2013 Week 26: Tatty Bumpkin's Activity for the Week is WORM!

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

The activity for this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is WORM! 

As the lightning flashes and the thunder claps Tatty Bumpkin heads underground with her friend Worm. She has to go right down on her tummy to wriggle through the worm hole, but soon she realises that if she uses her legs as well as her arms she can wriggle quite fast! The tunnel opens up into Worm Town and Tatty Bumpkin finds other worms hard at work building houses, roads and bridges. 

Then it is time for lunch, and the question is, ‘What do worms put in their sandwiches', any ideas?

 

What WORM Activity Looks Like! 

 

  

 

 

 

Start on your tummy then wriggle forwards like a worm!

 

Description – What to Say to Your Child

Lie on your stomach, with your legs bent slightly out to the side and your arms out in front. Bring your elbows under your chest so you are supporting yourself on your forearms. Now wriggle forwards like a worm using both your legs and your arms i.e. alternate between using your right elbow and left leg and your left elbow and right leg- commando crawling! (This alternating action of arms and legs is hard to describe, a demonstration is best!). Crawling under a dark piece of fabric can be fun, you can be a worm wriggling down a worm hole! 


Note to parents: Some children, and definitely younger children, will find it hard to bring in their legs into this activity. They might use their arms only and drag their legs behind them. This is fine as it will be strengthening arm muscles and it is better that they enjoy the activity rather than struggle to do both arms and legs and get frustrated! Practising the arm and leg movements whilst lying still may be helpful i.e. guide your child to lie on their stomach with their head facing the right side and with their right arm and LEFT leg bent, then ask them to look to their left whilst bending their left arm and RIGHT leg. See if your child can string several of these movements together. Keep returning to doing ‘worm’ encouraging your child to bring in their legs. 

 

Want to make it harder? 

Try to wriggle backwards and sideways too. Now try to wriggle with your eyes shut, remember worms cannot see!



 

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

Worm pose will give your child the opportunity to:

• Strengthen their ‘core muscles’. As your child wriggles in worm pose they will be strengthening their back, tummy, shoulder and hip muscles. Strength in these major muscle group will help your child develop a good ‘posture’ and refine their balance skills.

• Increase their brain’s awareness of their right and left sides. This is essential for skills such as writing and dressing which require the smooth co-ordination of the right and left sides and the arms with the legs.

• Develop their 'motor planning' skills. In worm pose your child’s brain will be processing information from several senses (touch, sight & their body senses) to produce a fairly complex movement. This sensory processing ability is crucial for motor planning i.e. the ability to learn new movements or do several moves in sequence e.g. skipping, dressing or writing and indeed wriggling!

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines to make the activities meaningful and to fire the imagination.

All our classes are multi-sensory comprising of:

• Adapted yoga poses and activities which both stimulate and calm the body senses

• Dedicated songs and rhythms which are relevant to the stories

• Bespoke hand-woven props to look at and feel. Tatty Bumpkin has its own range of fairly traded animal props to back up the yoga poses and bring the stories to life. Our teachers are supported to use natural props in the classes which are great to feel as opposed to smooth plastic

We have carefully linked each Tatty Bumpkin to the new 2012 Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Importantly supporting children to learn ‘how to learn’ not just focusing on what on they learn.

So … The Adventure This Week  ..

This week Tatty Bumpkin finds her friend Worm under the Giggle Tree and he invites her to visit his Worm Town. Tatty Bumpkin peers down the dark worm tunnel and feels a little nervous. Worm, however, is full of good ideas and suggests they try wriggling down a shorter, lighter worm tunnel first so Tatty Bumpkin can become a confident wriggler!

Success! It was a good idea of worm's and Tatty Bumpkin and worm wriggle confidently into Worm Town. Tatty Bumpkin is truly amazed by the activity; worms are building houses, worms are rolling roads, worms are even building bridges!
 

 

Build a bridge for the worms to wriggle under!

 

Roll a smooth worm road!

Then Tatty Bumpkin sees the 'Worm Airplane Display Team' taking off over the town. The little planes swoop down low and soar up high, doing rolls in the air whilst leaving trails of coloured smoke across the sky.

Be part of The Worm Airplane Display Team

After all the excitement it is definitely time for a sandwich, but the question is – ‘What do worms like in their sandwiches?’ If you have an idea Tatty Bumpkin would love to know!

This story gives your child an opportunity to:

• Practise wriggling on their tummy, using their arms and legs, and rising from squat to stand without using their arms – both these activities are great for increasing body strength, balance and co-ordination.

• Use their imagination to think and talk about possible house shapes they would like to build with the worms – could the houses be worm castles, worm flats or maybe worm bungalows?

• Play with their friends and ‘get creative’  to make a delicious sandwiches

• Talk about their favourite sandwich fillings!

 

"Now, what shall I put in my sandwich?"

"I know!"

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

2013 Week 25: Tatty Bumpkin's pose for the Week is GIRAFFE.

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

The pose for this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is GIRAFFE. 

It may be hot, but is it as hot as the African Savannah? This week Tatty Bumpkin is off exploring these african plains to visit her friends the giraffes. 

She finds the giraffes drinking round a leafy waterhole, stretching up high to nibble prickly leaves and then bending down low to drink the cool water. However all is not well! Baby Giraffe does not like prickly leaves. an Tatty Bumpkin help? She will of course need ideas!

 

What GIRAFFE POSE Looks Like 

 

Stretch up tall to nibble the prickly leaves

Bend down low to drink from the waterhole

Description – What to Say to Your Child

Put a blue piece of fabric in front of you, this is your waterhole! Stand with your feet apart and pointing slightly inwards. Stretch both your arms above your head and clasp your palms together. Then bend your knees a little and slowly bend forwards to drink from your ‘waterhole’ trying to keep your back and arms as straight as you can, you should be bending at only at your middle. If you cannot touch your waterhole with your fingers you may need to do what giraffes do, that is take your feet further out to the side. Imagine your thumbs are giraffe horns and give them a wiggle. Did you know that giraffes make very little noise but sometimes they cough or snort! 

 

Want to make it harder?

Bend forward like a giraffe drinking, as before, but this time see if you can gently push your giraffe ‘horns’ (your fingers) through your legs and wiggle them. You may need to bend your knees more to do this.

Note to parents

Be a giraffe with your child. Bend forwards carefully; you can protect your back by slightly turning your feet so they are pointing inwards, bending your knees and tightening your tummy muscles.

Remember doing movements with your child can help you 'bond' with them

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

Giraffe pose will give your child the opportunity to:

• Stretch their back and hamstring muscles. As your child bends forwards to drink in giraffe pose they will be giving their back and hamstrings, the muscles down the back of their thigh, a great stretch. Guide your child to do the actions slowly so their muscles have the chance to really stretch out. 

• Strengthen their back, tummy muscles and arm muscles. When your child bends forwards they will be using their tummy muscles to control the movement. As they straighten up your child will be strengthening their back muscles.  Throughout both movements, as they keep their arms straight above their head, your child will be strengthening their arm and shoulder muscles.

• Increase their awareness of their 'midline'. As they do giraffe pose, your child will move their hands up and down in the ‘midline’ of their body. The midline of the body is the imaginary line which separates the right side from the left.  Increased awareness of this ‘midline’ will help your child develop their co-ordination and hand skills i.e. dressing or writing skills. 

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines to make the activities meaningful and to fire the imagination.

All our classes are multi-sensory comprising of:

• Adapted yoga poses and activities which both stimulate and calm the body senses

• Dedicated songs and rhythms which are relevant to the stories

• Bespoke hand-woven props to look at and feel. Tatty Bumpkin has its own range of fairly traded animal props to back up the yoga poses and bring the stories to life. Our teachers are supported to use natural props in the classes which are great to feel as opposed to smooth plastic

We have carefully linked each Tatty Bumpkin to the new 2012 Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Importantly supporting children to learn ‘how to learn’ not just focusing on what on they learn.


 

So … The Adventure This Week  ..

This week Tatty Bumpkin explores the African Savannah. She finds her giraffe friends drinking from a waterhole and nibbling the prickly leaves of the Acacia trees.

One little giraffe does not like the spikey leaves and asks Tatty Bumpkin to help him find something else to eat. Tatty Bumpkin is always keen to help, so together they visit the elephants, but Baby Giraffe does not like the long grass they are eating. 

The elephants have long trunks to wrap round the long grass

Then it is down to the river to meet crocodile, but Baby Giraffe does not like fish either!

 

 

Crocodile snaps to catch his fish!

What does Lion eat they wonder? Cautiously they tiptoe through the grass to look for him. Lion is snoozing, as the two friends disturb him, he awakens with a roar! Baby Giraffe and Tatty Bumpkin take flight. As they hide behind a bush Baby Giraffe decides he would like to go home to his family, maybe he might get used to the prickly leaves.

This story gives your child an opportunity to role play the everyday situation of disliking some foods but still ‘having a go’ at trying new and different foods.

Your child will have the chance to:

• Talk about the foods they like and dislike

• Make suggestions on what the various wild animals might eat

• Play with others to be: giraffes drinking from a waterhole, elephants roaming over the grasslands and roaring lions.

At the end of the story everyone comes together to make the most delicious leafy fruit cake for the giraffe family.
 

Make a delicious leafy, fruit cake!

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

The World of Tatty Bumpkin

‘A Day in the Life’ of a Tatty Bumpkin Franchisee

Dai Alford, Tatty Bumpkin Franchisee in Winchmore Hill, North London, reflects on ‘What she does all day?’

“Yesterday someone who knows me well asked me, “Dai, what do you actually do all day?”
That got me thinking and I realised there was a lot to tell! This was my day yesterday.....
 

Breakfast time

As my daughters get ready for school I pack up my car, the ‘Tatty Bumpkin Mobile’.
This week’s Tatty Bumpkin story is all about the sea, so I fill my basket with multisensory props to help little imaginations spark:

• I have loads of sea shells, of amazing shapes and sizes, natural sponges, and interestingly nail brushes (the younger children love brushing their feet and hands with these).

• My home made, bubble wrap, jellyfish are always ‘a favourite’ with the children, their parents and teachers.

• Next to be packed are my blue, silky ribbons. The children love to ‘dive’ through these as we plunge into the waves on our sea adventures.

• And, of course, we have the sea! This is a large piece of blue fabric layered with different textures of blue organza. I have sewn fish, sponges, seaweed and waves intermittently onto it to make it more interesting (I always have a summer sewing project on the go when I take time off in August to be with my daughters).

'The Tatty Mobile'

 

After breakfast 

I take my girls to school and then drive on a little further to my first class of the day. 

This is a half hour Baby Bumpkin session in one of my local nurseries. By now the babies all know me well and I love seeing their smiles and waves as they recognise Baby Bumpkin and me. Indeed Harris flapped his little arms at me this morning which made me smile.
Half an hour later it’s on to my next Baby Bumpkin session, in the church hall. This class has been running for 3 years now and I love it because the atmosphere is so calm and ‘laid back’.
 
I make tea in a proper teapot and put out the biscuit tin to bring a homely feel to the class. If their baby is unsettled or just does not want to ‘join in right now’ parents can soothe their baby whilst they watch for a moment with a cuppa and a biscuit. Once their baby has settled then they rejoin the class, everyone feeling happier!
 
We always end the session with our Tatty Bumpkin ‘Om Mani’ relax song. I love being able to give busy mums and dads the opportunity to  take ‘time out’ - even if it’s just for five minutes doing  breathing exercises. Increasingly I realise how both the babies and the parents enjoy this time and benefit from it. Whenever I put the ‘Om Mani’ song on, I just see parents visibly relax.

Midday

I leave the mums and dads drinking their tea and head on to an amazing school who offer ‘After Lunch Tatty Bumpkin’ sessions to any child in their infant school who would like to do it. The session is always jam packed, and this week we dive into the ocean with Tatty Bumpkin to find some little octopi. 

Listening to the Sea!

We have such fun trying to make ‘Puffa Fish’ shapes with our bodies and there is just nothing funnier than seeing thirty children trying to copy my ‘funny fish face’ impression!

 

My Lunch time! 

I take a quick break to eat my lunch, and then it is off to my next nursery.
 

Afternoon

I run four sessions at this nursery: Baby Bumpkin, Young Tatty Bumpkin (two – three years olds) and two Tatty Bumpkin pre-school classes. 

The great thing about the story sessions is they can be easily adapted for different age groups. Hence in the Young Tatty Bumpkin class we all enjoyed crawling after my wind up crab toys as part of the adventure, while, in the pre-school classes, we spent more time with the mermaids and sea creatures.
 
Nurseries tell me they can see a real difference in the children’s behaviour and confidence after they have been doing Tatty Bumpkin for a while and I just love to see the children getting more body confidence. At the end of the sessions the children shout “We Love you Dai!” and so I’m reminded, yet again, just how lucky I am to have found this job.
 

Teatime

Afterschool club in an infant school is next, I spend an hour having heaps of fun whilst teaching twenty six children to be ‘Bendy, Giggle, Clever and Strong’. 

The other week a little girl from this class said to me “Oh no! I don’t want it to end!”  I always think that if I’m having fun then the children will be having fun too, so I enjoy going with the children’s suggestions, being as silly as a sausage at times! This week Tom wanted us to get on an underwater helicopter, so we did, the actions were wonderful! Children do have the most AMAZING imaginations.
 

 

                                      
Relaxing with the ducks!

I pick my daughters at 4.45pm and then we all go home for the juggle of dinner, baths, homework and bedtime.

Evening

Before I sit down in the evening I send a couple of emails to potential new nurseries and a do a quick phone call to the mum of a ‘birthday girl’ who has invited Tatty Bumpkin to entertain at her birthday party next week.
 
I also call Fran, my Tatty Bumpkin teacher who works with me. She has run Tatty Bumpkin classes today as well and I get ‘prop envy’ when she describes her homemade mermaid prop!
 
Finally I sit down with a glass of wine, with Facebook and Twitter on in the background for a little while. I catch up with some of the other ladies who also run Tatty Bumpkin franchises and do a little bit of social networking for my business.
 

Bedtime 

I’m in bed by 10.30pm; happy that I’ve had another great day at work, proud of myself that I provide a good income for my little family and looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow.
So I hope that answered your question “Dai, what do you do all day?” 

                                              In a nutshell, I’m busy having fun!”

2013 Week 24: Tatty Bumpkin's pose for the Week is 'A Choice!'

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

It is nearly the end of the summer term and Tatty Bumpkin is getting excited about her holidays! Before she goes, however, she decides to ask a few of her animal and insect friends whether they would like a bath. Tatty Bumpkin visits Cat, Dog, and the Bees, who wash their legs like a kicking horse before relaxing. Hence the pose for this week is a choice between cat, dog, horse and bee. Which will be your child’s favourite pose? 

 

 

Which Tatty Bumpkin Pose is your Favourite? 

 

Stretchy Cat

Waggy Dog

Kicking Horse

 

Buzzy Bee

Description – What to Say to Your Child

Cat Pose. Stretch out like a cat on your hands and knees. Gently arch you back up and down, Stretch out an arm ta wave your paw then see if you can stretch out your leg to wave a tail!

Dog Pose. Start on your hands and knees, curl your toes under and push your hips up into the air, straightening you elbows at the same time. Look to both sides and ‘bark’ at the cat!

Horse Pose. Start in dog pose, with your hands and feet on your mat. Keeping your elbows straight and your arms ‘strong’ and lift alternate feet off the ground like a trotting horse. If your arms are strong enough and you are concentrating, try to kick your heels up into the air – but be careful!

Bee Pose. Lie down or sit cross-legged. Do a gentle buzz. Cover your ears with your hands and buzz again, does the buzzing seem louder? Now cover your ears, close your eyes and buzz! Does the buzzy sound seem even louder?


Note to parents: If your child is younger, first show them the pose to give them the idea of what to do. Recent research highlights that children not only bond with their parents or main Carers through touch, but also through movement. So doing the poses with your child is not only ‘fun’ but is a great way to build your relationship with your child.

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

Cat pose. If your child choses cat pose they will be stretching out their back and strengthening both their tummy and spinal muscles. They will also be activating their shoulders and arm muscles, perfect for getting better at throwing and catching, dressing and even writing.

Dog pose. If your child has chosen dog pose they will be stretching out their back muscles and strengthening their tummy, shoulder and arm muscles just like cat pose.  Your child will also be stimulating their vestibular sense as they put their head upside down. This sense is often regarded as the ‘volume control button’ for the body, hence gentle stimulating this sense will gently ‘alert’ you child.

Horse pose. If your child has chosen horse pose, they’re adventurous! Your child will be strengthening their shoulders and arm muscles as they take their body weight though their arms and hands to trot and kick. In addition your child will be vigorously stimulating their vestibular sense (see above) and hence alerting themselves. Watch your child closely in this pose, not only because younger children may fall forwards but also because doing it too many times will lead to over-excitement.

Bee pose. Arrh! Nice relaxing bee pose, you your child will definitely be feeling calmer after doing this pose. Maybe the perfect pose for the summer.

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines to make the activities meaningful and to fire the imagination.

All our classes are multi-sensory comprising of:

• Adapted yoga poses and activities which both stimulate and calm the body senses

• Dedicated songs and rhythms which are relevant to the stories

• Bespoke hand-woven props to look at and feel. Tatty Bumpkin has its own range of fairly traded animal props to back up the yoga poses and bring the stories to life. Our teachers are supported to use natural props in the classes which are great to feel as opposed to smooth plastic

We have carefully linked each Tatty Bumpkin to the new 2012 Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Importantly supporting children to learn ‘how to learn’ not just focusing on what on they learn.

So … The Adventure This Week  ..

The sun is shining again and Tatty Bumpkin has packed everything she needs for washing creatures into her back pack, just to make sure the sun stays out, she does her Sun Salutation song.

Going into the farmyard Tatty Bumpkin meets Cat who stretches out a lazy paw to his special Cat song. Cat explains to Tatty Bumpkin that he can clean himself and shows her how he can cleverly clean his ears using his paw.
 

Can you wash your nose using your paw? Can you do this whilst squatting down?

 
Then up bounces dog who has leaves stuck in his fur. Tatty Bumpkin gives dog a good wash and he wags his tail in delight!

Filled with enthusiasm Tatty Bumpkin sets off across Wobble Farm and as she goes she sings her ‘cleaning song’. 

                                  Tatty Bumpkin version of a ‘Cleaning Song’
Sung to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat."  Do actions in sitting (younger), kneeling (older) or standing

                              “Wash, wash, wash your hands, (Rub hands together)
                                  Play our handy game. (Wave hands at each other)

                               Rub & scrub, & scrub & rub, (Rub, pat over body & head)
                                             Germs go down the drain.  HEY!”
(Children roll their forearms over & over in front of their chests starting up high & then rolling them down low. HEY – all do a high 5!)

HEY!

As she creeps through a meadow Tatty Bumpkin meets her friends the Bees. They show her how they can clean their back legs by rubbing one against the other. 

The Bees take her to their beehive where they use a special sticky wax to keep their rooms clean. Tatty Bumpkin is filled with wonder at the clever bees and happily joins in with their cleaning.

Look what we have collected!

A Buzzy Face!

Umm which creature would you like to wash with Tatty Bumpkin and how would you clean up the beehive?

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

The World of Tatty Bumpkin

Zoe Patmore, Tatty Bumpkin Franchisee in the Oxford area reflects on a recent Tatty Bumpkin class she led at her local primary school. 

Giving a child the opportunity to explore new places, even if it is only in their imagination, is something to be truly treasured, read on ...
 
 

Year One Pegasus Primary School Oxford go on a Sea Adventure with Tatty Bumpkin

 

“The sun had definitely got his hat on today at Pegasus School in Oxford when Tatty Bumpkin went to play with the year one students!

As ever their enthusiasm and amazing imagination had Tatty Bumpkin packing: a picnic fit for a king, her swimsuit and of course her wellies (just in case we found a puddle on the way).

Enjoying puddles!

Before we knew it we were spiders crawling down to the Giggle Tree with our faithful creepy crawly eight legged friend the spider.

Look! We can even blow Spider to the Giggle Tree!

After negotiating our way through the ever steadying Giggle Tree we found ourselves on the shore of a beautiful beach and the challenge to cheer up the poor mermaid was on! 

So off we went to explore the seashore finding treasures to make her a card. From slimy seaweed to arty starfish no pebble was left unturned!

 

How big a starfish can you be? 

Before we knew it we had created a card which indeed had all the splendours of a seaside! 

Pegasus Primary Oxford's Mermaid card.
Any child would happily loose themselves in such a card for hours on end

 Energy spent, we lay down and listened to the sound of the waves before our magical relax music took us safely back home to Wobble Farm.
 

Relax!

 At the end of our session one of the children came up to me and said:
 

 "I don't mind that I haven't been to the seaside before because now I have been with Tatty Bumpkin!"

Tears welled in my eyes and a lump came into my throat but I could not help but think ‘Job done!’”

Zoe Patmore Tatty Bumpkin Franchisee Oxford.

2013 Week 23: Tatty Bumpkin's pose for the Week is OCTOPUS

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

The pose for this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is OCTOPUS. Well we are in heat wave! So in the session this week your child will go on an adventure with Tatty Bumpkin to the seaside where the sand is hot and the rock pools are just waiting to be splashed in....

Jump in the rock pools - spish, splash!

 
However all is not well, Mermaid is very sad as she thinks everyone has forgotten her birthday. Will Tatty Bumpkin and her eight legged (armed) friends Spider and Octopus be able to save the day?

 

What OCTOPUS POSE Looks Like! 

 

 

With a friend or your Mummy or Daddy wave your eight octopus tentacles

Description – What to Say to Your Child

Sit back to back on the floor with a friend. Shuffle your bottoms forwards a little so you are leaning back against each other. Wave your arms in the air and then wave your legs – you’re an octopus with 8 tentacles!

 

Want to make it harder?

Sit back to back with a friend as before. This time, lean right back against each other so you can lift both your legs off the floor and balance on your bottoms.  Hint: You might have to shuffle your bottoms even further away from each other.  Now you can each wave all your arms and legs in the air at the same time! See if you can wave your arms and legs in turn to count out your 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 tentacles!


Note to parents: If your child is younger, first show them the pose to give them the idea of what to do. Then sit with your back against a wall with your child in front of you. Ideally sit in front of a mirror so your child can see their movements. First wave your arms and encourage your child to copy, then lean back against the wall so you can wave your legs in the air. Then encourage your child to lean back against you so they can also wave their legs in the air. 

Look eight tentacles!

Why it is ‘Good For Me’

Octopus pose will give your child the opportunity to:

• Progress their balance skills: as your child balances in octopus pose they will be refining their ‘postural reactions’ which form part of their mature balance system.

• Stretch and strengthen their hamstring muscles and thigh (quadricep muscles) – as your child bends and straightens their legs in octopus pose they will be both stretching and strengthening these muscles. The hamstring muscles run down the back of the thigh whilst the quadricep muscles are the powerful muscles at the front of the thigh. Both muscle groups, but especially the hamstrings, can get tight if children are growing quickly and sitting for long periods. As these muscle groups are the most important muscles for movement, if they are strong and supple your child will find running, jumping, walking up and down hills and steps easier and will be able to keep going for longer.

• Activate their tummy muscles: when your child waves their legs and arms in the air at the same time they will be working their tummy muscles really hard. Encourage your child to keep their arms and legs well forward in front of them, this will help them to find their balance and ‘wake up’ their tummy muscles.

• Develop their social skills: your child and their friend will be working together in octopus pose. They will have to trust each other that they will give each other support, but once they can do the pose together they will share the joy of achievement.  In addition, as they count their tentacles, they will improve their maths skills and learn about octopuses.

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines to make the activities meaningful and to fire the imagination.

All our classes are multi-sensory comprising of:

• Adapted yoga poses and activities which both stimulate and calm a child's body senses

• Dedicated songs and rhythms which are relevant to the stories

• Bespoke hand-woven props to look at and feel. Tatty Bumpkin has its own range of fairly traded animal props to back up the yoga poses and bring the stories to life. Our teachers are supported to use natural props in the classes which are great to feel as opposed to smooth plastic

We have carefully linked each Tatty Bumpkin to the new 2012 Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Importantly supporting children to learn ‘how to learn’ not just focusing on what on they learn.

So … The Adventure This Week  ..

The sun is shining and Tatty Bumpkin is hot so she decides to go to one of her favourite places – the seaside. She packs a picnic and I know she will love to have suggestions for sandwiches.

 

Will it be a cheese or ham sandwich today?

Once at the sea Tatty Bumpkin enjoys running over the sand and jumping in the rock pools with her friend Spider. Suddenly she hears crying from a nearby pool, it is Mermaid.

Mermaid or Merman swish their tails and brush their hair

Tatty Bumpkin finds out that Mermaid is sad because she thinks everyone has forgotten her birthday. She thinks fast and remembers her friend Octopus, with his eight arms, who is very good at making things. Bravely she sets off across the ocean, with Spider, to look for him

Row your boat over the ocean. If you see an Octopus, don't forget .. we need his help!

Can you imagine how excited Spider is to meet Octopus – they both have eight legs or is it arms? The two friends cannot resist dancing and waving to Tatty Bumpkin’s Octopus song. Then, fully refreshed and inspired, they set about making the most amazing birthday card for Mermaid. 

What would be on your card?

I’m sure everyone would love to ‘have a go’ at moving, wriggling and waving to Tatty Bumpkin's Octopus song and I know everyone will have lots of ideas on where the shells, stars and seaweed shapes should go on the birthday card. 

So come on, put on your swim suit, slap on the sun screen and head off to the beach with Tatty Bumpkin.

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

The World of Tatty Bumpkin

Sarah Grice of Tatty Bumpkin Worthing reflects on a recent Tatty Bumpkin session. 

Tatty Bumpkin and the Funny Fish Flap!

As a Franchisee in west Sussex I deliver Tatty Bumpkin sessions in a range of places. It’s amazing just how inclusive and engaging the sessions are for all children.

Every week I deliver a session at a school for children with learning and physical needs, currently I work with a class of boys who are on the autistic spectrum.

The boys thrive on the routine each session has and engage with the multisensory props and the music.
 
They are now so good at our warm up and breakfast routine that they show their carers and other pupils how to do the Tatty Bumpkin 'Bendy, Giggly, Clever and Strong' song.

One of the pupils likes to tell me what we are doing next, "Cock-a-doodle-doo, wake up song and then breakfast". Indeed, at the last session, his teacher said to me, "If you ever can't make a session I'm sure he will lead the class for you!”
 

Tatty Bumpkin is woken up by the cockeral, does her 'Bendy, Giggly, Clever and Strong' song and then has breakfast.

Wake Up

Bendy, Giggly, Clever and Strong!

Which breakfast cereal shall we have today?

Last week the Tatty Bumpkin 'Funny Fish Flap' story made for some great moments. 

Firstly the children all had fun expressing themselves and choosing how to roll. They were challenged to roll from a small to a big shape this meant they had to use more control and concentrate on how their body was moving. 

Then they all thoroughly enjoyed making funny noises as it was a chance to let of steam and have a laugh in a safe space. 

Finally the best bit for me was their willingness to make funny faces whilst wearing funny wigs. 

Everyone at the school is so impressed to see what the children can do physically and how they engage with the stories - they wish I could come every day and so do I! 

Having fun making funny faces in another class

 

Which funny face would you be?