Musical and Physical Education – Correlation of Two Didactics Aimed at Basic Motor Skills Development of Preschool Children

Biological maturation plays a key role in the development of a child’s motor skills, but specific skills can be improved through practice. Music has a positive impact on motor learning. The aim of this experimental study was to analyze the effects of musical games applied during the learning and improvement of BLS – running in rhythm, galloping forward, and hopping. The research was conducted on a sample of 25 boys and girls aged four to five years. In the experimental group (N = 12), purposefully composed musical exercises in two-quarter time were used, while in the control group (N = 13), the same elements were practiced without music in the form of free play. The experiment lasted two weeks, with three activities of 30 minutes per week. The quality of locomotor skills was assessed before and after treatment using the TGMD instrument. The same test protocol was repeated three months after the final measurement. The results showed that children in the experimental group made statistically greater progress. The differences between the groups decreased after the three-month post-experimental period, confirming the importance of biological maturation for the development of the locomotor apparatus of a preschool child. The effects of musical games aimed at developing motor skills are very significant but do not have a lasting effect, and they should always be analyzed in the context of biological maturation.