Fundamental motor skills (hereinafter FMS) are the basic building block of human movement and represent the minimum motors skills that every child should master at the end of their formal education. FMS take the central place and represent movements phylogenetically conditioned, innate, and natural. Consequently, they represent the basis and foundation for further more-demanding motor types. The level and quality of adoption of FMS is a predictor of an individual's lifelong physical activity. FMS are the starting point for all the movements that a person needs and implements in his daily life. They are divided into three basic groups: (1) pedipulations or locomotions (all body movements in space), (2) manipulations (basic movement operations with individual parts of the body), (3) basic composite movements.
Climbing has an important place in the child's overall development as a fundamental motor skill; it is classified as pedipulation or locomotion. By climbing, the child actively and consciously overcomes the force of gravity and strengthens the arms and shoulder girdle. Furthermore, climbing strengthens the stabilization of the torso, which is often compensated for, but is crucial for effective movement of the whole body and develops the motor skills of strength, coordination, mobility, and balance. Climbing differs from other FMS in the exhibited safety component. FMS climbing entails a certain level of risk because the climber is exposed to height when climbing and his safety is more at risk than with other FMS. In addition to positive effects on physical and motor development, the practice of climbing influences more extensive cognitive development and learning. At the same time, it has a vital impact on the psychosocial status of the child and brings practical value to the life of the individual. The curriculum for physical education places climbing is in two sets: natural forms of movement and play and the gymnastic alphabet. The climbing task is also part of the supplementary sports programmes Zlati sonček and Krpan.
In the research part of this master's thesis, 209 pupils, who attended the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, participated. A survey questionnaire was distributed to the selected sample of participants. We were interested in the presence of children's leisure climbing and which climbing means they use. At the same time, we wanted to determine to what extent climbing is influenced by the permission of adults and the presence of fear during climbing. At the same time, we investigated the presence of climbing in the sports subject of students of the same age and looked for connections between the use of different climbing means in the sports subject and in the leisure time of children of the selected sample.
With the study, we found that FMS climbing among children of the selected sample is a very present movement pattern. Trees and toys proved to be commonly used climbers while climbing walls, fences and ladders proved to be less common. In the selected sample, fear of falling is more present than fear of heights. The children of the studied sample mostly state that their parents allow them to climb, while the teachers do not. Of the 11 hours observed, climbing was present in 4 hours of sport activity. The following means were used for the latter: wall bar, climber, ladder, climbing wall, pole, and sailor ladder. In their free time, the children of the studied sample encounter a climbing wall and a ladder. The link between the use of climbing means in sports hours and the use of them in children's leisure time is consequently poor.
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