The pose for this week in Tatty Bumpkin classes is PEACOCK. In the sessions this week your child will go on an adventure with Tatty Bumpkin into the jungle where the monkeys are dancing, the snakes are slithering and a shy peacock is hiding his tail …
What PEACOCK POSE Looks Like!
 |
| Start with your knees bent then see if you can stretch your feet up into the air. |
 |
| Carefully take your feet out to either side then move them back into the middle. |
Description – How to Guide Your Child
Lie on your back, keeping your feet flat on the floor, bend up your knees so they are pointing straight up in the air. Now allow your knees to fall out to the side a little way and bring them back to the middle – just like a peacock opening and closing his tail.
Want to Make it Harder?
Lie on your back. This time tighten your tummy muscles and try to keep your back on the floor while you lift your feet up into the air above your chest. When your feet are in the air gently straighten your knees as much as you can. Slowly take your feet a little way out to either side and once again bring them back to the middle. Repeat a few times. Think about how the peacock’s tail looks very dull when it is closed but is amazingly beautiful when it is open. What is special about you that may be hidden?
Note to parents: If your child is younger, first show them the pose to give them the idea of what to do, then gently guide their knees out to the side so they can feel the movement and then do the pose with your child so they can copy you.
Why it is ‘Good For Me’
Peacock pose will give your child the opportunity to:
- Stretch their hip muscles – as your child gently takes their knees out to either side and back to the middle they are stretching the muscles around their hips
- Stretch their hamstring muscles – if your child does the more advanced peacock pose with their knees straight they will also be stretching their hamstring muscles. These are the muscles at the back of the thigh & often get tight if children are growing quickly and sitting for long periods. Tight hamstring muscles could cause your child to sit poorly as they may have a tendency to ‘scoot’ their bottom forwards when they are sitting in a chair to relieve the ‘tightness’
- Activate their tummy muscles: as your child raises their legs above their chest and takes them down a little way to their sides, they will be using their tummy muscles
- Increase their awareness of their ‘midline’: in peacock pose your child will be taking their legs away and then towards the midline of their bodies. Awareness of their midline will help your child build up their ‘body map’ or picture of how their limbs & body work together. A good body map is really helpful for more complex skills
- Develop their imagination and self-confidence: as your child does peacock pose, firstly encourage them to think about the colour of their beautiful feathers. Then encourage them to think about something about themselves they like, something as beautiful as a peacock’s tail. Remember it may be something that most people do not see. Do they like their clever fingers, their wavy hair, their smile, their eyes, their jumpy legs or their kindness to their friends?
Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun
In Tatty Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines to make the activities meaningful and to fire the imagination.
Our classes are truely multi-sensory as they comprise 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.
The Story This Week ..
The shy peacock story has the underlying message that we all have ‘something’ or ‘some ability’ we can be proud of.
Tatty Bumpkin finds herself in the jungle and is startled by a ‘squawk’! It is the peacock who is shy about his voice. Tatty Bumpkin takes peacock to meet some jungle friends. After swinging through the trees with the monkeys, who use their long fingers and toes, and meeting the snake, with no legs, who uses his body to wriggle into different shapes, peacock realises that he should think about his beautiful tail and his voice will warn others of danger.
Find your local Tatty Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html
No comments:
Post a Comment