What is Creative Movement
Creative Movement is a fun and exciting way for individuals to explore movement through music while learning to channel energy, strengthen their bodies, stimulate imagination and promote creativity. Creative movement uses body actions as a form of communication for example imagery.
Let’s Jam uses creative movement as it provides individuals with relaxation and non-intimidating creative experiences. Through movement, individuals learn about their bodies, the space around them, and each other. Creative movement activities should encourage all individuals with special needs to participate freely. Both boys and girls enjoy these classes. All children can benefit, including children with communication, sensory, developmental or physical challenges.
Creative Movement is a way for them to know themselves and to see connections with the rest of the world. This is a way for them to understand themselves and their relationship with the world. Creative Movement activities can be used to enhance all areas of learning and growth. Many additional benefits can come from creative movement.
Benefits of Creative Movement
DEVELOPMENT: Movement is one of the first forms of communication. At an early age, children love to move and they respond when hearing music. They often respond to the sound with motion, whether it's rocking, clapping, swaying or even kicking their feet. Creative movement enhances movement development that occurs between ages two and seven.
SENSORY AWARENESS: Children perceive the world through their senses. Sensory awareness work leads to a greater understanding of themselves and their surroundings. It improves their imaginative capabilities and increases abilities to experience life with greater meaning. Learning is facilitated when a child's entire body is involved. All senses are engaged when children explore different aspects of movement. The kinesthetic sense increases as children literally feel their bodies during movement. Visually, children respond to the images they see as well as the images they create. The auditory sense is stimulated as children respond to various sounds (and music) they make or hear. Tactile experiences include running barefoot, performing a variety of floor movements, or swirling a scarf. These sensory experiences help children appreciate the beauty in connection with their surroundings.
SOCIAL: Children learn to appreciate the uniqueness of others, express personal feelings, co-operate within a social structure. Creative movement is rich with opportunities to fulfill these kinds of experiences successfully. It encourages an interactive environment where children share space as they explore movement together while observing how others display their movement ideas. The process of learning and development allows the overall experience to be much more enriching.
SPECIAL NEEDS: Children with special needs benefit because they can participate at their own level and ability. Children who are physically challenged can explore body parts or keep a beat by blinking their eyes. They will respond in their own unique way. Props, like a feather, can be placed or attached in an appropriate area of the child's body or equipment. Children with special needs can feel a sense of belonging to a group and experience the joy of learning.
LANGUAGE: Cognitive learning is stimulated by movement. Research shows that the right hemisphere of the brain (sensing and feeling side) functions through activities such as music, art and creativity. The left hemisphere organizes sequential and logical skills such as language and speech. Both sides of the brain must be developed during the critical learning periods in early childhood because of the cross-referencing that occurs. When children are engaged in creative movement, they are involved in activities that will increase their memory and ability to communicate.
BODY AWARENESS: Children need to gain a better mental picture of their own body. Controlling the use of their bodies in a positive way is the first type of control children have over themselves. It is the first step toward developing internal control and self-discipline. It also helps children with the development of motor skills. Creative movement activities focus on body awareness, motor fitness, rhythmic skill, strength, flexibility, coordination, endurance, and physical vitality.
CONCENTRATION: Self-control is enhanced by the capacity to concentrate and focus. Children must learn what it feels like to concentrate. Once children learn what focusing feels like, it can enhance focus for other activities where concentration is more difficult to achieve.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR: Creative movement gives children the opportunity for movement that relieves tension, which would otherwise be expressed as "wiggling." Also, children become more capable of understanding what kind of movement is appropriate for different situations, for example, when to move freely and when to move cautiously.
RESPECT: Experiences in creative movement can help children respect their working environment. Children learn and respect the fact that all bodies come in various sizes and shapes. They also learn to respect these differences in their peers.
SELF-ESTEEM: Self-esteem is the GREATEST benefit from incorporating creative movement into any curriculum. As children learn more and develop new skills, their self-esteem increases. When a child exclaims, 'I did it!' they are showing the power they feel in their own competence. A child's self-esteem is also enhanced through participation in activities where their contributions are valued.
Creative Movement is an opportunity for all children, regardless of age, special needs, or developmental stage, to interact with each other. It is a great energy releaser.
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