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From Play to School: Developmental Shifts in Motor Creativity among Kindergarten and Primary School Children

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Title: From Play to School: Developmental Shifts in Motor Creativity among Kindergarten and Primary School Children
Language: English
Authors: Rafat Ghanamah (ORCID 0000-0002-8876-7585), Yara Khalaily, Eman Samoe
Source: Developmental Science. 2026 29(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 6
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Grade 1
Grade 2
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Psychomotor Skills, Creativity, Imagination, Motion, Creative Activities, Age Differences, Developmental Stages, Motor Development, Arabs
Geographic Terms: Israel
DOI: 10.1111/desc.70145
ISSN: 1363-755X
1467-7687
Abstract: This study examined the developmental trajectories of motor creativity in 120 Arab Israeli children in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade (M[subscript age] = 7.06, SD = 0.87; 47% girls) with 40 participants in each group, focusing on three core dimensions: fluency, originality, and imagination. Motor creativity was conceptualized as a multidimensional skill reflecting children's ability to generate novel, flexible, and adaptive movement solutions. Creative movement was assessed using Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement (TCAM), a standardized test of creative expression through movement. Results revealed significant developmental differences across grade levels. Originality and total creativity scores were significantly higher among second graders compared to first graders, suggesting that formal schooling and growing motor proficiency may enhance creative expression. Imagination followed a nonlinear trajectory, with kindergarten children scoring highest, a decline in first grade, and a partial rebound in second grade, reflecting developmental shifts from exploratory play to more structured learning environments. Fluency demonstrated a non-significant grade-level trend. Correlational analyses showed strong interrelationships among fluency, originality, and imagination, reinforcing motor creativity as a cohesive construct. Age and gender were not significantly associated with creativity scores, underscoring that individual capacities and environmental contexts, rather than demographic factors, shape creative development. These findings emphasize motor creativity as a dynamic, context-sensitive skill, highlighting the need for early educational environments that balance imaginative play with structured opportunities for motor refinement and creative problem-solving, particularly during the transition to formal schooling.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1498743
Database: ERIC
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  Data: From Play to School: Developmental Shifts in Motor Creativity among Kindergarten and Primary School Children
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rafat+Ghanamah%22">Rafat Ghanamah</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8876-7585">0000-0002-8876-7585</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yara+Khalaily%22">Yara Khalaily</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eman+Samoe%22">Eman Samoe</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Science%22"><i>Developmental Science</i></searchLink>. 2026 29(2).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 6
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Primary+Education%22">Primary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+1%22">Grade 1</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+2%22">Grade 2</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+1%22">Grade 1</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+2%22">Grade 2</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychomotor+Skills%22">Psychomotor Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Creativity%22">Creativity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Imagination%22">Imagination</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motion%22">Motion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Creative+Activities%22">Creative Activities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developmental+Stages%22">Developmental Stages</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motor+Development%22">Motor Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Arabs%22">Arabs</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Israel%22">Israel</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/desc.70145
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  Data: 1363-755X<br />1467-7687
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  Data: This study examined the developmental trajectories of motor creativity in 120 Arab Israeli children in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade (M[subscript age] = 7.06, SD = 0.87; 47% girls) with 40 participants in each group, focusing on three core dimensions: fluency, originality, and imagination. Motor creativity was conceptualized as a multidimensional skill reflecting children's ability to generate novel, flexible, and adaptive movement solutions. Creative movement was assessed using Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement (TCAM), a standardized test of creative expression through movement. Results revealed significant developmental differences across grade levels. Originality and total creativity scores were significantly higher among second graders compared to first graders, suggesting that formal schooling and growing motor proficiency may enhance creative expression. Imagination followed a nonlinear trajectory, with kindergarten children scoring highest, a decline in first grade, and a partial rebound in second grade, reflecting developmental shifts from exploratory play to more structured learning environments. Fluency demonstrated a non-significant grade-level trend. Correlational analyses showed strong interrelationships among fluency, originality, and imagination, reinforcing motor creativity as a cohesive construct. Age and gender were not significantly associated with creativity scores, underscoring that individual capacities and environmental contexts, rather than demographic factors, shape creative development. These findings emphasize motor creativity as a dynamic, context-sensitive skill, highlighting the need for early educational environments that balance imaginative play with structured opportunities for motor refinement and creative problem-solving, particularly during the transition to formal schooling.
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  Data: 2026
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        Value: 10.1111/desc.70145
    Languages:
      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 6
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Kindergarten
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 1
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 2
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      – SubjectFull: Motion
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      – SubjectFull: Creative Activities
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      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Developmental Stages
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      – SubjectFull: Motor Development
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      – SubjectFull: Arabs
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      – SubjectFull: Israel
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      – TitleFull: From Play to School: Developmental Shifts in Motor Creativity among Kindergarten and Primary School Children
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