Humour in a holistic learning process in a preschool setting: Unique soft toys and stories inspired and further developed by children's sense of humour.

This study aims to examine the learning outcomes among preschool children of a holistic artsbased learning process in which humour was the core theme. The study involved 17 preschoolers, who were given the task of working both collaboratively and individually and designing a soft toy supported by a story that would make other people laugh. The results suggested that humour and a variety of activities make an inspiring formula for holistic artsbased learning. Humour, in the case of the children's activities, meant creating incongruence and surprise. The soft toys the children created were funny, well-meaning characters with comical features. Children seemed to recognize the significance of cheering other people up; in this respect, girls were more product-oriented than boys. Craft-making with the ingredient of humour motivated the children and gave them story ideas. Additionally, the stories highlighted the meaningfulness of the soft toys to the children. The collaborative phases of the learning process helped children to come up with ideas for their story, as well as get feedback on these ideas. The individual phases, on the other hand, gave the children enhanced opportunities to express their own ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]