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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.