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The paper is the second one in a series of articles dealing with issues of the development of character creativity in preschoolers, which we consider as a kind of play activity, when the figures of different characters engaging in the plots, are embodied using expressive movements and bodily plasticity. The article clarifies the similarity of character creativity with play (improvisation, performance of the role, etc.). The psychological and pedagogical conditions for the development of character creativity in children at age 3-4 are provided, which guarantee the development of basic visual-acting ideas about the simplest expressive opportunities of the language of movements for the embodiment of a character and “wordless” communication. The basic methodological principles of working with younger preschoolers are explained based on teaching them a language of expressive movements – through two main methods: the development of emotional-movement interaction and the development of the ability to embody different characters. Each stage of the work process in these directions is given: learning the simplest ways to embody different characters (from external acts and properties to internal qualities of the character) and communication by gestures with a game partner (a doll, an adult in the role of a character). The article gives a brief summary of the characteristics of additional methods helping to develop productive imagination, expressiveness of movement and elements of compositional creativity. The results of the development of character creativity in children at age of 3-4 are shown: different characters are embodied schematically through single movements indicating their actions; as well as through fragments providing a character’s emotions or a character’s plasticity through a complex combination of expressive movements of the hands, arms, legs, feet, head and body. The main result achieved by young preschoolers was the initial development of the ability to perform both meaningful and arbitrary expressive movements.

This article deals with issues connected with the development of character creativity in preschoolers. They give а short review of approaches to understanding the nature of expressive movement (in the field of psychology, psychophysiology, and art criticism). The definitions of key concepts are provided: (character, character creativity, performance and compositional creativity, etc.). Character movements are considered to be arbitrary expressive movements. For preschoolers, learning such movements supports the development of a wide range of abilities such as creative, communicative, and regulatory competence. The author explains the underlying principles of their methods for character creativity development in toddlers and preschoolers, which is based on teaching children the language of movements. This method is contrasted with the traditional approach to creativity development in preschools as exemplified by expressive (dance) movements.

The article presents the experimental methodology and findings of research on the possibilities and means of relationship improvement between preschool children in a peer group through developmental activities based on theatre material. The general principles of the developmental methodology, which aim to teach children the expressive creation of characters through the integrated use of theatre tools, are highlighted. These tools are facial gesture, pantomime, gestures, vocal intonations, etc., that convey the acts, characteristic motion , and emotions of the characters interacting with each other according to the plot, allowing the children to experience the whole character by relying on figurative movement with the “whole body”. The data from the control and experimental groups are contrasted in two ways: by creative and sociometric principles. The outcome of the analysis shows a significant improvement in the results of the experimental group, unlike the control group, where there was no difference. The opportunity to improve relationships in the peer group is proved, as well as the efficacy of the experimental methodology for child development through theatre activity as compared to traditional techniques.

The article shows how educators and instructors can utilize technology in physical training and sports during the pre-school educational process. It describes content and forms of information support for the development of cognitive performance in senior preschoolers after implementing the partial program “Let’s go to play in the yard,” as part of the basic educational program, designed upon an initiative of participants in the educational process. The findings focus on the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard for the integration of different types of children’s activities. The author highlights the characteristic for playing activities, and problem situations in terms of integration of cognitive and motor performance of preschoolers. The article demonstrates the research results of exploring short and operative memory, visual perception, and visual memory in the experimental senior preschooler group before and after the partial program module.