Abstract

In movement games for children aged 4–5, initial enthusiasm may decline when motor demands remain unchanged after children have understood the rules and become more proficient. This article examines the relationships among task difficulty, challenge level, and children’s interest, thereby proposing a design framework responsive to their progress and individual differences. The study employs document analysis, synthesis, comparison, and generalization of research on interest, motor learning, and early childhood physical education. The findings indicate that the level of challenge emerges from the interaction among task demands, children’s current abilities, and performance conditions, rather than being a fixed feature of a game. Accordingly, the article proposes five groups of factors for adjusting task difficulty, three levels of challenge, four design principles, and a five-step process in which observation and adjustment are maintained throughout play. Three illustrative games demonstrate how motor demands can be modified while preserving the original objectives and flow of each game. The proposed framework provides guidance for organizing movement games more flexibly and should be further evaluated through pedagogical experiments.

Keywords: Children aged 4–5, challenge level, movement games, situational interest, task difficulty.