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! 

• Put on Tatty Bumpkin Dolphin song or a song with a good beat. You can download Tatty Bumpkin dolphin song from iTunes see https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/this-is-the-life/id376347823.

• 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.