Transition at a standstill: preschoolers' motor development during the COVID-19 pandemic

There is no other stage in life where physical growth and motor skills development undergo such rapid changes comprehensively impacting children's overall development than the early and preschool years. Motor skills proficiency contributes to cognitive, social-emotional and academic development and closely connects to positive transition experiences and school success. While research indicates that COVID-19 restrictions have negatively impacted young children's overall development, little is known about their motor skills development during this time. This longitudinal study investigates gross, fine, and visual motor performance during the 2020 shutdown. Due to challenges following-up all children after transition during the pandemic resulting 35% missing data, two analysis groups were used: Analysis 1 (n = 52) included children with complete pre- and post-test data, while Analysis 2 (n = 34) had varying data completeness. Results indicate declines in gross motor skills and visual motor quality during the shutdown, worsening throughout the pandemic. Fine motor and visual motor completion time deteriorated during the shutdown but improved post-transition to primary school, with fine motor quality unchanged. These findings offer insights into preschoolers' motor development during transition, guiding future research and educational practices.