Augmented Reality Playgrounds to Promote Physical Activity in Young Children: Feasibility Study Using a Repeated Measures Laboratory Design

While the intensity of physical activity was lower during AR, the greater enjoyment and longer engagement time may lead to greater overall accumulation of active play by motivating young children to go to and stay longer at playgrounds. The high-structured AR conditions resulted in higher-intensity physical activity compared to low-structured AR conditions; however, enjoyment ratings from children and caregivers were generally higher in the low-structured AR. Therefore, AR may be suitable to implement in both low- and high-structured play environments. Future research should investigate whether these findings hold true at outdoor playgrounds and examine the impact of novelty over time.