Dance and creative movement activities can help preschoolers in many different ways. Basic movements such as jumping, walking backward or skipping can prime the young child for an entrance to the creative world of dance. Other dance activities can help young children to think creatively, follow directions and develop coordination. Stage a mini-ballet or dance festival and teach the students simple movements such as a plie (to bend at the knees) or releve (to raise one's body onto the tips of the toes). Create imaginative characters with the kids or add costumes for an added effect.
Many adults may simply think of preschool music activities as random banging on pots and pans or loudly playing a toy trumpet. In reality, well-thought-out and instructed music activities can aid significantly in the child's development. Improve social skills by asking the children to work together to make a band or sing with each other. Use song to help children express emotions from happy to sad. Child-sized instruments, and tapping and clapping can increase motor development through the use of intricate finger movements. Cognitive skills such as recall, attention and memory can all be built through repeated exposure to music. This includes listening to songs and instrumental music as well as learning the notes on an instrument or remembering a clapping pattern.
Inspire creativity, and learning, with imaginative visual-arts activities. Use paints, papers, markers and clay to explore process art or design a thematic project. Process art -- exploring and experimenting with materials and techniques -- allows the young child to learn at his or her own pace, build self-control and discover the world around us. Project-based art differs in that the teacher asks the child to create a specific art work; this may be a painting of something such as a favorite animal, a sculpture of a building or any other teacher choice. Project-based art can easily incorporate process-based activities by providing students with the freedom to explore the given medium within the constraints of the expected outcome. For example, in painting a landscape, children can mix their own paint colors, experiment with brush stroke or add different amounts of texture.
Creative drama activities utilize the child's growing imagination and play abilities. Preschool-aged children have a strong sense of fantasy, and are known for engaging in regular dramatic play. Ignite this creative spark with a series of structured and unstructured drama activities in the classroom. Structured creative drama activities include puppet plays and plays based on favorite stories or characters. Although the children may not yet be able to memorize lines, they will be capable of remembering a sequence of events and the general theme of the play. Stress this type of learning and reinforce the idea of beginning, middle and end. Add costumes and paint scenery for extra inspiration. Unstructured drama activities may include housekeeping play, pretend kitchen, dress-up or doll and action-figure play. Facilitate creative learning with frequent interactions and ask questions about what the child is doing and why.