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

This study examined the developmental trajectories of motor creativity in 120 Arab Israeli children in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade (M_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.