Objective Explore the relationship between fundamental motor skills and perceived motor competence, physical activity level of elementary school students in grades 3-6. Methods A total of 437 students from grade 3 to grade 6 in elementary school were invited to participate in this study. The Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3), the sport competence subscale of the Self-perception Profile for Children, and Physical Activity Level Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents were used to measure students' fundamental motor skills, perceived motor competence, and physical activity level. SPSS22.0 and Mplus8.3 software were used for data analysis, and the Bootstrap method was used to analyze the prediction relationship and mediating effect between variables. Results Boys' manipulative skills, perceived motor competence, and physical activity levels were better than girls (P<0.01). There was a low to moderate positive correlation between fundamental motor skills, perceived motor competence, and physical activity levels among students in grades 3-6 (r=0.103-0.477, P<0.05). The correlation between the fundamental motor skills and the perceived motor competence of elementary school students in grades 3-6 (β=0.222, P<0.001), the correlation between the perceived motor competence and the physical activity level (β=0.569, P<0.001), and perceived motor competence play a partial mediating role between fundamental motor skills and physical activity level. Conclusions Emphasizing the development of students' fundamental motor skills and perceived motor competence during elementary school can help improve their physical activity levels. |