Tatty Bumpkin’s Seagull Pose - A Core Stability Favourite for School Readiness Skills

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

Tatty Bumpkin's Yoga inspired seagull pose has plenty of benefits for your child – many of which will help them feel ready for big school.

• Seagull pose helps your child to develop their natural core stability 

As part of their natural development your child will gradually be gaining stability around their ‘core’ – or the middle area of their body. 'Core stability' is essential for writing, dressing and sporting activities, because complex movements of the arms and legs rely on being stable in the middle. Good core strength and stability arises when back, tummy, shoulder and hip muscles are active and strong. As you will see below you can do seagull pose in a number of ways - this means your child can start with one adaptation and then progress onto the more complex when they feel ready.

Think of the 'core' muscles like an apple's core!

• Seagull pose will help your child refine their awareness of their body shape and how it moves

As adults we can change our body position automatically. For example, we don’t have to think too hard to move from sitting to kneeling. For young children changes of position still require cognitive thought. See how hard your 3-5 year old has to think to move quickly from a sitting to a kneeling position or into the crawl position just by copying your movements. 

The more chances children have to practice these changes of position the easier it becomes. This is partly due to your child building up a map of their body in their brain- their ‘body schema’ and using this as a guide for any new movement. As your child refines their body schema they will naturally feel much more confident about their body – so important especially if they are feeling a little overwhelmed by big school.

Enjoy feeling confident in your body!

• Seagull pose stretches muscles groups which can be prone to tightness.

Oh dear – the pull of the mobile phone, IPad or TV can be strong and unfortunately these gadgets encourage your child to sit in a slumped position with their shoulders hunched and drawn in. 

However, this can be counteracted by guiding your child to do a few activities throughout their day which encourage a good stretch. Seagull pose will prompt your child to stretch their back muscles and those across their chest

• Seagull pose will give your child another movement opportunity during their day

Did you know children aged 5 years and under should be active for 3 hours a day http://www.bhfactive.org.uk/earlyyearsguidelines/index.html and children over 5 years need to have at least 60 minutes of activity daily https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/507158/CYP_infographic.pdf

At first this can sound daunting – however do remember every minute of activity counts! You might be surprised how soon 3 hours is reached, Seagull pose will encourage your child to be active for at least 10 minutes – maybe more!

• Seagull pose can be FUN!

Let’s face it some exercise can be pretty boring and unexciting for children. However, if you are being a seagull on a pirate’s shoulder – this is altogether a different matter!

Tatty Bumpkin’s Seagull Yoga Activity

Try to do seagull pose with your child, or encourage brothers and sisters to join in, as: 

• Children,  definitely those under 3 years, learn new movements by copying others.
• Research shows that young children bond with their parents and ‘key people’ not only through touch but also by moving with them.
• Seagull pose will give you a chance to stretch out your own tight muscles and to activate those tummy and shoulder muscles!

• Find a clear space on the carpet or a mat to do seagull pose with your child. Make sure you both have enough space to stretch your arms out wide.
• Take off shoes and socks. Your child will benefit from doing seagull pose barefoot, then they will be able to bend their toes and feet easily and will receive accurate sensory information through their feet.
• Start seagull pose sitting back on your heels, or sitting with your legs crossed. Encourage your child to stretch their arms out wide to either side – really focus on this so your child stretches their muscles and feels how far their body can reach. 
• Once your arms are out wide - you're BIG seagulls with BIG wings - guide your child to move their arms up and down. Encourage your child to do this fairly slowly, with control, then they will be really using their shoulder, upper back and tummy muscles. Talk to your child about flapping your beautiful big wings as your fly across the sea. Maybe you have to fly over a rough waves so you need to do BIG flaps! 
• If your child loves pirates, you can be a pirate’s pet seagull.

You are big, strong seagulls - with big wings out wide!

Seagull Pose Progressions

• If your child is confident doing seagull pose in sitting – guide them to kneel up so their bottom is off their heels or the floor - this is called high kneeling. High kneeling is quite a complex position for your child (but they will be refining their body schema and balance skills as they do it!) so you may have to show them a few times. 
• Guide your child to flap their big wings in high kneeling. As your child does this adaptation they will be activating their whole 'core' - their shoulder, back, tummy and hip muscles.
• If your child is older (4-5 years) they may want to have a go at doing seagull pose with one foot forward – or in a half kneeling position – see picture below. As they flap their seagull wings in this position they will be activating their care muscles even more.

Half kneeling -  Hard to do!

If your child finds these progressions difficult and they unable to do big, wide wing flaps go back to the the previous position. It is much better to do this pose accurately.

Love Tatty Bumpkin x

The Tatty Bumpkin Adventure this Week

If you would like to find out about your local Tatty Bumpkin classes do visit our web page http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html.

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 and the Curriculum for Excellence this means the sessions not only enhance your child’s physical skills they also develop their communication, social and thinking skills.

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. 

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