Introduction:

Many children do not reach recommendations regarding physical activity (PA) levels related to health. Structured and active games would be a great strategy to increase PA levels. The aim was to describe intensities of PA reached in selected structured games and their relation with PA recommendations for children.

Material and methods:

Participants were thirty normal-weight children (twenty boys and ten girls). The age groups were 6-7, 8-9, and 10-12 years. They performed 32 games of 6 min 50 s (± 1 min 42 s of duration each), in 6 sessions, and with pauses of 5-6 min between them. PA intensity was determined by systematic observation (SOFIT) and accelerometry, categorizing PA intensity according to cut-off points in counts per minute (CPM). Means and DS were calculated for accelerometry variables, CPM, and SOFIT. The contrast was made between gender and age groups, considering the whole group and each game. Accelerometry variables were correlated with those of SOFIT. The significance was p <0.05.

Results:

Ten games belong to moderate PA, and 22 to the upper light limit. There were significant differences for CPM, between 8-9 and 6-7 years, and between gender, in five games. Moderate and vigorous PA and CPM were correlated (r = 0.36, p = 0.04).

Conclusions:

Regarding PA intensity, these games (ten in moderate category and 22 in the light upper limit), reveal a substantive contribution to the PA recommendations for children.

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