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Art and Eco Therapies: Benefifits to Motor Development of Preschool-Age Children in the Screen Era

Lesley University

DigitalCommons@Lesley

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses, Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences(GSASS)

May 4, 2021
Tatiana Miranda Orama
Art Therapy
Carla Velázquez García

Tatiana J. Miranda Orama

Lesley University, tatiana.miror ‘at’ gmail.com

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Recommended Citation Miranda Orama, Tatiana J., “Art and Eco Therapies: Benefits to Motor Development of Preschool-Age Children in the Screen Era” (2022). Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. 459. https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/459

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences (GSASS) at DigitalCommons@Lesley. It has been accepted for inclusion in Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Lesley. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected].

  1. Art and Eco Therapies: Benefifits to Motor Development of Preschool-Age Children in the Screen Era
  2. Abstract

Abstract

In the highly technological society we currently live in, children are spending more time in front of screens instead of engaging in play or spending time in nature. Screen time has increased significantly in the past year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Excess screen time poses a threat to the motor development of preschool-age children. The fields of art therapy and ecotherapy have theoretical and practical groundings that make them an alternative to traditional therapies in the area of skill development and deficit prevention for children’s motor skills. This study focuses on the benefits that art therapy and ecotherapy can have on the motor skill development of preschool-age children. A literature review was conducted to find the benefits of art therapy and ecotherapy concerning the motor development of preschool-age children. Existing research indicates that art therapy and ecotherapy individually and together (eco-art therapy) have benefits in the area of child motor development and well-being. These benefits can serve as protective factors and help mitigate the negative impact on motor development of preschool-age children that are associated with excessive screen time.

Keywords: art therapy, ecotherapy, eco-art therapy, nature-based expressive therapy, preschool children, motor development, motor skills, screen time, green time.

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