Sich frei bewegen / Freedom to move on one's own / Vrij bewegen / Mozgás és tevékenység

Healthy infants who are in harmony with their environment will enjoy movement from birth. Emmi Pikler recognized that gross motor development, when each step is initiated by the child, is proof of a “genetic program” in operation right from birth to acquiring the ability to walk.

This film offers a cross-sectional analysis: it shows how much activity, involving the whole body, is an integral part of children's everyday life. In long scenes, our attention is drawn to the quality of the movements and how movements affect the child's entire scope of activity, whether related to objects or adults around them. The scenes also illustrate the so-called "transitional" movements and postures, which allow children to move from one body position to another, as well as the ease with which they alternate between the various body positions. These allow for continuous activities and also create the basic conditions for children to be the initiators in their own environment. If adults (through observation, among other things) become aware of the importance of movement in the child's everyday life, that knowledge will have a profound effect on their relationship with the child and vice versa. A warm and safe relationship will allow children to find infinite joy in movement itself.