Study of Indigenous Games in Promoting Motor Development Among Nursery Children in Cross River State

Indigenous games of Nigerian communities offer culturally rooted physical activity experiences that support gross and fine motor development in young children, and examining their educational application in Cross River State nursery schools contributes to decolonising early childhood pedagogy in South South Nigeria. This study examined the role of indigenous games in promoting motor skill development among nursery school children aged 3 to 5 years in Calabar Municipal and Abi Local Government Areas, Cross River State. A quasi-experimental design compared motor development assessments between 80 children in classrooms integrating daily indigenous games and 80 children receiving conventional physical education over 10 weeks. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency was administered before and after the intervention. The indigenous games group showed significantly greater gross motor improvement (p < 0.001) than the conventional group. Fine motor gains were comparable across groups. Children's emotional engagement during indigenous game sessions was rated higher by teachers than during structured exercise. Parents expressed positive attitudes toward the inclusion of familiar community games. The study concludes that indigenous games are equally or more effective than conventional approaches for early motor development. Recommendations include documenting Cross River indigenous children's games for curriculum integration, training ECCDE teachers in game facilitation, and developing a Southern Nigerian indigenous games activity guide for nursery schools. Keywords: indigenous games, motor development, nursery school children, Cross River State, early childhood pedagogy