Have a Go at Seahorse! Tatty Bumpkin’s Kid’s Yoga Activity for this Week. It will give you a lovely stretch - perfect after too many Easter eggs!

This blog is written for Tatty Bumpkin By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator at Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist 

In this blog we:

• 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's Yoga Activity for the Week is Seahorse

This week Tatty Bumpkin goes on an adventure under the sea to help the poor mermaid find her precious jewel, on her way she meets a group of seahorses ....  
Remember when you encourage your child to have a go at seahorse pose – try to do the pose with them or encourage brothers and sisters to join in. This is because:  

• Children, and definitely those under 3 years, learn new movements best by copying others.
• 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.
• Seahorse pose gives you the chance to gently stretch your own back and activate your tummy muscles. Do check with a health professional before doing the pose if you have health concerns. 

Swishing your seahorse tails!

• Find a clear space on the carpet or a mat to lie down with your child. Make sure you both have space around you so you are not likely to bump into anything! 

• Take off your shoes and socks. This is because you will be get more sensory information through your feet if you do the pose barefoot. 

• Start the pose lying on your backs then bend your knees up so they are pointing up to the ceiling. Keep the soles of your feet on the floor and spread your arms out to either side- like seahorse fins. 

• Then let your knees rock gently over to one side. As your knees roll over to one side – let your feet roll in the same direction – but keep them in contact with the floor. See picture above. 

• Slowly bring your knees back to the middle and then rock them both over to the other side. 

Note to adults – to protect your back only rock your knees over as far as is comfortable for you and if you feel any pain do stop. As you let your knees rock over to one side try to breathe out and tighten your tummy muscles. Take a few breaths with your knees over to one side, then breathe out as you rock your knees back to the middle. Remember to keep your feet on the floor – letting them roll side to side. 

Adaptations of Seahorse Pose

Younger children may find it hard to follow the seahorse movement. So, when doing this pose for the first time with your child, gently guide their knees over to one side and then the other (never forcing the movement). Once your child has the idea, and you are comfortable to do so, try to do seahorse pose yourself, then your child can copy you.  

Play Ideas - Make a Sensory Seahorse Garden!

If you find yourself inside this Easter why not have fun playing with your child in your very own underwater ‘seahorse garden’. This is a great way for your child to playfully work on their movement skills and refine their organisation of their senses. 

Ideas for your ‘Seahorse Sensory Garden’ 

Safety first - Always use your own common sense about what objects are safe for your child to play with and supervise them closely during their play. Never leave your child alone, or with another child, with any of the objects suggested below.  Carefully clear away any items which your child could hurt themselves on if they trip or fall. A good tip is to never put anything ‘soft’ or ‘uneven’  against anything ‘hard’ e.g. do not put the bath mat near to a table or chair – as your child might lose their balance  on the mat and hurt themselves on the table.

• Textured, anti-slip, bath mats – these encourage your young child to explore different textures with their hands and feet. 
• Blue and green ribbons (for seaweed) with little pots. Younger children will enjoy waving these and putting them in and out of the pots. 
• Lightweight blue material which your child can crawl under or you can use to drape over them to play peek-a-boo games! 
• Clean child nail brushes. Encourage your child to brush over their hands, arms and feet using these brushes. This game not only brings your child’s attention to different parts of their body – it also is great for developing early language skills i.e. can you brush your toes? 
• Different textured, coloured sea shells – rough and smooth - which your child can explore. Remember make sure these are a ‘safe’ size and always supervise your child as they play with them. 
• And, don’t forget, the great Tatty Bumpkin Dolphin song! This song is a great to listen to as you wallow in and swim around your undersea world. see https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/this-is-the-life/id376347823 

Playing in an Underwater Garden! 

Why Seahorse Pose is Good for Your Child 

As your child does seahorse pose they will have the chance to: 

1. Gently stretch out their back muscles 
Seahorse pose gives your child the opportunity to stretch out their back muscles, especially the muscles of their lower back. These muscles can get stiff and tight after sitting for long periods.  

2. Strengthen their tummy muscles 
As your child rocks their knees from side to side in seahorse pose they will be strengthening their tummy muscles - as they lower their knees down to one side and then bring them back up to the middle 

3. Increase their awareness of their ‘Midline’ 
As your child rocks their knees side to side they will be crossing the mid-line of their body. 
The mid-line is an imaginary line which runs down the centre of our body – separating our right side from our left – see picture below. An important part of physical development is learning to ‘cross the mid-line’ smoothly and in a coordinated way. Children need to cross their mid-lines to progress all sorts of basic skills such as getting dressed or learning to draw or write. 

The mid-line

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 under the sea to find the mermaid’s jewel. In this story your child will have the chance to: 

• Improve their physical skills as they rock their seahorse tails side to side or stretch out as starfish.

• Develop their imagination and thinking skills as they swim under the waves with the dolphins and seahorses and think how they can help the little mermaid find her jewel. 

• Progress their communication skills as they listen, and follow the actions, to the Tatty Bumpkin Dolphin song and talk about how it might feel to lose something. 

• But most of all, your child will have fun with others as they dance as dolphins, swish as seahorses and curl up as oysters!  

Love Tatty Bumpkin x 

A New Start with Tatty Bumpkin?  
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

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.