Background: Monitoring of physical activity within the educational institution is of great importance, primarily because of the orientation and content implemented in the daycare. This research aimed to examine the number of steps children took during their stay in daycare with regards to age, gender and the frequency of going out. Methods: The research was conducted in four daycares in the urban environment of Novi Sad (Republic of Serbia), where 231 children, aged 5 to 7, were monitored (129 boys and 102 girls). Data on the number of steps were obtained using the pedometers. Results: The result of the univariate analysis of the variance test confirmed a statistically significant difference in the number of steps in relation to the age of children (p = 0.04). Boys were more active than girls in both age groups (p = 0.001). Children who were going to the daycare yard three to five times a week took drastically more steps than children who went up to twice a week (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The results of the current study show that age, gender, and time spent outdoors are significant determinants of physical activity in preschool age. Therefore, interventions regarding physical activity should be made during early childhood in order to promote health and prevent disease.

Meta-analysis carried out for the purposes of investigating motor abilities and morphological characteristics showed diff erences between boys and girls ages 6 and 7 years old. Th e analyses were carried out for 5 anthropometric and 7 motor variables, and the sample taken for analysis was 1000 respondents for each variable respectively. Th e results showed that boys were taller and heavier and the girls had more body fat. Th e investigation of motor skills showed that boys are better at the variables used to assess coordination in young children (Obstacle course backwards, 20-m dash and Standing long jump), while girls achieved better results in the variable which is used for estimating fl exibility (Standing bend forward). In other motor variables there were signifi cant diff erences between boys and girls, which confi rms the results of previous studies of the quantitative gender-related diff erences and points to possible solutions for an improvement of coordination in girls and fl exibility in boys.

We are witnesses to an ever faster and more "aggressive" influence of modern technologies, not only on lives of adults and adolescents, but also children of preschool age. This planetary trend has not bypassed contemporary Serbian society either. The subject of this paper is the analysis of the data collected through the original empirical research in relation to establishing a connection between (1) the dimension of smartphone control imposed by the parents and (2) the dimensions of physical activity of children of preschool age in their leisure time. The paper analyzes the physical activities of preschool children depending on the following variables: children's gender and age (4, 5 or 6 years old), whether the child owns a smartphone or not, whether the child is included in a programmed sports activity; all this in relation to the parents' statement on whether they limit the time of the child's smartphone use. The relationship between these variables is justified by applying the Parental Smartphone Use Management Scale (PSUMS), while Baecke questionnaire is used for the data on preschool children's physical activity in their leisure time. The empirical research was carried out in the first half of 2020 by conducting a survey among the parents of 943 preschool children aged from 4 to 6 attending preschool and daycare centres in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (Serbia). Based on the analysis of the collected data, we have deduced the following: 1. a large percentage of children from 4 to 6 do not own their own smartphones (77.9%), but nonetheless they use smartphones on a daily basis (73.4%); 2. there are no differences in children's physical activities in relation to their gender and age; 3. children spend more time on physical activities in their leisure time if they do not have their own smartphones, if they are engaged in an organized sports activity ("recreational schools"), as well as if their parents limit their smartphone use, and 4. children participate more in physical activities in their leisure time if their parents are consistent regarding children's smartphone time management. Recommendations to parents based on our research are that children should be included in free physical activities at the earliest preschool age, and in the structured/programmed ones at a later preschool age, because that is the period most suitable for accepting adequate habits of physical exercise that are carried on into adulthood. In that manner, children will more easily "give up" their passive (sedentary) activities in leisure time, which is usually spent alongside use of smartphone, all with the aim of optimizing the quality of their growing up.

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The paper presents the research carried out in the school year 2018-19 in preschoolsof the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The aim of the research was to assess therole of preschool teachers in supporting and enriching child’s play, gain insight intochildren’s actions in relation to it, as well as to ascertain the dominant perspectiveof the children and adults in the play. One hundred forty-five preschool teachershad been interviewed. The results have shown that teachers have had a shiftof focus in understanding child’s play and assessing its efficiency. Even thoughteachers in general see play as a free child’s activity, it has become apparent theyperceive it more as a learning method than a free child’s action. Play with rules wasintroduced to all age groups of children, including nursery. The play implementedin the research was assessed as successful, and the preschool teacher’s role was toguide or observe it. Even though the question of the relation in which the childenters and builds its own experiences is seen as an imperative in contemporaryeducational policies, teachers have stated that they are mostly focused on eithertheir own or the child's perspective. The research has confirmed the presence of atendency for didactisation of play and showed the need for new insights into thissignificant child's activity.Keywords: child; play; preschool teacher; relationship; perspective. - radu je prikazano istraživanje koje je provedeno u školskoj godini 2018./19. udječjim vrtićima na području Autonomne Pokrajine Vojvodine. Cilj je istraživanjaprocijeniti ulogu odgajatelja u podržavanju i obogaćivanju dječjih igara, uvid ustvaranje djece u odnosu na igru kao i percepciju dominantne perspektive djetetaili odrasle osobe u igri. Intervjuirano je 145 odgajatelja. Rezultati su pokazali da seodgajatelj usredotočio na razumijevanje dječje igre i procjenu njezine izvedbe. Iakoodgajatelji u načelu shvaćaju igru kao slobodnu dječju aktivnost, pokazalo se da jeona viđena kao metoda učenja, a ne kao slobodno dječje djelovanje. Uvodili su igrus pravilima u sve dobne skupine djece, uključujući jaslice. U procesu igre uspješno suocijenili svoju ulogu upravljanja i nadzora. Iako pitanje odnosa u koje dijete ulazii gradi vlastita iskustva vide kao imperativ u suvremenim odgojno-obrazovnimpolitikama, odgajatelji su izjavili da su uglavnom usmjereni ili na vlastitu ili nadječju perspektivu. Istraživanje je potvrdilo postojanje tendencije za didaktizacijuigre i otvorilo potrebu za novim spoznajama o ovoj značajnoj dječjoj aktivnosti.Ključne riječi: dijete; igra; odgajatelj; odnos; perspektiva.