Regular implementation of kinesiological contents in working with children of early and preschool age has multiple advantages. In addition to the positive impact on different development areas, such contents prevent the occurrence of various diseases and allow children to acquire new skills and improve existing skills through play. In order to support the implementation of such activities, it is necessary to gain insight into the motives that encourage children to participate actively. Accordingly, it is important to establish a positive and supportive motivational climate. There are certain factors that determine the pattern of an athlete’s behavior with the goal of reaching achievement, and which determine goal orientation. Thus, athletes can be individually goal-oriented towards task and skill development and individually goal-oriented towards outcome. When we talk about sports motivation, it is necessary to emphasize the possibility of the emergence of two categories of motives for the implementation of kinesiological content, intrinsic and extrinsic. While intrinsic motivation implies the child's inner need to engage in kinesiological activities such as the desire to acquire new skills, desire for progress, pleasure, comfort or social reasons. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation involves external urge that imply a reward for victory or some other achievement. The primary goal of the research is to determine whether there are statistically significant differences in goal orientation (focus on task and skills development, focus on outcome and result) and differences in motives for the implentation of kinesiological activities between boys and girls of early and preschool age in Kindergarten "Ciciban", Otoĉac. The survey was conducted online, using two survey questionnaires. Firstly, an adapted version of the target orientation questionnaire “TASK and EGO Orientation in Sport Questionnaire - TEOSQ” was used to assess individual differences in goal orientation (Duda et al., 1995, adapted for TZK according to Barić et al. 2002). Secondly, in order to assess the intrinsic and extrinsic motives of children for kinesiological activity, a modified Croatian version of the “EMI-2” questionnaire was used (Vlašić et al., 2002). The sample was consisted of 35 children, i.e. 17 boys and 18 girls from 5 to 8 years of age. The results of the target orientation study did not establish the existence of a statistically significant gender differences. However, despite the greater mutual orientation on task and skills development, boys are still more focused on this dimension compared to girls. In the second part of the hypothesis, the results indicate a greater intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of boys compared to girls. The obtained values of arithmetic means show that girls engage in kinesiological activities mainly because of the enjoyment they provide them. On the other hand, boys do physical activities in order to achieve the best results. Statistically significant gender differences were found for next dimensions: physical appearance, results, strength and endurance. Therefore, boys exercise more to look nice and not be plump, to achieve the best results and to become stronger, compared to girls. Early and preschool children should be taught to develop inner satisfaction that will develop a desire for progress and self-realization. Therefore, it is desirable to design creative and fun kinesiological activities similar to play and offer children the opportunity to cope independently, develop creativity and safeness.