This week Tatty Bumpkin is in the land that time forgot - Dinosaur pose lets your child stretch their imagination and their body!

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. 

In the Tatty Bumpkin classes this week Tatty Bumpkin finds herself in the land that time forgot! Dinosaurs roam under strange looking trees...but ....they're friendly dinosaurs - and have invited Tatty Bumpkin to the strangest picnic ever!

Settle down to a dino-picnic!!

Why not have a go at Dinosaur pose at home and make your own dionsaur picnic. Research shows that if children have a chance to explore different foods, with all their senses, before they are asked to eat it they are far more likely to have a taste - http://bit.ly/1wHnXMk. 

We need to explore food safely - with all our senses!

Tatty Bumpkin Dinosaur Yoga Activity 

What kind of 'dino' are you??

In all the Tatty Bumpkin poses we encourage parents and carers to do the pose along with their child. Children learn a great deal from watching, they also ‘bond’ which other people when they are moving with them, and it gives you a chance to have a break and a stretch!

Pose Pointers! 

• Firstly find a non-slip mat or an area of carpet where you can both do the pose. Make sure you both have enough room around you to avoid bumps and knocks. 

• Take off socks and shoes as its far better to do the poses with bare feet. Barefoot your child will slip less and will be able to do the pose more accurately. Interestingly we rely on sensory information passed up through the soles of feet to balance.  

• Now imagine you are both dinosaurs! What kind of dinosaurs are you going to be? 

• Are you tall, thin dinosaurs? Stretch your arms up high to eat the leaves from the trees.

Tall dinosaurs

• Or are you big, heavy dinosaurs? Stretch your arms out wide and stomp your feet on the ground...

Stomp, stomp!!

• Maybe you're little dinosaurs creeping on the ground? Creep on your knees and forearms keeping your elbows bent...

Creeping under those weird trees! 

• Or maybe you have spines down your back? Take turns with your child to pat down each other’s backs - great for body awareness. 

Spines on the back!

Why Dinosaur Pose is Good for Your Child

The various dinosaur poses will give your child the opportunity to:

1. Develop their body awareness (spatial awareness)
As your child discovers and explores the different shapes they can make with their body they will be building up a more accurate picture or ‘map’ of their body. A growing awareness of their body shape and how it is changing will give your child ‘body confidence’ and encourage them to tackle new activities.

2. Enhance their creativity and imagination
Giving your child the time and space to come up with new ideas for dinosaur shapes and to think of different ways their dinosaur might move or sound will nurture their creativity, imagination and independent thought. Support your child’s ideas by demonstrating dinosaur shapes of your own, as your child will also learn a huge amount through looking at others. 

So ....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 (England) and  the Curriculum for Excellence (Scotland) 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 have the chance to: 

• Improve their physical skills as they move in different ways as dinosaurs and explore the dinosaurs’ picnic!

• Develop their imagination and thinking skills as they imagine they are in a land from long ago - thinking about what the trees may look like and what kind of dinosaur they are going to be. 

• Progress their communication skills as they listen and dance to Tatty Bumpkin songs at the 'dino-disco' and share their dinosaur ideas. 

What is a dinosaur's favourite song? Roar by Katy Perry? 

• But most of all, your child will have fun with others as they work together to make a delicious dinosaur picnic!

Any one for a leaf burger? 

Love Tatty Bumpkin x

A New Start with Tatty Bumpkin?  

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

• The opportunity to work with kids and to have fun!
• A great sense of job satisfaction 
• Flexible working to fit around your own family - be there for school pick ups ..

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.