Movement Matters: International guidance reinforces the value of active play in early childhood

As the early childhood sector continues to reflect on best practice in pedagogy, play and wellbeing, new guidance from the UK is reinforcing a long-held truth among educators: movement is not optional, it’s essential.

 

The Movement Matters advisory document, released in November 2025 by the UK’s National Early Years Active Start Partnership (NEYASP), calls for movement to be embedded in all aspects of early learning. Based on a review of 112 international studies, the guidance offers a timely reminder of how vital physical activity is for children’s learning, wellbeing and development, while raising questions about how much movement children are really getting in their early learning day.

 

For Australian educators and service leaders, this statistic invites reflection. Do service routines support long periods of uninterrupted active play? Are outdoor learning environments engaging, well-resourced and accessible throughout the day? Is movement seen as central to learning or as a break from it?

 

Why movement matters in early childhood

 

Research consistently shows that movement is integral to early brain development, executive functioning, socialisation and emotional regulation. As Dr Coates notes, “Movement is crucial to children’s development. Active children develop social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills, all of which are vital for school readiness and future health.”

 

While this is not new information for educators, the scale of the issue is notable. Many young children are now spending extended hours in early childhood services. If their environments, routines or expectations are overly sedentary, they may be missing key opportunities for developmental growth.

 

Movement Matters recommends that active play and physical movement be integrated throughout the day, not just confined to ‘outside time’. This aligns closely with the principles of the National Quality Framework (NQF) in Australia, particularly:

 

• Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety, which requires services to support each child’s wellbeing and comfort and ensure physical activity is embedded in programs.
• Quality Area 1: Educational Program and Practice, which encourages learning through play, exploration and active engagement.

 

Embedding movement into daily practice is therefore not only good pedagogy, it is a regulatory expectation.

 

Changing adult mindsets

 

One of the strongest themes in the UK guidance is the role of adult attitudes in shaping children’s activity levels. “Children respond when they see adults being active and enjoying movement,” Dr Coates said. “If you’re not confident in moving, you’re unlikely to role model that positively.”

 

The message is particularly resonant for Australian educators, who are often balancing professional expectations with personal confidence, mobility and cultural views about ‘active supervision’. Services might consider how educators can lead movement-based experiences with confidence and safety, whether through music and movement, games, nature walks or obstacle play.

 

Another common barrier, weather, is also addressed in the guidance. Dr Coates says adults are often more reluctant than children to be outside: “Children often don’t care about the rain, chuck on some wellies and a coat and join our children jumping in puddles.”

 

This echoes a growing movement in Australia for year-round outdoor play, sometimes called ‘all-weather play’, which recognises the value of nature-based learning even in cooler, wetter months. Services are encouraged to provide appropriate gear and supportive policies to allow for outdoor access in diverse conditions.

 

Reclaiming risk as learning

 

Importantly, Movement Matters also urges early years settings to provide children with opportunities for “challenging and even risky” play. This includes climbing, balancing, navigating uneven terrain and testing physical limits, experiences often reduced or removed due to fear of injury or compliance concerns.

 

“Risky play helps children develop coordination, confidence and resilience,” the guidance notes. It also supports children’s agency and decision-making, key elements of Quality Area 1 and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF).

 

Australian services may wish to revisit their risk assessments and outdoor environment designs to consider whether risk is being managed—or avoided. With thoughtful planning and clear supervision strategies, many forms of physical challenge can be offered safely and beneficially.

 

Embedding movement into quality improvement

 

The Movement Matters document provides a strong foundation for professional discussion and planning. In practical terms, services may consider:

 

• Auditing how much time each day children are actively moving (both indoors and outdoors).
• Reassessing the layout and accessibility of indoor and outdoor environments to encourage movement.
• Supporting educators to lead active play and engage in physical experiences alongside children.
• Providing training and resources that build confidence in movement-based pedagogy.
• Reviewing service policies and routines that might unintentionally limit opportunities for physical activity.
• Including physical development and movement in quality improvement plans and programming cycles.

 

For services preparing for assessment and rating or looking to strengthen Quality Areas 1 and 2, an explicit focus on physical activity could support both compliance and outcomes.

 

While Movement Matters is a UK-based guidance document, its themes are internationally relevant. As Australia continues to grapple with rising sedentary behaviour, increased screen time and the challenges of modern childhood, the need to embed movement into early education has never been more urgent.

 

Children deserve the chance to climb, crawl, jump, stretch and spin, not just during designated outdoor time, but as part of a holistic learning day. The challenge for the sector is not whether we value movement, but how deliberately we support it.

 

More information and access to the full guidance is available at www.earlymovers.org.uk. Dr Coates’s key message for educators and leaders is simple: “Movement needs to be prioritised throughout the early years, it is a right, not a privilege.”

 

Reference

 

Loughborough University. (2025, 21 November). Movement Matters – Guidance on movement in the early years. Retrieved from https://www.lboro.ac.uk/media‑centre/press‑releases/2025/november/movement‑matters‑guidance‑25/