Child DevelopmentES-KidsNCT07899242
Classroom Exercise Snacks for Creativity, Motor Skills, and Academic Engagement in Elementary School Children
A study testing Classroom-Based Exercise Snacks in people with Child Development and Motor Skills, run by Islamic Azad University, Abadan Branch at 1 site in Iran.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether brief, classroom-based exercise snacks (short bursts of physical activity performed during class time) can improve creativity, motor skills, and academic engagement in elementary school students (Grades 4-6). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 9 to 13 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Child Development, Motor Skills, Executive Function
- What is being tested?
- Classroom-Based Exercise Snacks
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 242 participants
- Where
- 1 siteIran
- Study dates
- 23 Sep 2025to 25 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 9 to 13 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Enrollment in Grades 4, 5, or 6 of the participating elementary schools
- Age between 9 and 13 years
- Ability to safely participate in classroom-based exercise activities
- Absence of musculoskeletal injuries or movement limitations
- Absence of chronic diseases or medical conditions that could restrict participation in physical activity
- Provision of written informed consent by parents or legal guardians
Who cannot join
- Participation in fewer than 50% of exercise snack sessions during the study
- School transfer during the study period
- Prolonged absence from school
- Withdrawal of parental or student consent
- Development of illness or injury affecting participation
- Failure to complete post-intervention assessments
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Exercise Snacks on Creativity, Motor Skills, and Academic Engagement of Elementary School Students Throughout the School Year
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether brief, classroom-based exercise snacks (short bursts of physical activity performed during class time) can improve creativity, motor skills, and academic engagement in elementary school students (Grades 4-6). The study aims to answer whether integrating short exercise breaks into the school day can enhance children's physical and cognitive development without disrupting regular instruction.
Read the detailed description
This study was a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in two elementary schools in Abadan, Iran. The primary objective was to evaluate the effects of a classroom-based exercise snack intervention on motor competence, physical fitness, executive function, creativity, and academic engagement in children from Grades 4 to 6. A total of 12 classrooms (six intervention and six control) were randomly allocated to either the exercise snack program or a usual instruction condition. The intervention was delivered by trained classroom teachers and consisted of 2- to 4-minute exercise snacks performed three times per day (first, third, and fifth class periods) on three non-consecutive days per week, over a 20-week period. The exercise snacks included progressive bodyweight movements (e.g., running in place, squats, and jumps) designed to elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity intensity, with cognitive demands introduced from the fifth week onward.
Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Motor competence was evaluated using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2) short form. Physical fitness was assessed via the 10×5 m shuttle run, standing long jump, and sit-up tests from the EUROFIT battery. Executive function was measured using a battery of cognitive tasks including the Stroop Test, Trail Making Test-Part B, and Digit Span Test. Additionally, creativity was assessed using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, and academic engagement was evaluated using the Fredricks Academic Engagement Questionnaire. All outcome assessments were performed by trained assessors who were blinded to group allocation. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the effects of the intervention, accounting for classroom clustering and repeated measurements. The study was terminated early at 20 weeks due to the unexpected onset of war, and only schools with complete data collection were retained in the final analysis.
- Conditions
- Child Development, Motor Skills, Executive Function
- Being tested
- Classroom-Based Exercise Snacks
- Keywords
- Exercise Snacks, Classroom-Based Physical Activity, Motor Competence, Executive Function, Creativity, Academic Engagement
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Classroom-Based Exercise SnacksBehavioural
A 20-week classroom-based exercise snack program delivered by trained teachers. Exercise snacks consisted of 2- to 4-minute bouts of progressive bodyweight movements (e.g., running in place, squats, and jumps) performed three times per day on three non-consecutive days per week. The intensity was designed to be moderate-to-vigorous, with cognitive demands (e.g., responding to commands, color naming) introduced from the fifth week onward. The program was implemented in regular classrooms without specialized equipment.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise Snack Group | Experimental | Classrooms in this arm received a classroom-based exercise snack intervention for 20 weeks. The intervention was delivered by trained classroom teachers and consisted of 2- to 4-minute exercise snacks performed three times per day (first, third, and fifth class periods) on three non-consecutive days per week. The exercise snacks included progressive bodyweight movements (e.g., running in place, squats, and jumps) designed to elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity intensity, with cognitive demands introduced from the fifth week onward. Receives: Behavioral: Classroom-Based Exercise Snacks |
| Control Group | No intervention | Classrooms in this arm continued their usual educational activities throughout the study period and did not receive any additional classroom-based physical activity intervention. Students in both intervention and control classrooms participated in the regular school physical education classes according to the existing curriculum. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Motor Competence
Motor competence was assessed using the short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2). The BOT-2 Short Form yields a Total Motor Composite standard score. The minimum possible score is 20 and the maximum possible score is 80 (standard score scale). Higher scores indicate better motor competence. The total composite score was used as the primary indicator of motor competence.
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Creativity
Creativity was assessed using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) - Figural Form. The test evaluates divergent thinking and creative potential through standardized figural tasks. The Total Creativity Index (a standard score) was used for analysis. The minimum possible score on the standard score scale is 20 and the maximum is 160 (with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 20). Higher scores indicate better creative potential (i.e., greater divergent thinking ability).
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Secondary outcomes (3)
Physical Fitness Composite Score
Overall physical fitness was assessed using a composite score derived from three tests of the EUROFIT battery: the 10×5 m shuttle run, standing long jump, and sit-up test. Raw scores from each test were standardized using z-score transformation and then averaged to create a single composite score. The composite score is a standardized z-score (sample mean = 0, standard deviation = 1); it does not have fixed minimum or maximum values, as the theoretical range is unbounded. Higher (more positive) scores indicate better overall physical fitness, while lower (more negative) scores indicate poorer physical fitness.
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Executive Function Composite Score
Executive function was assessed using a battery of neuropsychological tasks: the Stroop Test, Trail Making Test-Part B (TMT-B), and Digit Span Test. A composite score was calculated by standardizing and averaging the scores from these measures. The resulting composite is a standardized z-score (sample mean = 0, standard deviation = 1); it does not have fixed minimum or maximum values, as the theoretical range is unbounded. Higher (more positive) composite scores indicate better executive function, while lower (more negative) scores indicate poorer executive function.
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Academic Engagement
Academic engagement was assessed using the Fredricks Academic Engagement Questionnaire. The minimum possible total score is 19 and the maximum possible total score is 95. Higher scores indicate greater academic engagement, while lower scores reflect poorer engagement.
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted27 Oct 2026
- Study start23 Sep 2025
- Primary completion25 Feb 2026
- Study completion25 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Child DevelopmentStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 242 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Islamic Azad University, Abadan Branch
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- General Department of Education of Khuzestan Province, Farhangian University
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Raoof Negaresh, Islamic Azad University, Abadan Branch
- Investigators
- Raoof Negaresh, PhD, Principal investigator, Farhangian University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07899242
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IR.SSRC.REC.1404.101
- Acronym
- ES-Kids
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 20 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 29 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: De-identified individual participant data (IPD) that underlie the results reported in this article will be shared. This includes demographic data, motor competence scores, physical fitness test results, executive function test scores, creativity scores, and academic engagement questionnaire scores. Data will be available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author (Dr. Raoof Negaresh) for academic and non-commercial research purposes (e.g., meta-analyses or secondary data analyses).
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Exercise Snacks on Creativity, Motor Skills, and Academic Engagement of Elementary School Students Throughout the School Year
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07899242
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ES-Kids / IR.SSRC.REC.1404.101
- Conditions
- Child Development, Motor Skills, Executive Function
- Keywords
- Exercise Snacks, Classroom-Based Physical Activity, Motor Competence, Executive Function, Creativity, Academic Engagement
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 242 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Islamic Azad University, Abadan BranchUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- General Department of Education of Khuzestan Province, Farhangian University
- Study start
- 23 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 25 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 27 Oct 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether brief, classroom-based exercise snacks (short bursts of physical activity performed during class time) can improve creativity, motor skills, and academic engagement in elementary school students (Grades 4-6). The study aims to answer whether integrating short exercise breaks into the school day can enhance children's physical and cognitive development without disrupting regular instruction.
Detailed description
This study was a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in two elementary schools in Abadan, Iran. The primary objective was to evaluate the effects of a classroom-based exercise snack intervention on motor competence, physical fitness, executive function, creativity, and academic engagement in children from Grades 4 to 6. A total of 12 classrooms (six intervention and six control) were randomly allocated to either the exercise snack program or a usual instruction condition. The intervention was delivered by trained classroom teachers and consisted of 2- to 4-minute exercise snacks performed three times per day (first, third, and fifth class periods) on three non-consecutive days per week, over a 20-week period. The exercise snacks included progressive bodyweight movements (e.g., running in place, squats, and jumps) designed to elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity intensity, with cognitive demands introduced from the fifth week onward.
Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Motor competence was evaluated using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2) short form. Physical fitness was assessed via the 10×5 m shuttle run, standing long jump, and sit-up tests from the EUROFIT battery. Executive function was measured using a battery of cognitive tasks including the Stroop Test, Trail Making Test-Part B, and Digit Span Test. Additionally, creativity was assessed using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, and academic engagement was evaluated using the Fredricks Academic Engagement Questionnaire. All outcome assessments were performed by trained assessors who were blinded to group allocation. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the effects of the intervention, accounting for classroom clustering and repeated measurements. The study was terminated early at 20 weeks due to the unexpected onset of war, and only schools with complete data collection were retained in the final analysis.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise Snack Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Classroom-Based Exercise SnacksClassrooms in this arm received a classroom-based exercise snack intervention for 20 weeks. The intervention was delivered by trained classroom teachers and consisted of 2- to 4-minute exercise snacks performed three times per day (first, third, and fifth class periods) on three non-consecutive days per week. The exercise snacks included progressive bodyweight movements (e.g., running in place, squats, and jumps) designed to elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity intensity, with cognitive demands introduced from the fifth week onward. |
| Control Group | No intervention | –Classrooms in this arm continued their usual educational activities throughout the study period and did not receive any additional classroom-based physical activity intervention. Students in both intervention and control classrooms participated in the regular school physical education classes according to the existing curriculum. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 9 to 13 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Enrollment in Grades 4, 5, or 6 of the participating elementary schools
- Age between 9 and 13 years
- Ability to safely participate in classroom-based exercise activities
- Absence of musculoskeletal injuries or movement limitations
- Absence of chronic diseases or medical conditions that could restrict participation in physical activity
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Participation in fewer than 50% of exercise snack sessions during the study
- School transfer during the study period
- Prolonged absence from school
- Withdrawal of parental or student consent
- Development of illness or injury affecting participation
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom-Based Exercise SnacksA 20-week classroom-based exercise snack program delivered by trained teachers. Exercise snacks consisted of 2- to 4-minute bouts of progressive bodyweight movements (e.g., running in place, squats, and jumps) performed three times per day on three non-consecutive days per week. The intensity was designed to be moderate-to-vigorous, with cognitive demands (e.g., responding to commands, color naming) introduced from the fifth week onward. The program was implemented in regular classrooms without specialized equipment. | Behavioural | Exercise Snack Group |
Primary outcome
Motor Competence
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Motor competence was assessed using the short form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2). The BOT-2 Short Form yields a Total Motor Composite standard score. The minimum possible score is 20 and the maximum possible score is 80 (standard score scale). Higher scores indicate better motor competence. The total composite score was used as the primary indicator of motor competence.
Creativity
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Creativity was assessed using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) - Figural Form. The test evaluates divergent thinking and creative potential through standardized figural tasks. The Total Creativity Index (a standard score) was used for analysis. The minimum possible score on the standard score scale is 20 and the maximum is 160 (with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 20). Higher scores indicate better creative potential (i.e., greater divergent thinking ability).
3 secondary outcomes
Physical Fitness Composite Score
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Executive Function Composite Score
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Academic Engagement
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. De-identified individual participant data (IPD) that underlie the results reported in this article will be shared. This includes demographic data, motor competence scores, physical fitness test results, executive function test scores, creativity scores, and academic engagement questionnaire scores. Data will be available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author (Dr. Raoof Negaresh) for academic and non-commercial research purposes (e.g., meta-analyses or secondary data analyses).
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Raoof Negaresh, PhD principal investigator
Farhangian University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Classroom-Based Exercise Snacks in people with Child Development and Motor Skills, run by Islamic Azad University, Abadan Branch at 1 site in Iran.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Iran. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Motor Competence (time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (after 20 weeks).). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Oct 2026.