Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part F (2025)

This research investigates the differences in motor skill proficiency between children from urban and rural settings through a comparative analysis. The aim was to uncover disparities in fundamental motor skills—particularly locomotor and object-control abilities—based on their respective environments. The study involved 40 children aged 8 to 10 years, with an equal representation of 20 from urban areas and 20 from rural areas. The assessment employed the Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition (TGMD-2), created by Ulrich (2000). The findings revealed that rural children excelled in locomotor skills, demonstrating superior abilities in movements such as galloping, hopping, leaping, jumping, and sliding, compared to their urban counterparts. For object-control skills, a noteworthy difference was seen only in the catching skill, where rural children again outperformed those in urban settings. These results underscore the profound impact of environmental factors and the availability of physical activity opportunities on the development of motor skills in children. In conclusion, the study affirms that children in rural environments benefit from more diverse movement experiences, while there is a pressing need for urban children to engage in more structured physical play to boost their motor skills proficiency.