directions from instructor. MM: Students navigated independently through activity stations. CON: Typical Head Start curriculum	TGMD-2	INT>CON (p=.001)
Tsapakidou et al 2014, Greece21	Quasi-experiment, nursery school	N: INT=49, CON=49, ages 3.5–5 years (no mean age reported)	2 months	INT: Motor skill development programme CON: Daily routine	INT: Motor skill intervention programme, 30–40 min, 2×/week. CON: No intervention	TGMD-2	INT>CON (p=<0.005)

CON, control group; INT, intervention group; LA, low-autonomy; MM, mastery motivational; PDMS-2, peabody developmental motor scales 2; RCT, randomised controlled trials; TGMD-2, the test of gross motor development 2.