Relationship between playfulness and motor creativity in preschool children

Abstract

Abstract Previous research has noted a corresponding relationship between young children's play and divergent thinking ability. This study examined how far fluency and flexibility in movement patterns' production, as indicatory elements of divergent thinking and critical thinking, are related to a variety of psychological elements (physical spontaneity, social spontaneity, cognitive spontaneity, manifest joy, sense of humor) that compositely contribute to playfulness, an internal personality characteristic. A total of two hundred and fifty preschool‐aged children participated in this study. Their teachers completed the Greek version of Children's Playfulness Scale. The Divergent movement ability test was used to rate children's motor creativity. The data indicated a significant correlation between total playfulness and (a) motor fluency and (b) motor flexibility. This means that playfulness and motor creativity are interconnected because movement during preschool age is the primary way of action, expression, learning and development. Keywords: Playfulness Creativity Motor fluency Motor flexibility Preschool children