Sydney Playground Project: A Cluster-Randomized Trial to Increase Physical Activity, Play, and Social Skills.

Background: We assessed the effectiveness of a simple intervention for increasing children's physical activity, play, perceived competence/social acceptance, and social skills.

Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted, in which schools were the clusters. Twelve Sydney (Australia) primary schools were randomly allocated to intervention or control conditions, with 226 children (5-7 years old) selected randomly to participate.

Increasing physical activity in young primary school children--it's child's play: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To explore the effects of an innovative school-based intervention for increasing physical activity.

Methods: 226 children (5-7 years old) randomly selected from 12 Australian primary schools were recruited to a cluster randomised trial with schools randomly allocated to intervention or control conditions. The 13-week intervention comprised: (1) altering the school playground by introducing loose materials and (2) a teacher-parent intervention exploring perceptions of risk associated with children's free play.