Parental practices and young children’s physical activity during the COVID-19 lockdown—a qualitative study

Abstract Physical activity plays a crucial role in early childhood development. To investigate how parents dealt with their young children’s physical activity needs in light of the transformation of daily physical activity habits during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the significance of social background to these questions, we conducted eight qualitative interviews with mothers and fathers of children aged 2–6 years. The data were analyzed using the coding methods of grounded theory. The findings identify two ideal-typical parental strategies. While some parents interpreted their children’s need for physical activity as an additional stressor within an already highly demanding everyday life and responded with restrictive practices and increased screen media use, others understood physical activity as a central resource for their children’s health, development, and well-being and actively sought to compensate for reduced opportunities through deliberate planning and shared activities. These differing interpretations and practices were closely associated with families’ social and psychosocial living conditions rather than with differences in parents’ knowledge about the importance of physical activity. The study highlights the central role of parents in early childhood physical activity and demonstrates that crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic can intensify existing social inequalities. The findings provide starting points for low-threshold interventions aimed at reducing unequal opportunities for children’s physical activity and development.