We-Move With Windy: Gross Motor Development for Early Childhood

The long-term goal of this project is to learn whether a tailored physical activity program is practical, enjoyable, and helpful for families, and whether it has the potential to improve children's physical development and health. Before launching a large study, the research team completed several early phases to make sure the program met families' needs. First, a needs assessment was conducted with mothers to understand barriers to physical activity and what types of support would be most useful. Using this feedback, the program was refined and tested with three mother-child pairs over six weeks. Finally, there was an 18-week pilot randomized trial to examine feasibility and acceptability. Researchers are now conducting a larger randomized trial with up to 266 families. Half of the families are randomly assigned to receive the physical activity program, and half to a comparison group.