Enhancing children’s motor creativity: A methodological pilot study

Abstract

Motor creativity is widely recognized as a component of physical literacy, encompassing the ability to adapt movement by generating original and functional solutions to motor challenges in dynamic environments. Positive challenges that encourage exploration and the discovery of action possibilities can promote enjoyment while providing physical and sport-related benefits. Accordingly, the primary aim was to examine the effectiveness of a motor creativity program in enhancing cognitive and motor creativity among young gymnasts as well as their self-efficacy and enjoyment. Thirty-four beginner gymnasts (5–8 years), participated in this study and based on their availability to participate in the additional weekly lesson they were divided into experimental and conventional group. The first one attempted to an experimental training program for 2-month. Before and after the intervention, Bertsch’s Test of Motor Creativity (1983), Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT; Torrance 1988), Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale and Self Efficacy questionnaire (Morano et al. 2019) were administered. Separate repeated-measures Intervention × Time ANOVAs examined whether creative intervention group, compared to traditional one, showed pre–post changes in motor creativity, creative thinking, PA self-efficacy, and PA enjoyment. A repeated-measures Intervention × Time MANOVA was applied to motor creativity dimensions (fluency, flexibility, originality). Results showed that experimental group showed significant improvements in overall motor creativity, as well as in fluency and originality. Additionally, only the experimental group showed a significant increase in enjoyment. This study underscores the necessity of adopting nonlinear methodological approaches in both educational and sporting contexts to foster the development of creative potential, which is fundamental to the process of physical literacy.