6 Fostering and stifling creativity
How often have you observed a child tripping over, falling off their bike, not quite landing a jump, running into another child or object?
Without mistakes children would not learn, without appropriate celebration of those mistakes they would be reluctant to try again.
Watch the video below from 00.56 to 02.36 in which Trevor Ragan discusses celebrating mistakes to help children ‘learn ugly’.
Video 3 (Youtube link: The Open University is not responsible for external content)
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It is useful to reflect on the feedback you provide children within any setting and how that feedback or ‘off-the-cuff comment’ could impact their motivation, confidence and ultimately FMS competence. Here are some of the top tips for using effective feedback and dialogue with children to develop movement creativity:
- Celebrate mistakes, encouraging them to try again, find another way, ask a friend to demonstrate/support
- Encourage free play for creative exploration of movement to emerge
- Develop varying constraints on tasks and play based scenarios to guide specific movement development
- Consider adult attitudes/feedback towards movement and the use of ‘off the cuff comments’ that limit risk taking and stifle creativity in movement (e.g. ‘be careful’)
- Engage your child in movement in all appropriate environments. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated or expensive, just involve fun and movement!
- Ensure that movement is at the heart of the majority of activities and that everyone in the setting buys into this to foster a movement culture and many positive movement experiences for babies and children of all ages.