The DOI matches its Crossref record; 65 of the 66 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Sydney playground project: popping the bubblewrap – unleashing the power of play: a cluster randomized controlled trial of a primary school playground-based intervention aiming to increase children’s physical activity and social skills
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: In the Westernised world, numerous children are overweight and have problems with bullying and mental health. One of the underlying causes for all three is postulated to be a decrease in outdoor free play. The aim of the Sydney Playground Project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of two simple interventions aimed to increase children's physical activity and social skills. METHODS/DESIGN: This study protocol describes the design of a 3-year cluster randomised controlled trial (CRCT), in which schools are the clusters. The study consists of a 13-week intervention and 1 week each of pre-and post-testing. We are recruiting 12 schools (6 control; 6 intervention), with 18 randomly chosen participants aged 5 to 7 years in each school. The two intervention strategies are: (1) Child-based intervention: Unstructured materials with no obvious play value introduced to the playground; and (2) Adult-based intervention: Risk reframing sessions held with parents and teachers with the aim of exploring the benefits of allowing children to engage in activities with uncertain outcomes. The primary outcome of the study, physical activity as measured by accelerometer counts, is assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Additional assessments include social skills and interactions, self-concept, after school time use and anthropometric data. Qualitative data (i.e., transcriptions of audio recordings from the risk reframing sessions and of interviews with selected teacher and parent volunteers) are analysed to understand their perceptions of risk in play. The control schools have recess as usual. In addition to outcome evaluation, regular process evaluation sessions are held to monitor fidelity to the treatment. DISCUSSION: These simple interventions, which could be adopted in every primary school, have the potential of initiating a self-sustaining cycle of prevention for childhood obesity, bullying and mental ill health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registration Number ACTRN12611000089932.
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“The results have shown that recess can be a healthy outlet for children”
From The LiiNK Project®: Effects of Multiple Recesses and Character Curriculum on Classroom Behaviors and Listening Skills in Grades K–2 Children (2018) · cites this paper as Bundy et al., 2011
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
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“it can increase physical activity on the playground”
From The LiiNK Project®: Effects of Multiple Recesses and Character Curriculum on Classroom Behaviors and Listening Skills in Grades K–2 Children (2018) · cites this paper as Bundy et al., 2011
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Cites
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- Battles J: School ban running over lawsuit fears. The Sunday Times. 2004
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Cited by
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Items 101–105 of 105
Everyday Learning Looks Like This: Classroom Ethnographies in Three Global Cities
Lee, I., Leung, W. M. V., Lim, K. M., Soo, L. M. J., Karthikeyan, N., Bartholomaeus, C., & Yelland, N. (2023) · Global childhoods in the Asia-Pacific · doi:10.1007/978-981-99-0486-0_5
Banstola, R. S., Poudel, U. K., Aryal, K. P., Banstola, I., Bhandari, S., & Înoue, S. (2025) · medRxiv · doi:10.1101/2025.10.19.25338329
Physical Activity Applied to Learning and Psycho-social Variables in Young People
(2025) · Frontiers research topics · doi:10.3389/978-2-8325-7140-8
Schüller, I., & Mess, F. (2026) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-026-09875-z
Metadata
- Authors
- Bundy, A. C., Naughton, G., Tranter, P., Wyver, S., Baur, L., Schiller, W., Bauman, A., Engelen, L., Ragen, J., Luckett, T., Niehues, A., Stewart, G., Jessup, G., & Brentnall, J.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Australian Catholic University (AU)
- UNSW Canberra (AU)
- Macquarie University (AU)
- University of South Australia (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Bundy, Anita C
- ORCID
- Venue
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2011-09-01
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 680-680
- ISSN
- 1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3188492
- OpenAlex
- W2161869905
- Cited by
- 105
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 2.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
- Research Online (University of Wollongong) (submittedVersion)
- Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- UTS ePRESS (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion)
- OPUS - Open Publications of UTS Scholars (University of Technology Sydney) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- Australian Research Council (DP0877590)
- National Health and Medical Research Council (570808)
- National Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Education
- Keywords
- free play, children's physical activity, social skills, childhood obesity prevention, bullying prevention, child mental health, elementary school students, self-concept
- MeSH terms
- Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Health Promotion, Humans, Male, Mental Health, New South Wales, Play and Playthings, Schools, Socialization, Exercise, Cluster Analysis, Overweight, Bullying
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