Monday, February 23, 2015

2015 Spring Term Week 7. Tatty Bumpkin’s Kid’s Yoga Activity for this Week is Penguin – A workout for the feet!

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

In this blog I:
  • Describe how to do a Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity with your child 
  • Give you reasons why the Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity is beneficial for your child 
  • Give you some ideas on progressions for the activity and games you can play around the activity. 

This week’s Tatty Bumpkin Yoga Activity is Penguin

Try to do Penguin pose with your child, or encourage brothers and sisters to join in, as: 
  • Children, especially younger children, learn new movements best by copying others
  • Research is now showing that young children bond with their parents and ‘key people’ not only through touch but also by moving with them.
  • Penguin pose is a great way to activate your own foot and ankle muscles. Remember do check with a health professional before doing the pose if you have health concerns. 
Waddling as a Penguin!
  • Find a clear space on a carpet or mat. Make sure you both have space around you so you are not likely to bump into anything! 
  • Start by taking your shoes and socks off. It is better and easier for your child to do Penguin pose pose barefoot as they will be able to bend their ankles and feet properly and will receive accurate sensory information through their feet. 
  • Start by standing up tall together and wriggling your feet into the carpet or mat – so you can really ‘feel’ your toes! 
  • Then rock back on your heels so your toes and the balls of your feet are off the floor. 
  • Keep balancing on your heels and see if you can shuffle forwards, backwards or even sideways together like penguins. 
  • Hold your arms into your sides and turn your hands upwards - like little penguin wings!

Want to make it Harder? 

Find a bean bag, soft ball or even a pair of rolled up socks and see if you can balance it on the top of your feet in Penguin pose – just like a penguin carrying an egg! 
Remember to use your common sense about what may be dangerous for your young child. Whilst they are playing with the egg props, supervise them closely and NEVER leave them unattended, or with another child.

Other Games to Play as Penguins 

Collecting Eggs – Penguin style! 
  • Gather a range of props which you can safely use as ‘eggs’ e.g. bean bags, soft tennis balls, rolled up pair of socks or sensory balls. Place them in the middle along with a few plastic bowls, baskets or trays of different sizes. 
  • Encourage your child to sit down, with their feet out in front of them. Guide them to put their hands on the floor behind their back so they can lean backwards onto their hands and lift their feet in the air. 
  • Once they have the idea of this movement – see if your child can pick up the egg props using only their feet. They will have to wrap their feet around the prop and use their hands to support themselves. 
  • Remember the cautions outlined above when using props. 
Gathering 'eggs'!
If your child is younger you can make the game easier by giving them something they can balance their egg prop on e.g. a wooden spoon or play saucepan. Then encourage them to place their egg prop into a bowl. 
This is a great activity for progressing eye-hand co-ordination and fine motor skills. 
Once again always use your common sense about what may be dangerous for your young child. Whilst they are playing with the egg props, supervise them closely and NEVER leave them unattended, or with another child.

Having fun with 'eggs' whilst developing fine motor (hand), eye-hand and concentration skills! 




Why Penguin Yoga Activity is ‘Good for Me’

Penguin pose will help your child to: 

1. Strengthen their tummy muscles 
As your child lifts the balls off their feet off the floor they will automatically be activating and strengthening their tummy muscles. Strengthening these muscles will help you children to be more stable and balanced in the sitting position and this will aid their fine motor skills. 

2. Progress their balance skills
As your child shuffles in penguin pose, with only their heels on the floor,  they will be gently challenging their balance skills as they try to keep themselves steady.

3. Gently stretch out their calf muscles
Penguin pose will give your child an excellent calf muscle stretch (the calf muscles are the ones running up the back of the lower leg). This pose is ideal, fun activity if your child has a tendency to walk on their tiptoes. 

4. Improve their co-ordination skills, especially eye foot co-ordination 
Waddling in penguin pose with the ‘egg prop’ on your feet is a fun way to improve eye hand and foot co-ordination skills! 

5. Strengthen their intrinsic foot and ankle muscles 
As your child picks up the egg props with their feet they will be actively using their foot and ankle muscles. It is important for your child to have the chance to exercise their smaller foot muscles, especially whilst they are barefoot. 


The Tatty Bumpkin Adventure this Week

Remember, for you and your child to gain the full benefit of all the Tatty Bumpkin Yoga and multi-sensory activities, find out about your local Tatty Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html. Or, ask your child’s nursery if they are doing Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity sessions as part of their day. 

Our qualified Tatty Bumpkin Teachers are fully trained in aspects of child development and Yoga and are kept fully up-to-date by our professional team of paediatric physiotherapists, Yoga teachers and musicians. All the Tatty Bumpkin stores are aligned to the Early Years Foundation Stage this means the sessions not only enhance your child’s physical skills they also develop their communication, social and thinking skills.

If your child is going to a Tatty Bumpkin class this week they will go on an adventure with Tatty Bumpkin to help the penguin’s make pancakes! On this adventure your child and will have a chance to: 
  • Improve their physical skills as they activate their foot and ankle muscles in penguin pose and balance in cockerel pose. 
  • Develop their imagination and thinking skills as they imagine they are penguins at the South Pole and think about what to put in their pancakes! 
  • Progress their communication skills as they listen to and follow the actions of Tatty Bumpkin Cockerel song and count the number of eggs they have collected. 
  • But most of all, your child will have fun with others as they make a giant trampoline altogether to bounce Tatty Bumpkin and the Penguin back to the South Pole! 
Bouncing Penguin home!!! 

A New Start with Tatty Bumpkin in 2015? 

Or, maybe, you are thinking of a new career for 2015, which gives you:
  • The opportunity to work with kids
  • A great sense of job satisfaction and
  • Flexible working to fit around your own family
Find out how you could be trained to deliver Baby and Tatty Bumpkin classes in your area at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/business/index.html


Love Tatty Bumpkin x 


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

2015 Spring Term Week 6. Tatty Bumpkin’s Kid’s Yoga Activity for the Week is Dolphin – A great way to strengthen key muscle groups!

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

In this blog I:
  • Describe how to do a Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity with your child or toddler 
  • Give you reasons why the Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity is beneficial for your child or toddler 
  • Give you some ideas on progressions for the activity and games you can play around the activity. 

Tatty Bumpkin Dolphin Yoga Activity 

Try to do dolphin pose with your child, or encourage brothers and sisters to join in, as: 
  • Children, and definitely those under 3 years, learn new movements best by copying the actions.
  • Research is showing that toddlers and young children bond with their parents and ‘key people’ not only through touch but also by moving with them.
  • Dolphin pose can help you to strengthen and tone tummy muscles.
    Remember to check with a health professional before doing the pose if you have health concerns and especially if you have back issues. 
Diving as dolphins!
  • Find a clear space on the carpet or a mat - make sure you both have space around you so you don't  bump your heads! 
  • Start by taking off your shoes and socks. Your child will benefit from doing dolphin pose barefoot as then they will be able to flex their toes properly and will receive accurate sensory information through their feet. 
  • Lie down on your tummy, with your child. Bend your knees up under your body so that you are resting on your forearms encouraging your child to copy you. Guide your child to clasp their fingers together in front. 
  • Together, rock forwards and backwards on your knees so you are moving your noses back and forth. Just like dolphin diving in the waves! See picture above. 
  • After doing the Dolphin Yoga activity, rest back on your heels and curl up in mouse pose To stretch your back the other way -– see picture below. 

Curl up in mouse pose


Dolphin Pose for Younger Children



  • Find some blue ribbons or lengths of fabric - ideally 2 for you and 2 for your young child. Make sure the ribbons are short enough so your child does not trip over them and they are not able to wrap them round their neck. 
  • Take off shoes and socks, for the reasons outlined above, and find a clear place to dance! 
  • Encourage your child to wave their ribbons up and down to the beat of the song, bending their knees and stretching up tall as they do so. Your child can also do this in sitting. 
  • Help your child develop their early communication skills by saying, “Your ribbon is up” as they wave their ribbons up in the air or “Your ribbon as down” as they wave their ribbon downwards  

Why Dolphin Yoga Activity is ‘Good for Me’

Dolphin pose will help your child to: 

1. Strengthen 'core' muscles for good posture and early writing skills
Dolphin Yoga activity will help your child to strengthen their ‘core muscles’ i.e. their shoulder, back, abdominal and hip muscles. Active and strong ‘core’ muscles lead to a good sitting posture. Dolphin posture focuses on the shoulder muscles, so this pose is especially helpful for aiding fine motor skills like writing.  

2. Regulate or manage their ‘levels of alertness’ 
As your child uses their muscles to lift their body off the floor and rocks their head back & forth in dolphin pose they will be stimulating their 'body senses' - this has a direct impact on their overall level of alertness. If they rock slowly, this can help your child to calm and 'oraganise' themselves, if they do faster rocks  this will help them become more  alert. 

3 Refine their visual tracking skills for classroom/whiteboard skills 
In dolphin pose your child will be looking up, straight ahead and then down to the floor - moving their eyes up and down. In the classroom, your child will have to move their eyes in a similar way - as they look up to the whiteboard and then down to a book. 



The Tatty Bumpkin Adventure this Week

Remember, for you and your child to gain the full benefit of all the Tatty Bumpkin Yoga and multi-sensory activities, find out about your local Tatty Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html. Or, ask your child’s nursery if they are doing Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity sessions as part of their day. 

Our qualified Tatty Bumpkin Teachers are fully trained in aspects of child development and Yoga and are kept fully up-to-date by our professional team of paediatric physiotherapists, Yoga teachers and musicians. All the Tatty Bumpkin stores are aligned to the Early Years Foundation Stage this means the sessions not only enhance your child’s physical skills they also develop their communication, social and thinking skills.

If your child is going to a Tatty Bumpkin class this week they will go on an adventure with Tatty Bumpkin to help the little dolphin learn to squeak! On this adventure your child and will have a chance to: 
  • Physically, develop their ‘core’ muscle strength as they swim as dolphins. 
  • Develop their imagination and thinking skills as they remember the instructions to the dolphin’s house and come up with own ideas on how to help the little dolphin to squeak!
  • Progress their communication skills as they talk about the things they would take with them to the beach and listen to the words of Tatty Bumpkin dolphin song. 
  • But most of all, your child will have fun with others as they row their boats and imagine they are a tickling octopus! 

A New Start with Tatty Bumpkin in 2015? 

Or, maybe, you are thinking of a new career for 2015, which gives you:
  • The opportunity to work with kids
  • A great sense of job satisfaction and
  • Flexible working to fit around your own family
Find out how you could be trained to deliver Baby and Tatty Bumpkin classes in your area at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/business/index.html

Love Tatty Bumpkin x 



Disclaimer: Sue Heron is a Certified Physiotherapist.  The advice given in this blog is not to replace medical advice from a physician or your paediatrician. Please consult their advice if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child. All activities are designed for complete adult supervision. Please use your own judgement with your baby or child and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to babies or young children. Never leave a baby or child unattended during these activities. Please be aware of, and follow all age recommendations on all products used in these activities. Tatty Bumpkin Ltd takes no responsibility for injury caused through actions taken as a result of using this blog. 

Monday, February 2, 2015

2015 Spring Term Week 5. Tatty Bumpkin’s Kid’s Yoga Activity for this Week is the Gloomy Cloud – a playful way to explore emotions.

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

In this blog I:
  • Describe how to do a Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity with your child or toddler 
  • Give you reasons why the Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity is beneficial for your child or toddler 
  • Give you some ideas on progressions for the activity and games you can play around the activity. 

This Week’s Tatty Bumpkin Yoga Activity is Gloomy Cloud

Try to do the Gloomy Cloud pose with your child, or encourage brothers and sisters to join in, as: 
  • Children, and definitely those under 3 years, learn new movements best by copying the actions.
  • Research is showing that toddlers and young children bond with their parents and ‘key people’ not only through touch but also by moving with them.
  • The Gloomy Cloud pose allows you to give time to how you are feeling – in a playful way.
A 'Gloomy Cloud' ...but not for long...
  • Sit in a comfortable position on the floor with your child. Think about gently straightening your back and letting your shoulders drop away from your ears so they feel relaxed. Encourage your child to copy you. 
  • Do a ‘sad’, 'gloomy' face together and imagine you are feeling sad all over - slump your shoulders and make your bodies droopy! 
  • Take a deep breath in and let the air out in a big sigh whilst puffing out your cheeks. 
  • Now imagine you are happy, sit up tall again, push out your chest and smile your biggest smiles at each other!
Happy Cloud!!

Progressions

Look in a mirror with your child and encourage them to do different facial expressions. Can you make a ‘cross’ face or a ‘shy’ face together? Did you know that if you make a smiley face and giggle, it makes you feel happy!


Happy/Sad Cloud Peek-a-boo!  

A good game for younger children. Find a clean handkerchief – this is your ‘cloud and play peek-a-boo with your baby doing different expressions. If your child is younger remember to use your common sense about what may be dangerous for them – and never leave them unattended if you feel they could harm themselves with the prop. 

'Cloud peek-a-boo'


Why Gloomy Cloud Yoga Activity is ‘Good for Me’

Whilst doing Gloomy Cloud pose, your child can:

1. Develop their communication skills
By taking the time to get close to your child, and encouraging them to look at your face, you will be supporting them to:
  • Look closely at people’s faces. This will help your child to understand the needs of other people as they get older. 
  • Focus on different facial expressions so they start to understand what they mean. Older children can learn the words for more complex emotions e.g. 'excited' or 'shy'   by having a go at the appropriate ‘face’. 
  • Listen to people. Listening skills are vital for young children so they can start understand the world around them and it is never too early to start! The Early Years Foundation Stage 2014 suggests that from the age of about 2.5 yrs - a child ‘Listens to others one to one or in small groups, when conversation interests them’.
  • Take turns. Being able to ‘take turns’ in a conversation i.e. speaking, then waiting for the other person to speak is another crucial social skill. 

2. Explore their emotions – especially their funny side! 
Recent findings highlight how humour is vital for our well-being and plays a critical role in building and maintaining relationships, emotional health, and cognitive function. http://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/5/1784.full.
Through using emotional gestures & words in symbolic play, your child becomes more aware of their own feelings & those of others, and can practise expressing their own feelings to others.  


Happy together!


The Tatty Bumpkin Adventure this Week

Remember, for you and your child to gain the full benefit of all the Tatty Bumpkin Yoga and multi-sensory activities, find out about your local Tatty Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html. Or, ask your child’s nursery if they are doing Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity sessions as part of their day. 

Our qualified Tatty Bumpkin Teachers are fully trained in aspects of child development and Yoga and are kept fully up-to-date by our professional team of paediatric physiotherapists, Yoga teachers and musicians. All the Tatty Bumpkin stores are aligned to the Early Years Foundation Stage this means the sessions not only enhance your child’s physical skills they also develop their communication, social and thinking skills.

If your child is going to a Tatty Bumpkin class this week they will go on an adventure with Tatty Bumpkin to help the Gloomy Cloud understand he can make everyone laugh! On this adventure your child and will have a chance to: 
  • Physically, develop their balance and co-ordination as they jump as horses and become cloud shaped frogs! 
  • Develop their imagination and thinking skills as they come up with own ideas on how to help the Gloomy Cloud and suggest animal shapes for him to be. 
  • Progress their communication skills as they listen, and follow the movements, to the Tatty Bumpkin ‘Sun Salutation’ song. 
  • But most of all, your child will have fun with others as they hop together as rabbit shaped clouds and whizz across the sky in a giant cloud train. 

A cloud train! 

A New Start with Tatty Bumpkin in 2015? 

Or, maybe, you are thinking of a new career for 2015, which gives you:

  • The opportunity to work with kids
  • A great sense of job satisfaction and
  • Flexible working to fit around your own family

Find out how you could be trained to deliver Baby and Tatty Bumpkin classes in your area at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/business/index.html


Tatty Bumpkin and the butterflies!

Love Tatty Bumpkin x