The early years

Childhood is a critical time for developing physical literacy. Physical activity and motor development during the early years, underpin much of a child’s acquired physical literacy at later stages of development. ⁶ ‘Normal’ development capabilities for movement and body control, and establishing positive perceptions and attitudes about physical activity, are acquired early in life and contribute to a range of broader developmental milestones. ^{3, 5, 13}

Heightened brain plasticity during preadolescence also makes it a particularly important period for socialisation, acquiring and refining movement skills, and developing an enjoyment of exercise. ⁷

There are numerous structured and unstructured opportunities for children to develop physical literacy during the early years, including through:

• Active and informal play, which involves movement and exploration for enjoyment and recreation. ^{28, 29}
• Early childhood education settings, where there are opportunities to embed regular, intentional, physically active play with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, to improve fundamental movement skills, cognitive development, behaviour, emotional regulation, and relationships with peers and educators. ^{29, 30, 31, 32}
• School environments, where children can develop physical literacy through physical education, playground activities, modified sports programs, informal play, and active travel to and from school. ^{33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38}
• Organised sport and recreation programs, which provide structured opportunities to develop movement skills, confidence, motivation and enjoyment of physical activity. ^{39, 40, 41, 42}

Research from the UK Active Lives survey in 2025 highlighted that physically literate children and young people were happier, more likely to keep trying until they can do something, and more likely to trust others of a similar age to themselves. ⁴³

Children and adolescents with higher motor competence tend to be more physically active, less sedentary, have greater physical fitness, healthier weight status, and higher levels of perceived competence and motivation as they grow. ^{14, 44}

On the other hand, low levels of physical literacy competence can lead to lower enjoyment of physical activity and a higher likelihood of being insufficiently physically active that can impact lifetime health and wellbeing. ^{26, 34, 45, 46}

There is evidence of declining movement skill competency, physical fitness, and participation in physical activity among Australian children. ^{47, 48}. The 2022 Australian Active Healthy Kids report card rated Australian children: ⁴⁹

• D+ for overall physical fitness, indicating below-average levels of aerobic and muscular fitness compared with international norms.
• D- for physical activity, with approximately one quarter of Australian children meeting the national physical activity guidelines for their age, a result that hasn’t changed since the first report in 2014.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that in 2023, 68% of 2-5 year-olds and 18% of 5-17 year-olds met the physical activity guidelines for their age groups. ⁵⁰

Addressing declining levels of physical literacy among children can help ensure they experience the lifelong health and wellbeing benefits associated with regular physical activity.