2013 Week 21: Tatty Bumpkin's pose for the Week is RAINBOW

By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist

The pose for this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is RAINBOW. In the sessions this week your child will go on an adventure with Tatty Bumpkin high into the shifting clouds. Sunshine follows a thunderstorm and it is time for the fairies to hang out their washing to make a rainbow ....

You can dream under a rainbow!

 

What RAINBOW POSE Looks Like 

 

 

Stretch your arms out wide and imagine a colour.

  

What to Tell Your Child

Lie on your back, with your arms stretched out to either side. Slowly, keeping your elbows straight, bring both your hands together up, above your chest, so your palms are touching. Just like the arc of a rainbow. Then push your hands away, taking them back down to the floor. Repeat the movement whilst saying the colours of the rainbow. 
Young children may find it hard to roll in a straight line may be due to a variety of reasons:

 

Want to make it harder?

Imagine it is starting to rain. Remain lying down and stretch both your hands above your chest. Point to the sky with your index fingers and then take them down to touch your nose one at a time. Just like raindrops falling on your nose. Repeat the action but this time see if you can do it with your eyes shut.

 
Note to parents: If your child is younger they will find it easier to copy you. Start sitting back on your heels with your child in the same position facing you, see picture below. Take your arms out to the side and bring your hands together above your head, encourage your child to copy. Then take your hands down to your sides back to the starting position. Repeat the action whilst singing the colours of the rainbow.

Holding a shower ring with short ribbons attached in each hand will add to the fun.

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

Rainbow pose will give your child the opportunity to:

• Stretch and activate their shoulder muscles

• Activate their tummy muscles: as your child raises their hands above their chest and takes them back down to their sides they will be gently using their tummy muscles

• Increase their awareness of their ‘midline’: your child will be taking their hands to and then away from their midline. Interestingly, it is quite hard for children to move their hands away from their midline & back down to their sides. These games working in the midline are great for developing pre-writing skills

• Develop their spatial awareness (proprioception): both rainbow pose and playing the ‘raindrop game’, especially with eyes closed, helps your child build up a ‘body map’.  This map tells them about the position of their body at any one time and is crucial for more complex skills such as dance, football & writing. 

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

All our classes are linked to the new 2012 EYFS framework meaning that your child will have the opportunity to progress in all areas of their development, giving them a truly holistic experience.

In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines to make the activities meaningful and to fire the imagination. Our poses, songs, rhythms and natural props ensure the classes are truly multi-sensory.

This week’s story is truly magical offering lots of opportunity for imagination. Tatty Bumpkin finds herself on a cloud. A storm is brewing and the cloud changes shape from a crocodile to a horse in the wind, what other shapes will it become? After the rain storm the sun appears and Tatty Bumpkin discovers she is surrounded by the Rainbow Fairies who are hanging out their washing. The washing will make the rainbow in the sky but one colour is missing, can Tatty Bumpkin help? She will need ideas form everyone!

Find your local Tatty Bumpkin class at  http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html

2013 Week 20: Tatty Bumpkin's pose for the Week is FISH

By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist

The pose for this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is FISH. In the sessions your child will go with Tatty Bumpkin and her friends to investigate the river. As she looks closely at her reflection in the water Tatty Bumpkin hears a ‘gobble, gobble’ sound, it is her friend the fish and he has a very special message ..... just for her…

 

What FISH POSE Looks Like!

 

Roll as a fish down the river!

Roll with a friend - it may be easier

Description

Lay out a strip of, ideally, blue fabric on a non-slip surface and pretend this is the river. Encourage your child to roll over and over down the river like a fish swimming, then to roll back the other way. See if you child can roll like a ‘pencil’ or ‘log roll’ i.e. with their arms above their head.

Young children may find it hard to roll in a straight line may be due to a variety of reasons:
lack of practice

• difficulty with planning the rolling movement

• interference from their ‘baby’ reflexes (primitive reflexes)

• their mature ‘postural’ reactions (balance system) not yet being fully developed

• muscles on one side of their body being slightly more active than the other side

• easily becoming dizzy due to their vestibular sensory system being either over active or underactive 

Usually, with practice, children quickly get the idea of rolling in a fairly straight line. If your child is older (4 – 5 years) and they are rolling very crookedly and maybe you are concerned with other aspects of their development you can always speak with your health visitor or G.P. 

Sometimes it is easier to roll with someone else, so encourage your child to try rolling with a friend, or you. Lie down next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, decide which direction to roll in and then roll over together. Rolling as a pair or in a group helps to slow the roll and this makes it easier; it’s also a great social activity.

Alternatively your child can roll with a group of friends to be a ‘conveyor belt’. For this game everyone lies down, shoulder to shoulder as before, place a soft toy on a child lying at one end, then the group has to pass the toy down the line just by rolling- no hands allowed!

 
Note to parents: If your child is younger they may enjoy rolling down your legs! Start sitting the floor with your legs out in front of you, guide your child to lie across your thighs keeping their arms by their sides and making sure their head is ‘free’. First rock your child side to side so they get the idea then gently roll them down your legs and back towards to you. 

 

Want to make it harder?

Rolling head to head – you and your child lie down facing each other with your arms above your head. Between you hold onto a soft ball or piece of fabric and roll. When rolling like this your child is not using their arms and hence it is harder to do. 

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

Fish pose will give your child the opportunity to:

• Develop their 'balance reactions’: as your child moves they are develop mature balance reactions, these are sometimes known as 'postural reactions' and keep us safely up against gravity. They are 'automatic' responses similar to reflexes

• Develop and stimulate their vestibular sense: the vestibular sense helps us to keep our balance. It also helps us to regulate our alertness levels. Hence when your child does fish pose they will be developing their sense of balance and in addition, the pose can either help them calm or become more alert. This will depend on how quickly they roll and how their body reacts to the movement

• Increase their awareness of their ‘midline’: as your child rolls they cross the ‘midline’ of their body again and again

• Strengthen their tummy and spinal muscles: as your child rolls from their back onto their front they will be largely using their tummy muscles, as they move from their tummy onto their back they will be using their spinal muscles more. As they are working these muscles alternatively and in quick succession they will be building up great co-ordination between these two muscle groups which is important for overall stability and balance

• Develop a mental map of their body: over time it is very important that your child builds up a picture in their mind of how their body parts relate to one another and work together. An accurate body map gives your child a deep inner confidence that they are able to tackle a wide range of tasks in different situations.

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

All our classes are linked to the new 2012 EYFS framework meaning that your child will have the opportunity to progress in all areas of their development, giving them a truly holistic experience

In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines, songs, rhythms and natural props to make the activities: ‘meaningful’ for your child, and to give them the opportunity to use nearly all their senses.  This ensures your child has choice and is supported in their learning.

In this week’s class your child can ‘have a go’ at fish pose as part of the ‘Funny Fish Flap’ event! Tatty Bumpkin finds her fish friend whilst she is investigating the river. He tells her about their annual ‘Funny Fish Flap’ where everyone has to make funny sounds, do funny faces and roll or swim in a funny way. Tatty Bumpkin will have lots of funny ideas but I am sure you can think of a few more. … So come along and join the fun!

Find your local Tatty Bumpkin class at  http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html

2013 Week 19: Tatty Bumpkin's pose for the Week is CRAB!

Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist
 
The pose for this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is CRAB. In the sessions your child will go with Tatty Bumpkin and her friend Crab to investigate the seaside summer fete, jumping in rock pools as they go. Which event will they enjoy the most: the coconut shy, the aeroplane roundabout or maybe the crab football match?

 

What CRAB POSE Looks Like 

Scuttle like a crab across the ground, snapping with your pincers!

Description (What to tell your child)

Sit down on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind you with your palms flat on the floor as well. Lean back slightly so you are leaning on your hands, then push up through your feet to lift your bottom off the floor. Now you should only be balancing on your hands and feet. Try to keep your bottom up off the floor so your body is flat like a table.

Note to parents: Younger children – Whilst your child is lying down, encourage them to lift their bottom off the floor. You will need to gently bend their knees and position their feet flat on the floor so they get the idea of pushing up through their feet to lift their bottom off the floor. To make this activity fun, pass toys under your baby’s bottom!

Be a little crab learning to scuttle!

Want to make it harder?

In crab position try walking like a crab, forwards, backwards and even sideways. Play crab football with your friends using a balloon!      

 

Can you score a goal in the crab football match?

  

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

Crab pose will give your child the opportunity to:

• Activate and strengthen their hip muscles. Crab pose is excellent for strengthening the gluteal muscles around the hip. If children become aware of these muscles early on and keep them active this will aid their hip stability and balance skills for sport. Active and strong gluteal muscles may even help prevent children adopting a ‘knock kneed’ standing and walking position in later life.

• Activate and strengthen their ‘shoulder’ muscles. Active shoulder muscles will help your child to control the weight of their arm for writing.

• Progress their spatial awareness skills (proprioception). Activities that provide feedback to the muscles and joints of the body’s position in space promote coordinated movement.  This is especially true for activities where muscles have to ‘work hard’ against a resistance. In crab pose your child will be working their muscles against gravity & their own body weight. Interestingly, these ‘work hard’ activities can help reduce hyperactivity in some children whilst helping other children who appear tired & floppy become more alert and engaged. 

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

All our classes are linked to the new 2012 EYFS framework meaning that your child will have the opportunity to progress in all areas of their development, giving them a truly holistic experience.

In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines, songs, rhythms and natural props to make the activities: ‘meaningful’ for your child, and to give them the opportunity to use nearly all their senses.  This ensures your child has choice and is supported in their learning.

In this week’s class your child can ‘have a go’ at crab pose and maybe crab football! It is the day of the seaside summer fete and Tatty Bumpkin with her friend Crab are off to investigate. They find plenty of exciting events; the coconut shy, the aeroplane, roundabout, the dog show and of course the famous crab football match! So come along and join the fun!

Find your local Tatty Bumpkin class at  http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html

2013 Week 18: Tatty Bumpkin's pose for the Week is SEAGULL

By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist
The pose for this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is SEAGULL; in the sessions your child will go on an a treasure hunt with Tatty Bumpkin, the seagull and the pirate. 

What SEAGULL POSE Looks Like!

Start sitting back on your heels so you can flap your wings up and down with confidence.

Description (What to tell your child)

Imagine you are a seagull! What kind of seagull are you? A noisy seagull, a quiet, tired seagull who has flown a long way or maybe a hungry seagull? Start either sitting back on your heels or kneeling up with your bottom off the floor, stretch your arms out to the side and flap them up and down with your elbows straight. Start with big, slow flaps then see if you can do quicker flaps without losing your balance! Now see if you can rock back forth like a seagull flying in a storm.

 

Want to make it harder? (What to tell your child)

Start in kneeling but this time bring one foot in front of you so you’re only balancing on one knee. In this position lean forwards whilst flapping your wings – like a seagull peering over a cliff. Then swap over feet.

Flap your wings out to the side like a seagull

Note to parents: Younger children - Do seagull pose with your child so they can mimic you. Your child will enjoy holding ribbons in their hands as they will be able to see their arm movements more clearly. Doing activities with your child is a great way to bond with them. Research shows that children, especially boys, bond with others when they move with them.


 

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

Seagull pose will give your child the opportunity to:
Activate and strengthen their ‘core’ muscles. Their hip muscles as they kneel up, their tummy and back muscles as they keep upright and rock back and forth, and their shoulder muscles as they move their arms up and down.
Progress their balance and co-ordination skills. Kneeling is quite a hard position for children as it requires mature balance skills, adding in the arm movements will also challenge their co-ordination. If your child is struggling to wave their arms up and down in kneeling guide them to sit back on their heels or even to just flap their arms in sitting. Once they have the idea then encourage them to do the harder positions.



 

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

All our classes are linked to the new 2012 EYFS framework meaning that your child will have the opportunity to progress in all areas of their development, giving them a truly holistic experience

In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines, songs, rhythms and natural props to make the activities: ‘meaningful’ for your child, and to give them the opportunity to use nearly all their senses.  This ensures your child has choice and is supported in their learning.

Hence through the magic of a Tatty Bumpkin class seagull pose becomes both a multi-sensory and an educational activity. In this week’s class your child will be encouraged to ‘have a go’ at seagull pose, either sitting back on their heels or kneeling up depending on their balance skills, flapping their wings up and down. The seagull has a map in his beak for everyone to investigate. It shows a pathway to the treasure however this leads past a lion's liar, past the dancing octopuses and over the stepping stones… Tatty Bumpkin will need ideas on how she can get past these obstacles!

Find your local Tatty Bumpkin class at  http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html

2013 Week 17: Tatty Bumpkin's activity for the Week is DINOSAUR!

By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist

The activity of this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is DINOSAUR; in the sessions your child will go on an adventure with Tatty Bumpkin to a 'land that time forgot' - where Dinosaurs roam!


 

What DINOSAUR POSE Can Look Like!

 
Dinosaur pose is a chance for your child to let their imagination run wild! Encourage them to explore different shapes.

 

 

How To Do It (What to tell your child)

Imagine you are a dinosaur! What kind of dinosaur are you?

• Are you a tall, thin dinosaur? Stretch your arms up high to eat the leaves from the trees

• Are you a big, heavy dinosaur? Stretch your arms out wide and stomp your feet on the ground

• Maybe you are a little dinosaur creeping on the ground? Creep on your knees and forearms keeping your elbows bent

• Maybe you have spines all the way down your back? Pat down your back with your hands or ask a friend to gently pat down your back for you! 

Note to parents: 

Doing activities with your child is a great way to bond with them. Research shows that children, especially boys, bond with others when they move with them. When you do different dinosaur poses with your child you will give each other ideas on different shapes so sparking creativity & imagination.

 

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

The various dinosaur poses will give your child the opportunity to:

• Develop their body awareness (spatial awareness). As your child discovers and explores the different shapes they can make with their body they will be building up a more accurate picture or ‘map’ of their body. A growing awareness of their body shape and how it is changing will give your child ‘body confidence’ and encourage them to tackle new activities

• Enhance their creativity and imagination. Giving your child the time and space to come up with new ideas for dinosaur shapes and to think of different ways their dinosaur might move or sound will nurture their creativity, imagination and independent thought. Support your child’s ideas by demonstrating dinosaur shapes of your own, as your child will also learn a huge amount through looking at others.

 

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

All our classes are linked to the new 2012 EYFS framework meaning that your child will have the opportunity to progress in all areas of their development, giving them a truly holistic experience

In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines, songs, rhythms and natural props to make the activities ‘meaningful’ for your child, and to give them the opportunity to use nearly all their senses. This ensures your child has choice and is supported in their learning.

Hence through the magic of a Tatty Bumpkin class Dinosaur activity becomes both a multi-sensory and an educational activity. In this week’s class your child will be encouraged to move their body into strange dinosaur shapes whilst stretching their hands up high to ‘munch’ leaves and using their feet to pick up fruit.

This week Tatty Bumpkin discovers she is in the land of the dinosaurs and, as summer is coming, the dinosaurs have arranged to go on a ‘Dino-picnic’ before stomping off to a ‘Dino- disco’! Tatty Bumpkin helps: the Stegosaurus to spread out the picnic blanket, the brontosaurus to set the ‘leaf plates’ on the blanket & the Raptor to put out the picnic fruit. Uh oh! The Tyrannosaurus wants to come too and he is very big and heavy. The beautiful picnic is in peril of being knocked over … Tatty Bumpkin will need all the help and ideas she can get to sort out this problem!

Find your local Tatty Bumpkin class at  http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html

2013 Week 16: Tatty Bumpkin's POSE for the Week is VOLCANO!

By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist

The activity of this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is VOLCANO POSE; in the sessions your child will go on an adventure with Tatty Bumpkin to investigate the ‘Rumbling Volcano’ and the mystery of the feather trail …

What VOLCANO POSE Looks Like

 

Be a sleeping volcano then spring up to be an erupting volcano!

How To Do It (What to tell your child)

Start curled up on the floor with your head tucked under your arms. Then quickly come up onto your knees spreading your arms out wide to ‘erupt’ like a volcano.

Want to make it harder?

Start squatting down low on the floor, balancing on the balls of your feet. Then quickly push up through your legs into standing & spread your arms out wide to be a huge volcano erupting! 

Be a huge, ginormous volcano! Whoosh!

 

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

Volcano pose will give your child the opportunity to:

• Strengthen their leg, arm & tummy muscles

• Progress their balance skills. As your child moves quickly up to kneeling or standing they will be refining their balance reactions. These reactions are important not only for sporting activities like football or dance but also for sitting in a good position to write

• Let off steam! The explosive movement of volcano pose allows your child to express their emotions. Hence this activity will make a great ‘movement break’ if your child is getting frustrated with a complex task or problem. Be careful though, do not do the pose too many times as then your child may find it hard to calm down!

Doing activities with your child is a great way to bond with them. Research shows that children, especially boys, bond with others when they move with them. Doing volcano pose with your child can be fun and give you the opportunity to strengthen your leg, arm and stomach muscles whilst letting off steam too!



 

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

Through the magic of a Tatty Bumpkin class volcano pose can become both a multi-sensory and an educational activity. In Tatty Bumpkin classes we always try to stimulate a variety of senses, to add to the fun, give choice & to help the learning process i.e. in the class this week your child will have the opportunity to creep with Lion and Tatty Bumpkin through the rainforest to Tatty Bumpkin Lion song, discovering a volcano of red and orange streamers!

We construct the Tatty Bumpkin classes to give your child the opportunity to both raise their ‘levels of alertness’ and to calm themselves, this prevents them from becoming either overexcited or bored, keeping them at the ‘just right level of alertness’ for learning.

All our classes are linked to the new 2012 EYFS framework meaning that your child will have the opportunity to progress in all areas of their development, giving them a truly holistic experience. 

Children love doing things together, by watching others they also learn a great deal – often finding out a better way of doing things.

Wrapping volcano pose inside a story, means your child will get involved in the story and find volcano pose and the other activities more meaningful and hence more fun to do.

This week Tatty Bumpkin finds herself deep in the rainforest. Above the sound of the parrots & monkeys she hears a distant rumble and wonders where it can be coming from? Tatty Bumpkin asks her friend Lion to come with her to investigate and along the way they discover a trial for feathers leading over a bridge … who can the feathers belong to? Will Tatty Bumpkin and Lion find out what is making the rumbling sound? Tatty Bumpkin needs help and ideas!
 
Find your local Tatty Bumpkin class at  http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html

2013 Week 15: Tatty Bumpkin's POSE for the Week is GROWING FLOWER!

By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist

The activity of this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is GROWING FLOWER POSE; in the sessions your child will go on an adventure with Tatty Bumpkin to rescue ‘Little Flower’ taking her away from the road building to a place where she can grow and flourish.

What GROWING FLOWER POSE Looks Like

Grow from a tiny seed into a beautiful flower. What colour are your petals?

How To Do It (What to tell your child)

Start by curling up in a tiny ball like a tiny seed. Make raindrop noises by drumming your fingertips on the floor in front of you. Now start to grow! Raise your hands above your head, with your palms touching. See if you can come up into standing without using your hands. Once you are standing up, spread your arms out to either side like flower petals and say ‘hello’ to the sunshine.  Now think about the colour of your petals – are they purple, red or spotted?

   

Younger Children- Note to Parents

Younger children may find it hard to stand up without using their hands. As an alternative they can stop growing in kneeling! In this position they can either sway side to side with their hands together above their head (see picture) or spread their arms out wide as petals.

Sway side to side as Little Flower in the wind.

 

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

'Growing Flower' pose will help your child to:

• Progress their muscle strength - when your child does this pose they will be strengthening both their leg & arm muscles

• Improve their core stability - as your child rises to standing they will be activating their core muscle groups i.e. their hip, abdominal & spinal muscles, as they spread their arms out wide they will activate their shoulder muscles

• Balance skills – growing flower pose gives your child a great opportunity to develop their balance skills as they rise from curled position to standing especially if they do not use their hands to help themselves up from the floor

• Imagination & creative thought – encourage your child to think about the colour of their petals and to imagine what kind of flower they are and where they are growing i.e. are they a jungle flower, a mountain flower or maybe a spikey desert cactus!

Doing activities with your child is a great way to bond with them. Research shows that children, especially boys, bond with others when they move with them. Doing 'Growing Flower' pose with your child can be both fun and give you the opportunity to activate your core muscle groups and strengthen your leg and arm muscles. 



 

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

Through the magic of a Tatty Bumpkin class 'Growing Flower' pose can become both a multi-sensory and an educational activity. In Tatty Bumpkin classes we always try to stimulate a variety of senses, to add to the fun, give choice & to help the learning process i.e. in the class this week your child will be encouraged to wriggle on their tummy whilst looking at and investigating the ‘Little Flower’.

We construct the class to give children opportunities to both raise their ‘levels of alertness’ and to calm themselves, this prevents them from becoming either overexcited or bored, keeping them at the ‘just right level of alertness’ for learning.

All our classes are linked to the new 2012 EYFS framework meaning that your child will have the opportunity to progress in all areas of their development, giving them a truly holistic experience. 

Children love doing things together, by watching others they also learn a great deal – often finding out a better way of doing things.

Wrapping ‘Growing Flower’ pose inside a story, means your child will get involved in the story and find ‘Growing Flower’ pose and the other activities more meaningful and hence more fun to do. This week Tatty Bumpkin finds herself by a busy road, with cars and diggers all around. In the middle of this mayhem she finds 'Little Flower' wobbling on top of a mound of earth and 'Little Flower' needs her help! Tatty Bumpkin, always the thinker, finds a way to rescue the flower, taking her to a beautiful cliff top home where she can grow big and strong and watch her friends the dolphins play in the waves below. As always though Tatty Bumpkin will need help and ideas on this rescue mission!

Find your local Tatty Bumpkin class at  http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html