PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative/Feasibility (142)

The arts are central to quality early childhood programs. Experiences in the arts commonly attract and sustain children's involvement and provide opportunities for individualized creative responses. This research project investigated the implementation of arts games (structured play experiences based on drama, music, dance, and movement) into the curriculum of an urban Australian day care center. Ten games were chosen for each of two classrooms, one containing 2-year-olds and the other 4- and 5-year-olds, and teachers were allowed to introduce the games as they wished over the six-week study period. Games for 2-year-olds included "follow the sound, " "pass the ball, " and "What does the cow say?" Games for older children included "imitate the fall " and "musical hoops. " Evaluation forms were completed by the teachers each time a game was played. Results showed that the games were easily adopted into the classroom, contributing to children's skill development and enjoyment. The teachers, who were initially uncomfortable with their skills in arts activities, found the games a manageable way to initiate such activities and gained confidence in the use and modification of them. (Contains 8 references.) (EV) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document