School ReadinessPPA-EF-SRNCT07678294
Playful Physical Activity for Executive Functions and School Readiness in Preschool Children
A study testing Playful Physical Activities Intervention and Regular Physical Education Curriculum in people with School Readiness and Executive Function (Cognition), run by Inonu University at 1 site in Tunisia.
Trial summary
Executive functions, such as attention, inhibition, working memory, and planning, are important for early learning and school readiness in preschool children. This completed randomized controlled trial evaluated whether an 8-week cognitively enriched playful physical activity program could support executive functions… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 55 to 64 monthsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- School Readiness, Executive Function (Cognition), Preschool Child Development
- What is being tested?
- Playful Physical Activities Intervention and Regular Physical Education Curriculum
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 48 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTunisia
- Study dates
- 7 Apr 2025to 23 May 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 55 to 64 months
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Preschool children aged 55 to 64 months.
- Enrollment in one of the participating preschools.
- Ability to participate in age-appropriate physical activity sessions.
- Written informed consent provided by parents or legal guardians.
Who cannot join
- Motor or intellectual disabilities that could prevent participation in physical activity sessions.
- Diagnosed neurological, psychiatric, or developmental disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder.
- Uncorrected visual or auditory impairments that could affect test performance.
- Use of medication known to affect the central nervous system.
- Absence from post-intervention testing or failure to complete the study procedures.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Tunisia1 site
Physical Activity, Sport and Health Research Unit UR18JS01, National Observatory of Sport
Tunis, 1003
About this study
Official title: Effects of a Cognitively Enriched Playful Physical Activity Program on Executive Functions and School Readiness in Preschool Children
Executive functions, such as attention, inhibition, working memory, and planning, are important for early learning and school readiness in preschool children. This completed randomized controlled trial evaluated whether an 8-week cognitively enriched playful physical activity program could support executive functions and school readiness in preschool children compared with the regular physical education curriculum.
Preschool children were assigned to either a playful physical activity intervention group or a control group receiving conventional physical education. The intervention included structured movement-based games designed to combine physical activity with cognitive challenges, including response inhibition, working memory, planning, rule following, and cooperative problem solving. Outcomes included measures of executive functions and school readiness domains, including mathematical, linguistic, and social competence.
Read the detailed description
This study was designed as a completed, two-arm randomized controlled trial conducted in preschool children. The purpose of the study was to examine whether a cognitively enriched playful physical activity program could improve executive functions and school readiness compared with the regular physical education curriculum.
The experimental intervention consisted of an 8-week Playful Physical Activities program. The program included structured movement games designed to engage both motor and cognitive processes. Activities targeted gross and fine motor skills while incorporating executive-function demands such as selective attention, inhibitory control, working memory, planning, rule maintenance, and cooperative problem solving. Sessions included playful tasks related to language, mathematics, and social interaction, with the aim of supporting both cognitive development and school readiness in an age-appropriate educational setting.
Children in the control group continued to receive the conventional physical education curriculum over the same intervention period. The control condition involved regular age-appropriate physical education activities without the systematic integration of structured executive-function challenges or cognitive-motor dual-task components.
Participants were preschool children aged approximately 55 to 64 months. Eligible children were enrolled in participating preschool settings and were able to take part in physical activity sessions. Children with motor or mental disorders that could interfere with participation or outcome assessment were excluded.
The primary focus of the study was school readiness, including mathematical, linguistic, and social competence. Secondary outcomes included executive-function measures related to attention, inhibition, visuospatial memory, and planning/visuospatial organization. Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention period.
The study was conducted in accordance with ethical approval from the Local Research Ethics Committee at the High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Ksar Said. The study has been completed.
- Being tested
- Playful Physical Activities Intervention, Regular Physical Education Curriculum
- Keywords
- Playful physical activity, Cognitively enriched physical activity, Executive functions, School readiness, Preschool children, Inhibitory control, Working memory, Planning, Cognitive-motor intervention, Early childhood education
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Playful Physical Activities InterventionBehavioural
Also called PPA
The 8-week Playful Physical Activities intervention consisted of structured movement-based games integrating executive function challenges, including response inhibition, working memory, attention, planning, and cooperative problem-solving. Sessions were delivered three times per week for 60 minutes per session.
Regular Physical Education CurriculumBehavioural
Also called Conventional Physical Education
The control intervention consisted of the regular physical education curriculum delivered for 8 weeks, three times per week for 60 minutes per session. Sessions included traditional age-appropriate physical education activities without systematically embedded cognitive-motor executive function challenges.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Playful Physical Activities Intervention | Experimental | Preschool children assigned to this group received the 8-week Playful Physical Activities intervention. Receives: Behavioral: Playful Physical Activities Intervention; Behavioral: Regular Physical Education Curriculum |
| Regular Physical Education Curriculum | Active comparator | Preschool children assigned to this group received the regular physical education curriculum for 8 weeks. Receives: Behavioral: Playful Physical Activities Intervention; Behavioral: Regular Physical Education Curriculum |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in School Readiness Scores From Baseline to Post-intervention
School readiness was assessed using mathematical competence, linguistic competence, and social competence scores. Higher scores indicated better school readiness.
Measured: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Secondary outcomes (4)
Change in Go/No-Go Task Error Rate From Baseline to Post-intervention
Inhibitory control was assessed using the Go/No-Go task. The outcome was the number of commission errors, with lower scores indicating better inhibitory control.
Measured: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised Immediate Recall Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Visuospatial memory was assessed using the BVMT-R immediate recall raw score. Higher scores indicated better visuospatial memory performance.
Measured: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised Delayed Recall Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Delayed visuospatial recall was assessed using the BVMT-R delayed recall raw score. Higher scores indicated better delayed recall performance.
Measured: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test Copy Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Visuospatial organization and planning were assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test copy score. Higher scores indicated better visuospatial planning and organization.
Measured: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Jul 2026
- Study start7 Apr 2025
- Primary completion23 May 2025
- Study completion23 May 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for School ReadinessStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Inonu UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- This was a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Preschool children were assigned to either an experimental group receiving an 8-week cognitively enriched Playful Physical Activities intervention or a control group receiving the regular physical education curriculum.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 48 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Inonu University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür EKEN, Inonu University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07678294
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PPA-EF-SR-2025
- Other IDs
- 41034
- Acronym
- PPA-EF-SR
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 25 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 2 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of a Cognitively Enriched Playful Physical Activity Program on Executive Functions and School Readiness in Preschool Children
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07678294
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PPA-EF-SR / PPA-EF-SR-2025
- Keywords
- Playful physical activity, Cognitively enriched physical activity, Executive functions, School readiness, Preschool children, Inhibitory control, Working memory, Planning
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 48 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Inonu UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 7 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 23 May 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 23 May 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Executive functions, such as attention, inhibition, working memory, and planning, are important for early learning and school readiness in preschool children. This completed randomized controlled trial evaluated whether an 8-week cognitively enriched playful physical activity program could support executive functions and school readiness in preschool children compared with the regular physical education curriculum.
Preschool children were assigned to either a playful physical activity intervention group or a control group receiving conventional physical education. The intervention included structured movement-based games designed to combine physical activity with cognitive challenges, including response inhibition, working memory, planning, rule following, and cooperative problem solving. Outcomes included measures of executive functions and school readiness domains, including mathematical, linguistic, and social competence.
Detailed description
This study was designed as a completed, two-arm randomized controlled trial conducted in preschool children. The purpose of the study was to examine whether a cognitively enriched playful physical activity program could improve executive functions and school readiness compared with the regular physical education curriculum.
The experimental intervention consisted of an 8-week Playful Physical Activities program. The program included structured movement games designed to engage both motor and cognitive processes. Activities targeted gross and fine motor skills while incorporating executive-function demands such as selective attention, inhibitory control, working memory, planning, rule maintenance, and cooperative problem solving. Sessions included playful tasks related to language, mathematics, and social interaction, with the aim of supporting both cognitive development and school readiness in an age-appropriate educational setting.
Children in the control group continued to receive the conventional physical education curriculum over the same intervention period. The control condition involved regular age-appropriate physical education activities without the systematic integration of structured executive-function challenges or cognitive-motor dual-task components.
Participants were preschool children aged approximately 55 to 64 months. Eligible children were enrolled in participating preschool settings and were able to take part in physical activity sessions. Children with motor or mental disorders that could interfere with participation or outcome assessment were excluded.
The primary focus of the study was school readiness, including mathematical, linguistic, and social competence. Secondary outcomes included executive-function measures related to attention, inhibition, visuospatial memory, and planning/visuospatial organization. Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention period.
The study was conducted in accordance with ethical approval from the Local Research Ethics Committee at the High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Ksar Said. The study has been completed.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- This was a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Preschool children were assigned to either an experimental group receiving an 8-week cognitively enriched Playful Physical Activities intervention or a control group receiving the regular physical education curriculum.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Playful Physical Activities Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Playful Physical Activities Intervention, Behavioral: Regular Physical Education CurriculumPreschool children assigned to this group received the 8-week Playful Physical Activities intervention. |
| Regular Physical Education Curriculum | Active comparator | Behavioral: Playful Physical Activities Intervention, Behavioral: Regular Physical Education CurriculumPreschool children assigned to this group received the regular physical education curriculum for 8 weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 55 to 64 months
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Preschool children aged 55 to 64 months.
- Enrollment in one of the participating preschools.
- Ability to participate in age-appropriate physical activity sessions.
- Written informed consent provided by parents or legal guardians.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Motor or intellectual disabilities that could prevent participation in physical activity sessions.
- Diagnosed neurological, psychiatric, or developmental disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder.
- Uncorrected visual or auditory impairments that could affect test performance.
- Use of medication known to affect the central nervous system.
- Absence from post-intervention testing or failure to complete the study procedures.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Playful Physical Activities InterventionAlso: PPAThe 8-week Playful Physical Activities intervention consisted of structured movement-based games integrating executive function challenges, including response inhibition, working memory, attention, planning, and cooperative problem-solving. Sessions were delivered three times per week for 60 minutes per session. | Behavioural | Playful Physical Activities Intervention, Regular Physical Education Curriculum |
| Regular Physical Education CurriculumAlso: Conventional Physical EducationThe control intervention consisted of the regular physical education curriculum delivered for 8 weeks, three times per week for 60 minutes per session. Sessions included traditional age-appropriate physical education activities without systematically embedded cognitive-motor executive function challenges. | Behavioural | Playful Physical Activities Intervention, Regular Physical Education Curriculum |
Primary outcome
Change in School Readiness Scores From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
School readiness was assessed using mathematical competence, linguistic competence, and social competence scores. Higher scores indicated better school readiness.
4 secondary outcomes
Change in Go/No-Go Task Error Rate From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised Immediate Recall Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised Delayed Recall Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test Copy Score From Baseline to Post-intervention
Time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Jul 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Playful Physical Activities Intervention and Regular Physical Education Curriculum in people with School Readiness and Executive Function (Cognition), run by Inonu University at 1 site in Tunisia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Tunisia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in School Readiness Scores From Baseline to Post-intervention (time frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Jul 2026.