Text: Samantha Toweel Moore. Photography: Gallo Images/Getty Images; Greatstock-Corbis; Elite Photo Agency/Shutterstock. Article from the Decembr 2012 issue of Living and Loving Magazine.
Music and movement is a form of play that activates parts of your child’s brain like an orchestra.
Creativity is self-expression, infused with imagination which allows you to extend your thoughts beyond the realms of the concrete world and problem solve to produce personal creations.
Rae Pica, international author and movement education consultant, says creativity enables children to “Imagine what it’s like to be someone or something else, which develops empathy. They can find answers to the question, ‘what if?’ And they can plan full and satisfying futures.”
Creativity creates the possibility for change. Change promotes growth. But second to this power to promote progress, creativity promotes courage. When asked to create there is no defined correct answer. Your child is able to do without fear of failure. This promotes a sense of mastery, and a sense of self-worth.
The creative soul – “Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life.” – Plato.
All encompassing
Musician Jenny Blake, says, “Song and dance provide a way for children to express themselves. Singing together creates calm and deepens family bonds.”
“Dance allows creative expression and teaches children to stand tall with confidence,” says Liz Gillis, dance teacher. “It develops listening skills and provides a fun form of exercise.”
Liz recommends that you allow your child the opportunity to move spontaneously to music and rhythmical beat.
It’s also been noted that babies tend to smile more when they move. It seems that the beat rather than the melody is what gets a child moving.
“Movement in the life of a young child will help develop an interaction of the nervous and muscular-skeletal systems.”
Easy learning
Dance teacher, Liz Gillis points out that dance aids learning particularly for children with learning difficulties who are known to bypass certain physical milestones. Dance encourages whole body learning through fundamental milestones and normal childhood pattern development such as rolling and crawling.
Activity ideas
0 – 1 year
- Encourage movement like bouncing, rolling, and clapping hands and stamping feet while sitting and rocking.
- Massage your baby with a soft rubber ball after a warm bath while singing soothing songs. Watch her study your mouth and try copy you.
1 – 2 years
Use objects which promote rhythm as you sing so your child can experiment with sound and movements – for example, rattles and rhythm sticks.- To make her own rattle, let her pour some dry rice into an old plastic bottle which seals tight.
2 – 3 years
- Encourage your child to make up fun rhymes about everyday life tasks. She will enjoy singing and doing, rather than being commanded to do something – for example, wash her face.
- Encourage her to coordinate exercises to nursery rhymes using head, neck, hands, shoulders, fingers; ‘bouncy’, bending knees. She can twirl, march with her legs up and point and flex her feet.
4 Ways to encourage creativity
Take time to take the time Be patient but consistent. Set regular time for creative song, dance and music. Allow your child the time and opportunity to think for herself so she learns how to make choices and decisions.
Explore and experiment Focus on discovery rather than the end product. For example, encourage your child to find as many ways as she can to move to the music rather than focusing on her learning to master steps of a dance.
Affirm her creativity Let your child know that you believe she is creative. She will rise to your positive expectation. Use words of encouragement and praise.
Turn mistakes into opportunities: Show your child that the unexpected and accidental can be used to expand her thinking. For example, if she attempts to spin and falls on the floor say, “Oh wow I wonder what kind of spins you could do on the floor that will be interesting.”
Dance develops listening skills and provides a fun form of exercise.
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