In this 'Baby Bumpkin Blog' I will focus on a multi-sensory activity you can try with your baby at home and explain some of its benefits (see last section of the blog).
Please remember though, for your baby to gain the full benefit of all our Baby Bumpkin Yoga and multisensory activities, it is always best to find your local Baby Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html.
Our qualified Baby Bumpkin Teachers are fully trained in aspects of baby development and baby Yoga and are kept fully up-to-date by our professional team of paediatric physiotherapists, Yoga teachers and musicians.
Or, maybe, you are thinking of a new career, which gives you:
- the opportunity to work with kids
- a great sense of job satisfaction and
- flexible working to fit around your own family?
Each of our Baby Bumpkin adventure is carefully linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) focusing on the three prime areas of early development: emotional and physical development and communication. In this story your baby will have the chance to develop and refine their:
- Physical skills e.g. ‘foot play, as they do the Baby Bumpkin Yoga Crab Pose.
- Early communication skills by looking at and responding to key gestures i.e.
- Feeling ‘happy’ with Baby Bumpkin as he finds himself on a lovely beach.
- Feeling ‘excited’ with Baby Bumpkin and Crab as they head off to the ‘Fun Day’ and have a go at ‘Crab Football’
- Sense of rhythm as they move with you in Crab pose to the Baby Bumpkin Crab song.
- Early fine motor (hand) skills and eye – hand coordination as they ‘have a go’ at reaching out for bubbles in the coconut shy!
The Baby Bumpkin Multisensory Yoga Adventure This Week ..
World Cup fever is breaking out on Wobble Farm! But it is football like you have never seen before … it is Crab Football at the 'Seaside Fun Day'!
This week Baby Bumpkin finds himself at the beach – one of his favourite places. After jumping in rock pols and looking for Starfish he comes across a little crab…
Crab invites Baby Bumpkin to the local seaside ‘Fun Day’ – there are aeroplane rides, a dog show of course Crab Football!
Crab Pose For Younger Babies
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| Little Crab goes snap, snap!! |
Description of Pose
N.B. Remember, when you are doing the poses with your baby, never force the movements and keep looking at your baby to make sure they are comfortable. If you feel any resistance, or your baby becomes unsettled, do stop. Once your baby has settled, gently try the pose again, perhaps making clicking sounds or using a toy to distract them. If your baby remains unsettled, do not persist with the pose instead ask your Baby Bumpkin teacher for advice.
Usually babies start to find their feet from about 4-5 mths of age. Often they will first learn to touch their right foot with their right hand and their left foot with their left hand. Of course, we are all different, hence your baby may start to play with their feet at about 3 mths and they may never be interested in their feet. However, as the foot play has many benefits, it is a good idea to 'introduce your baby to their feet'. With this in mind always let your baby have time to play on a mat on the floor barefoot and without their nappy on. Often a bulky nappy can restrict your baby’s hip movements and make foot play difficult.
This adaptation of Crab pose is ideal if your baby is 4 mths old or younger and is still learning how to control their middle and hip areas.
- Settle your baby on their back in front of you on a mat on the floor. Take off their booties or socks so they are barefoot and ideally take their nappy off as well!
- Smile and make sounds at your baby so they are looking at you and holding their head in the middle. If your baby is under two mths old you may wish to use a small rolled up towel arched around the top of their head, or a specific head support, to help them to keep their head in the middle. Remember not to leave your baby alone on the floor with anything which may cover their nose and mouth and only use head supports in this way for short periods so your baby does not become reliant on them.
- Gently take hold of your baby’s right forearm with one hand, just above their wrist. Using your other hand hold their right leg, just above their ankle.
- Then carefully bring your baby’s right hand and right foot together above their body. To do this your baby will have to bend their hip and knee, and take their knee out to the side in a frog-like position. Be careful not to force this movement, remember some babies may still be a little stiff in their spines or hips.
- Once your baby is touching their foot with their hand – encourage them to explore their feet with their fingers by stroking their hand over their foot for a few seconds.
- Slowly bring your baby’s hand and foot down to the mat and repeat the pose this time taking their left foot to their left hand.
- Repeat the pose a few times on either side. As your baby gets the idea, see if they can do more of the pose by themselves.
- Gently guiding both their hands over their body towards one foot. This pose is a little harder for your baby as they have to take one of their hands over the middle of their body (their midline).
- Gently rocking them side to side whilst holding them in the position above. Your baby is likely to enjoy small rolling movements in this position as their back is in a more curled, rounded position. This movement is the precursor for rolling – see ‘Why it is Good for Me’ section.
- Doing the actions whilst your baby is supported on your lap.
Crab Pose for Older Babies
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| Crab - Foot play! |
Description of Pose
This adaptation of Crab pose is suitable for your baby if they are about 4 mths – 5 mths or older. At this age your baby may well have discovered their feet. Increased flexibility in their hip, knee and shoulder joints and increased strength in their middle means that they can enjoy holding both their feet with both their hands at the same time – true foot play.
- Settle your baby on their back in front of you on a mat on the floor. Take off their booties or socks so they are barefoot and ideally take their nappy off as well as this will allow them more freedom to move their hips!
- Remember to smile and make sounds at your baby so they are looking at you and holding their head in the middle.
- Gently take hold or your baby’s forearms and lower legs and guide their hands towards their feet over their body.
- Encourage your baby to investigate their toes with their fingers by stroking their hands over their feet.
- As your baby grasps their feet with their hands – praise them – by smiling at them and making encouraging sounds.
- Keep looking at your baby to make sure they are enjoying the game. If so, repeat Crab pose several times with your baby. As they start to get the idea of the movement see if they can start to play with their feet by themselves.
- Gently rocking them side to side as you hold their hands to their feet or their hands to one foot. Your baby is likely to enjoy small rolling movements in this position as their back is in a more curled, rounded position.
Other Games to Play in Crab Pose
Snapping Crab Claws!
This is a great ‘starter’ foot activity for younger babies as it helps them to become aware of their feet.
- Settle your baby on the floor on their backs as above.
- Gently take hold of each of your baby’s legs just above their ankles and carefully and slowly clap their feet together.
- As soon as your baby’s feet touch make a funny face or sound – this helps your baby become more aware of where their feet are and what they are doing! Your baby is likely to find the combination of the movement, the feel of their other foot and your sounds and faces really funny. In addition, you are helping your baby to learn about their body using all their senses.
- Aid early communication skills by saying “open” as you take your baby’s feet apart and “close” as you bring their feet together.
Why Crab Pose is Good for Your Baby
As you do Crab pose with your baby, you will give them a chance to:
Develop their Body Awareness or Proprioception
When your baby is born they have to learn about the shape of their body – where it starts and finishes and how it moves in space. Your baby will mostly do this through a body sense called ‘proprioception’. This sense is activated through the stimulation of ‘proprioreceptors’ deep in our muscles and joints. As we move and twist our body and stretch and bend our legs and arms we are continually stimulating this sense. As your baby touches their feet with their hands in Crab pose they will be stimulating and refining their proprioception sense in their hands and feet and hence building up a more accurate picture of their body.
Learn ‘Foot Play’ skills for Rolling and Foot Development.
From about 4 mths, whilst lying on their backs, your baby may be able to touch different parts of their body with their hands. At this age they may be able to reach down to touch the top of their thighs with their hands – this action not only develops their hand muscles but also strengthens their tummy, hip and shoulder muscles.
Between 4–5 mths your baby may well have developed sufficient control in the middle of their body and their hips so, whilst lying on their back, they can bring their legs up over their body and reach forward to touch their lifted feet with their hands – foot play.
A Word on Foot Play
Foot play has many benefits for your baby:
- As your baby curls their body up to play with their feet, they will be activating and strengthening their hip and tummy muscles – strengthening these muscles is good preparation for sitting.
- In foot play your baby will be rounding their back against the floor – this puts them in an ideal position to start rolling either onto their side or completely over onto their front.
- As your baby holds onto their feet with their hands and bends and straightens their knees they will be stretching out their hip and hamstring (the muscles running down the back of their thigh) muscles. Naturally stretching these muscle groups through active play is important preparation for sitting and standing.
- As your baby plays with their feet they will be activating and naturally stretching out their delicate foot muscles in preparation for sitting, crawling and of course standing. It is amazing how much your baby will rely on their feet not only for standing but also for crawling and sitting.
A Word on Foot Wear
The only reason to cover your baby’s feet before they are walking is to keep them warm. Hence in the summer months your baby may not need to wear socks – a blanket may be enough on colder days. Shoes are definitely not needed!
During their first year, your baby’s feet grow quickly, so it is better not to put their feet in anything which constrains them. Remember to keep even socks fitting loosely – try to not end up stuffing your baby’s feet into socks which are too small as your baby needs that extra room to wriggle their feet and toes.
SO THIS SUMMER REMEMBER ‘FOOT PLAY’ and ‘BAREFOOT’ is BEST FOR YOUR BABY!’
Love Baby Bumpkin x
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