Body and Mind

//aarohilife.org/home/sites/default/files/IMG_20150729_085832.jpg

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, I, the Body and Kinesthetic intelligence, was much sought after. Warriors depended on me; craftsmen used me to create both articles of utility and beauty; dancers and dramatists added depth to culture; sport was the primary pastime, and many professions used hands dexterously to achieve and to perform. A lot of education was about developing my presence in each child. I was valued because people believed in the magic of hands and body. I was popular because people could create and perform with me. I was important because like other intelligences, my role was natural for a balanced human development.

We realize that when children are ‘making’, what comes out of that making is not as important as the act of making. The emphasis on the perfection of the outcome in the classroom has killed the very essence of doing and learning. So forget the outcome and get children to make:

But I am now losing importance. Hands do not create these days, machines do. People, especially educators and parents, are forgetting that for children ‘making’ things with their hands is fundamental to their mind’s development, that movement, hand and body skills, and body and mind coordination are intrinsic to learning, that it is time to ‘welcome’ me back in the class.

We used our body to express, dance and relate. One child who brought a song in sunshine asked us to dance in pair with – touching feet, wiggling middle toe. touching stomach, shaking shoulders, touch head to head and many more…pictures tell you the story.


Tags: