This week Tatty Bumpkin flies high in Seagull pose – let your little one spread their wings and challenge their balance skills

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 Seagull 

Be a big seagull on one knee (hardest!) 

Be a seagull sitting back on heels (easier)

In all the Tatty Bumpkin poses we encourage parents and carers to do the pose along with their child. This is because children learn a great deal from watching, they also ‘bond’ which other people when they are moving with them, and finally 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’re seagulls - what kind of seagulls are you going to be? Seagulls flying high – or maybe a noisy seagull? 

• Begin seagull pose sitting back on your heels or kneeling up with your bottoms off the floor.

• Encourage your child to stretch their arms out wide to either side and to slowly flap them up and down. 

• Guide your child to keep their elbows as straight as they can.  If they are able to do this – they will be working their core muscles- this is helpful for their gross and fine motor skills  see ‘why it is good’ bit at the bottom of this post) 

• Encourage your child to start by doing big slow flaps then see if they can do quicker flaps without losing their balance! If your child is finding it hard to keep their balance as the move their arms – try doing the pose sitting down. This pose is about doing accurate, controlled shoulder and arm movements as well as balancing!

Progression for Seagull Pose 

Guide your child to start the pose in kneeling and this time to bring one foot in front of them so they so they are balancing on one knee with one foot out in front. This position requires more balance. Now encourage your child to move their arms up and down to complete seagull pose. 

Younger Children

If you child is younger it’s best to start doing seagull pose sitting down as your little one will feel more stable and confident in this position and hence will be able to concentrate more on their arm movements. 
If you give your child two brightly coloured ribbons to wave up and down in each hand – this can be really encouraging as it will help them see their arm movements. Whilst they are playing with the suggested props supervise your child closely and NEVER leave them unattended, or with another child. 

Why Seagull Pose is ‘Good for your Child

Seagull pose will give your child the opportunity to:

1. Activate and strengthen their ‘core’ muscles
Your child will strengthen their hip, tummy and back muscles as they move into and maintain the kneeling position. They will also strengthen their shoulder muscles as they move their arms up and down to flap their seagull wings. 

2. Progress their balance and co-ordination skills 
Kneeling is quite a hard position for children as it requires mature balance skills and adding in the arm movements will further challenge their co-ordination. If your child is struggling to wave their arms up and down whilst they are kneeling - guide them to sit back on their heels or even to just flap their arms in sitting. Once they have the idea then encourage them to do seagull pose in the harder positions. 

Always start sitting back on heels or in sitting to get arms movements accurate and sure!

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 seagulls, pirates and scary octopuses!

• Develop their imagination and thinking skills as they imagine they are sailing on the seas and looking for treasure!  

• Progress their communication skills as they listen and wriggle their arms and legs to Tatty Bumpkin octopus song – and make suggestions on what to take for their Treasure Island adventure - a map, spade or some sun-cream? 

• But most of all, your child will have fun with others as they work together to row across the ocean and explore the Treasure Island! 

Tatty Bumpkin's Pirate Map - Top Secret!

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
• 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. 

Dai - Tatty Bumpkin Franchisee working in North London