Characteristics of Physical Expression Activities Among Young Children  — How Physical Contact Influences the Body and Expression

(Department of Early Childhood Education, Aichi University of Education, Japan)

Abstract: This study focuses on physical contacts during physical expression activities and examines the following 2 points. 1) The difference in the development of physical awareness and expression between 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds. 2) The value of “physical contact” as a physical expression activity for young children. 27 4-year-olds and 26 5-year-olds were directed to express themselves in 2 types of physical expression activities, each focusing on “movement” and “image”. 5 tasks were prepared for both activity types and subjects were videotaped during the activities. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were done on the physical contact between children for each task and both age groups. During all activities, most 4-year-olds stood next to or in front of each other while holding hands and partners tended to make the same physical movement. Their movements were limited to within arm’s reach. It was also found that they didn’t come up with new movements or expressions through repetition. Their physical awareness seemed to be low and movements were rarely interactive. On the contrary, 5-year-olds used parts of their body in various ways to express the given task in detail showing the differences between each movement and image. It could be seen that they could use physical contact well to express the task in detail. From these findings, it could be said that 5-year-olds could see the body of others as an extension of their own body, and their movements were interactive as a result.

Key words: physical contact, physical expression activities, early childhood education, 4-year-old, 5-year-old