The modern way of life is marked by great advances in technology and increased inactivity of adults and children. As a result, basic motor and functional abilities may be compromised. To prevent this, it is important to create healthy lifestyle habits in children that include physical activity. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences in the motor abilities of preschool children with regard to involvement in organized physical exercise and with regard to the sex of children involved in organized physical exercise and those who are not. The research involved 20 children aged 5 to 7 years, and the research was conducted in the Dječji vrtić Dječji grad in Samobor. Six motor abilities were measured: balance, coordination, repetitive power, explosive power, speed and mobility. The paper explains in more detail the motor abilities, the characteristics of the development of motor skills and motor abilities, the characteristics of the motor movements of preschool children and the importance of physical activity for the growth and development of the child. Previous research on this topic is presented on the basis of which a comparison with this research was made. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in motor abilities between children of athletes and children of non-athletes, as well as with regard to gender. The results can be attributed to a small number of subjects, and if the test were conducted on a larger sample, differences in motor skills would likely be shown.