A influência da atividade física no desenvolvimento motor de crianças: uma revisão narrativa

Abstract

Motor development is a fundamental process for the child’s overall formation and is influenced by several factors, including heredity, environment, and motor experiences acquired during childhood. Physical activity enhances the range of motor experiences, stimulates active exploration of the environment, and contributes to the improvement of essential motor skills, directly influencing motor development in children. This study aimed to analyze the influence of physical activity on children's motor development.. The present study aimed to analyze the influence of physical activity on children’s motor development. This narrative literature review conducted between July and October 2025, using the SciELO, CAPES, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases, with searches covering the years 2019 to 2025. The search strategy included the keywords and Boolean operators: (“physical activity” OR “exercise”) AND (“motor development” OR “motor skills”) AND (children OR childhood). A total of 157 records were identified, of which only 19 met the inclusion criteria. Among these studies, 12 investigated the influence of structured activities, 5 unstructured activities, and 2 analyzed the correlation between physical activity and the development of motor skills. All studies demonstrated positive associations between physical activity and motor skills, however, structured activities supervised by specialists showed more significant effects. The findings suggest that motor development intervention programs in preschools and primary schools can promote fundamental motor skills in typically developing children. In conclusion regular physical activity positively influences children’s motor development, promoting significant improvements in fundamental and complex motor skills. These interventions require consistent and repeated practice over time to achieve proficiency.