GUIDED PLAY OR STRUCTURED PLAY Definition and Interventions

Play is widely recognized as a key component in early childhood development, fostering not only motor skills but also social, cognitive, and emotional growth. The World Health Organization (WHO) has published guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep for children under 5 years old, as well as for children aged 5 years and older (WHO, 2020). These guidelines recommend daily levels of physical activity to reduce the risk of obe- sity and associated non-communicable diseases. In its documents, the WHO defines play and introduces several types of play (WHO, 2019; Howells et al., 2023), including: • Energetic Play: Defined as “active play equivalent to moderate-to-vigorous physical activ- ity (MVPA). Children exert themselves and sweat through various activities, which may involve other children, caregivers, or objects”. • Floor Play: Defined as “supervised play for infants, during which children move on the floor and develop motor skills” (p. iv). • Interactive Play: Defined as “play with a parent or caregiver in which the child and the adult/ older child interact. This play fosters cognitive and motor learning”. • Active Play: Defined as “opportunities for structured and unstructured physical activity that contribute to the development of motor skills and exploration of the physical environment” (p. 1). • Quiet Play: Defined as “play that is not energetic... it can be sedentary and is highly impor- tant for development, taking many forms” (p. 3). These various types of play can overlap with other categories, such as guided play and struc- tured play. Guided play and structured activities have been studied for their contributions to various aspects of child development, demonstrating their significance in fostering motor, cognitive, and socio-emotional skills.