Research: Evaluation of City Play
Exploring the impact of playful and imaginative physical activity on early years children and their teachers.
Project summary
Research summary
- September 2017 to September 2019
City Play is a weekly programme of physical activity sessions for children aged between two and five in nurseries and schools across Greater Manchester.
The programme is run by coaches from City in the Community, the charitable arm of Manchester City Football Club.
The sessions offer a structured set of movement routines that link to familiar and imaginative themes for children’s play - such as TV characters, pirates, animals and adventure walks.
Our formative evaluation explored the potential of these playful activities to promote confidence in physical, interpersonal, spatial and communicative skills. Skills that are likely to promote positive attitudes towards physical play, sports and exercise as part of healthy lifestyles beyond school.
The evaluation explores the themes, story narratives and books used to introduce the physical activities.
It also considers how the City Lifestyle programme compliments City Play. City Lifestyle is a healthy eating scheme for parents and nursery children to cook and discuss meals together with sports nutritionists.
Quote
It's always exciting what the coach brings, I never see a child who goes 'No, I don’t want to do that.'
Evaluation methods
Evaluation methods
Researchers explored the influence of City Play on participating children and the support offered to early years practitioners participating in the programme.
This included continuing professional development (CPD) workshops and informal training through ongoing discussions with coaches.
The evaluation drew from:
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collective interviews with the City Play coaches
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interviews and written evaluations from CPD participants
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visits to pre-schools and reception classes and a comparative nursery group not participating in City Play to consider how children progress across one year and from one year to the next
A range of inclusive and communicative benefits emerged as the programme evolved, providing additional opportunities for young children to connect ideas, words and movements.
Quote
All the games and things the kids love. They get engaged.
Quote
They love PE and look forward to it. They are all participating and they are all motivated. The coaches will make it simpler if they are finding it difficult and more challenging if they want.
Research team
Funding
With funding from
City in the Community
Contact
Contact us
For general enquiries about the Education and Social Research Institute’s literacy and language group, you can contact research group lead Prof Kate Pahl.
