The article is devoted to the problem of the influence of physical activity on the development of voluntary attention in children aged 5-7, which largely determines the success of schooling. The studies conducted in different countries prove the existence of such a correlation, which, at the same time, is not always unambiguous. We studied the nature of this correlation in the children of rural and urban kindergarten. The results of the pilot study showed that there were no significant differences in the development of the basic indicators of voluntary attention among the rural children attending various sports clubs and those who do not go in for sports, in contrast to the children attending kindergarten in the city. The influence of the family on the children’s desire to lead an active lifestyle has been also determined.