Objectives:
To check the motor abilities of early childhood children before starting their school year and compare the results between the genders. Additionally, it helped to ensure the insight for the P.E. (physical education) teachers into their pupils’ abilities which could lead to possible adjustment in the planning and assisting the children to help them reaching the curriculum goals. On top of that, this research will help in the future to keep annual track of the motor abilities of the children and conduce broader research over time.

Methods:
Forty-one preschool children from United Lisbon International School, ages between 4 to 6, boys and girls (20 boys and 20 girls) were recruited and completed a part of EuroFittest in Septemer 2024 as a part of the P.E. baseline assessment. Children were from different background and nationalities. Tests used were the motor skills tests: plate tapping, sit and reach and standing broad jump. The tests were concluded in a week time, depending on when the class had their P.E. lesson. For all the variables the descriptive parameters were: mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, skewness and kurtosis. To define the differences between the genders t-Test: Two-Sample Assuming Equal Variances was used in Excel Data Analysis program, where p ≤ .05.

Results:
After the data conducted, a significant difference was found in all three of the motor abilities tests. Boys group was better in two out of three motor abilities tests. The boys group showed significant difference in Plate tapping test (upper body reaction and coordination) and Standing Long Jump (lower body explosiveness). Girls group showed better results and significant difference in Sit and Reach (flexibility). That significant difference was also the highest one. In the plate- tapping the difference was minimum between the best results showing that their upper body reaction time might be equalized if girls group is exposed to additional exercises.

Conclusion:
Euro fittest results showed difference between boys and girls motor abilities development in early childhood where the boys achieved higher results in two out of three tests conducted, both of which were connected to coordination and power, whereas the girls achieved better result in the flexibility test. Further research should be conducted to discover if these results are connected to the sex and different developmental stages between them, or is there any other factor that might be influencing the results. Additionaly, Euroft battery of tests is not completely adjusted to young learners so maybe development of additional fit test for young learners and their inclusion in the further researches might change the outcomes in the future physical education and sedentary lifestyle.

Keywords: Preschool, motor abilities, comparison.