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