Rae Pica in her book Moving & Learning Across The Curriculum says there are six movement elements.

1.  Space: This is made up of the area around the child.  It is comprised of three levels high, middle and low spaces.  These include forward and backward and the pathways by which they get there, whether straight or zig zag.

2.  Shape: These activities ask children to demonstrate different shapes with their bodies, such as round and flat (lying on the floor), or large (standing on tip toes), and small.

3.  Force: This is determined by muscle tension, and how these activities are done, light (walking on tip toes) or heavy (stamping).

4.  Flow: These include self-expression and whether the activity is interrupted (freeze) or free (scarf dancing).

5.  Time: This is governed by how quickly or slowly the activities are done.

6.  Rhythm: These encompass a variety of time signatures from marching time to polkas and waltzes.

Infants: Locomotion Skills – Infants should start with body awareness when getting their diapers changed.  Pretend to be in a bath tub and wash their hands, face, arms, tummy, legs, knees and feet.  Tell them names for each body part as you touch it.  Older infants should work on locomotion skills such as creeping and crawling slow or fast.

Toddlers: Kangaroos or Rabbits – Children need to work alone before working with a partner or a group.  This is especially true for toddlers, who are so egocentric.  Activities should start with children being the object (kangaroo or rabbit) then they should be doing the activity of the object (hopping- either light or heavy).  Always encourage individuality and creativity among the children.  Don’t make movement models for them; they need to find their own way of creating the movements.  They all should never all be doing the same thing because there is no right way to be a kangaroo or rabbit.

Preschoolers: Self Expression – Movement activities should become a part of the daily routine.  Use imagery to increase critical thinking skills.  Such as – walk on eggs or hot sand – walk up a mountain or ride a horse – pick a star or pick flowers – pet a dog or tie your shoe – pick an apple from a tree or pick a vegetable out of the garden.  Children can explore their self expression by finding their own way to demonstrate – round or flat – wide or crooked – table or chair – astronaut or robot – butterfly or bee.

Dr. Hannaford, a neurophysiologist and educator from Harvard in her book Smart Moves: Why Learning Is Not All In Your Head, stated that cross-lateral movements like creeping and crawling activate both hemispheres of the brain in a balanced way.  They involve eyes, ears, hands and feet, as well as core muscles on both sides of the body; both hemispheres and all four lobes of the brain are activated.  This means…  “cognitive functioning is heightened and learning becomes easier.”

ALL CREATIVE ACTIVITY BEGINS WITH MOVEMENT        (Joseph Zinker)