Exploring the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function in children

In recent years, scientific discussions have focused on the effect of physical activity (PA) on cognitive development in children. In this study, we performed an in-depth analysis of existing research on the influence of PA on children's cognitive function. Our objective was to identify the most effective approaches and settings for enhancing cognitive function through PA interventions. A literature review was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on studies published between January 2016 and March 2024. The following search terms were used for each database: physical activity, children, and cognitive skills. This work included experimental studies, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and scoping reviews. Of the 19 articles included, 7 focused on cognitively engaging PA games, 4 on general PA, 3 on outdoor PA, and 1 on the design of play environments. The studies reported various settings: four in school sports facilities, three in school classrooms, one in an extracurricular sports facility, one in a schoolyard, one in indoor and outdoor sports facilities, and one in a school laboratory. The results indicate that cognitively engaging PA games enhance executive functions, while general PA is associated with improvements in school performance. The included studies suggest adopting methodologies based on PA's ecological-dynamic approach (EDA) principles to improve cognitive functions. In conclusion, future research could explore the effect of PA interventions grounded in the dynamic ecological approach on various cognitive abilities, such as creative thinking and problem-solving. Our goal is to encourage collaboration among the scientific community, educational institutions, and teacher training programs to promote these methodologies in educational settings.