2014 Term 4 Week 5. Tatty Bumpkin's Pose for the Week is Bear!

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

Find your local Tatty or Baby Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html and have a go at Bear pose with your baby, toddler or child at home – see details on the pose below.

The Adventure This Week ..

Wriggling through the Giggle Tree blossom

This week Tatty/Baby Bumpkin wriggle out from under a Giggle Tree, covered with spring blossom, to find them-selves in the mountains right in front of a big, dark cave. Who might live there?

The bear family of course!

The baby bear cubs tumble out of the cave and roll over and over on the grass in the spring sunshine. However their minds soon turn to food, after the long winter sleep, so off they head, down the mountain trail, to look for some lovely, ripe berries. All the while keeping an eye out for mountain lions …

What other mountain creatures might Tatty/Baby Bumpkin and the bear family meet? Why not find out at your local Tatty or Baby Bumpkin class …

In the ‘Mountain Bear Story’ your child will have the opportunity to -

1. Progress their balance skills and activate their ‘core’ muscles - as they stomp in bear pose, wriggle in snake pose, crawl down the mountain tunnel and jump in rabbit pose.
2. Develop their fine motor skills (hand movements) - as they explore the spring flowers in the bear's cave.
3. Use gestures or words to express their thoughts i.e. Feeling

‘A bit worried’ along with Tatty Bumpkin as she peers inside the cave
'Hungry’ and ‘itchy’ with the baby bears
‘Cheeky’, ‘playful’ and ‘bouncy’ with the mountain rabbit
‘Strong’ with the mountain lion

4. Develop their sense of rhythm and co-ordination skills - as they stamp as bears to the ‘Mountain Bear’ poem and wriggle as snakes to the Tatty Bumpkin Snake song.
5. Have fun with their friends whilst being: tall mountains, hungry bear cubs, sliding snakes and bouncy rabbits. Crawling together through the mountain tunnel and snuggling up in the bear cave.

Bear Pose for Children and Toddlers

Bear pose for older children

Bear pose for toddlers

Description of Bear Pose (For Parents)

If your child is about 3 or 4 years old they will be relying on vision a great deal to learn new movements so ideally do bear pose yourself so they can copy you. Also research is increasingly showing that children bond with their parents through movement as well as touch. However if you have do back problems do not bend over as far as is suggested below – rather stomp as a bear whilst standing more upright.

Guide your child to stand on the floor or mat opposite you.

Stand with your legs about hip width apart and bend forward from the waist to grasp the back of your legs, just below your knees, with your hands.

If your child is younger, or a toddler, bend forward from your waist and just put your hands on your thighs above your knees. Encourage your child to copy you – see picture.

Now 'stomp' forwards as a bear, keeping hold of your lower legs with your hands or keeping your hands on your thighs. Once more encourage your child to copy you.

Guide your child or toddler to take big steps and to ‘stamp’ with their feet in bear pose – to help them progress their balance skills.

Growl as bears as you move around the room.

After a taking a few bear steps – straighten up to stretch out your back.

Want to Make it Harder? Progressions in Bear Pose

Encourage your child to see if they can walk backwards or sideways in bear pose.

Other Games to Play in Bear Pose

‘The Teddy Bear’s Picnic’. Imagine you and your child or toddler are going on a teddy bears’ picnic:

You start in the forest, with the leaves hanging down low. Play a peek-a-boo game with your child using pieces of green fabric or green streamers or even a leafy twig.

Hide behind a leafy twig ...

Then you walk with the bears through the wood to find the perfect picnic spot. Do Bear pose with your child round the room or garden.

Eventually you find a lovely shady spot for your picnic. Place a sheet or piece of fabric over two chairs to make your very own bear cave and wriggle underneath it together.

Inside your bear cave ..

At last you settle down to have your forest picnic. Maybe find a toy tea set or similar, roll onto your tummies and imagine you are having a picnic! Remember it is still good for your toddler or child to lie on their tummy every so often as they will be strengthening their shoulder and back muscles.

Picnicing your the cave!

The Bears Go over the Mountain!
Make a little obstacle course for your child or toddler round a room or the garden. Carefully clear away any items which your child could hurt themselves on if they fall. Ideally encourage your child to do the course in bare feet – so they get clear sensory information from the soles of their feet. Also try to do the course with your child as much as possible.
If your toddler is younger, keep your obstacle course simple so they do not get discouraged, as they gain confidence you can add more challenges.
Things you could use for the course include:

Cushions. Scatter these round the room, making sure they are on a non-slip surface. Your toddler will love the challenge of stepping on and off them.

Bath mats. Ideal, as they are usually non-slip and often are interesting textures. You may wish to put them over the cushions. If your toddler has bare feet they will have the extra sensory experience of feeling the texture of the mat through their feet.

Strips of interesting material. Fold these into a narrow path for your toddler to walk down (make sure you put them on a non-slip surface). You can get some amazing fabric offcuts from some fabric shops.

Pieces of lighter fabric or sheets. Drape these over several chairs to make a little tunnel for your toddler to crawl through.

As you stomp round in Bear pose you can sing the song:
“The bear goes over the mountain, the bear goes over the mountain, the bear goes over the mountain …
To see what he can see!
And all that he can see, and all that he can see, is ..
The other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain is … All that he can see!”

Why the Bear Pose is ‘Good for your Child or Toddler’

As you do Bear pose with your child or toddler you will give them a chance to:

1. Progress their walking balance skills.
Toddlers - You may notice that when your toddler starts to walk on their own, they tend to hold their arms out in front and lift their shoulders up towards their ears. This is how they initially keep their balance.
Your toddler may also try to take quick steps in an effort to keep their balance and will probably frequently fall into your arms - this will probably not discourage them and, with plenty of opportunity to walk, they will gradually become more stable. You can help your toddler keep their balance as they walk by giving them something to look at and aim for – maybe their favourite toy held up in front, at their eye level.
As your toddler becomes more confident in standing they will experiment with seeing how far they can ‘reach’ with their legs and feet. At first, your toddler will find it hard to reach forward with one leg to take a big step in Bear pose as not only will they have to balance on one leg for a moment but they will also have to control their stepping leg.
Older children – As your child takes big, slow steps in bear pose they will be balancing on one leg for a short time. Taking big steps is an ideal way for your child to start to learn about standing on one leg.

2. Develop their body awareness. As your child takes big steps in bear pose and moves under, over and onto the various obstacles in the bear hunt game, they will be learning more about their body; where it starts and finishes and what they can reach with their arms or legs. It is important for your child to have an up-to-date image of their body in their mind as they will be using this as a reference when they move or try new activities.

3. Progress their movement planning skills. New little movement challenges, which your child attempts by themselves, will progress their physical skills and add to their experiences. As your child ‘has a go’ at moving in different ways to do the obstacle course in the bear hunt game, they will have to keep ‘problem solving’ and ‘planning what to do next’. Your child will build on these planning skills when they attempt to do tasks which involve a sequence of movements i.e. washing themselves or dressing.

Bear Pose In Sitting or ‘Bear Sitting on a Log’ - Older Babies

Bear rolling on a log!

Description of Pose

This adaptation of Bear pose is suitable if your baby is about 6 mths or over and are wanting to play in the sitting position. However do try doing the younger version of Bear pose with your baby in lying to encourage foot play. See below.
If you do Bear pose with your baby in front of a mirror they can then see how they are rocking from side to side. Alternatively, ask a partner to sit in front of your baby holding up a toy bear or a piece of furry fabric.

Find a comfortable place to sit on the floor with your baby. You may find it comfortable to sit up against a wall so your back is supported.

Stretch your legs out in front of you and place your baby in sitting on your thighs. Support you baby by placing one hand on their chest and your other hand on their shoulders or upper back. If your baby is younger, and needs more support:

1. Keep your legs together underneath them – so your baby has ‘more to sit on’.
2. Place your hands higher up your baby’s body i.e. your ‘front’ hand might be on their
upper chest and your ‘back’ hand might support their shoulders and neck.

If your baby is older, you can challenge their sitting skills by:

       1. Moving your legs apart so your baby is just sitting on one of your thighs.
       2. Holding your baby lower down their body i.e. if your baby is 6 mths or older they may
   only need support round their hips.

Now slowly roll your thigh(s) from side to side and then bend and straighten alternate knees to lift your thighs slightly off the floor one at a time. Your baby will now experience gentle rocking movements back and forth and side to side. As your baby rocks guide and reinforce their movements with your hands. Start by moving your legs slowly and just a little to give your baby confidence.

If your baby is enjoying the rocking movements – gradually increase your thigh movements so they can experience slightly larger rocks in all directions.

Do two or three rocks and then let your baby rest for a few seconds. The rocking action can be stimulating for your baby so you do not want to do too many rocks in a row!

As you do the pose you can recite the ‘Bear goes over the mountain’ poem to your baby (see below) or make growling sounds. Remember as you talk to your baby or make sounds at them – give them time for them to respond to you as this promotes early communication skills.

As your baby ‘gets the idea’ of rocking forwards and backwards and side to side, give them time to see if they can start to get back to the upright position by themselves i.e. as your tip them gently backwards, wait and see if they can start to bring themselves forwards into the upright sitting position. This encourages your baby to develop mature balance skills.

If you are doing Bear pose with your baby with the help of a partner – encourage them to wave the bear toy/fabric in front of your baby. Start by holding the toy/fabric just out of your baby’s reach so they look at it. This will help their sitting skills as your baby initially uses their vision to keep their balance in sitting. Then hold the toy/fabric closer to your baby and encourage them to reach for it. As your baby reaches out they will strengthen the muscles in their arms and middle.

Why Bear Pose is 'Good for You and Your Older Baby'

As you do older Bear pose with your baby sitting on your lap you will give them a chance to:

1. Progress their sitting skills. From about 5 mths your baby may be able to sit on the floor using their arms to prop them-selves up – this is a great skill to encourage. However if you continue to play games with your baby, like Bear pose, whilst you support them in sitting, this allows your baby to use their arms and hands in a more functional way as they reach out for toys. Unlike a car seat or high chair you can adjust your hands to provide your baby with the perfect amount of support they need at that time i.e. not too much or too little.

2. Develop their balance skills. As you gently rock your baby side to side and back and forth in Bear pose, give them time to react to the movement. See if they can start to get back to the upright position by themselves. In this way your baby can practise their mature balance skills for sitting.

At about 6 mths your baby will probably still lose their balance if they shift their weight too much to one side in sitting – this is because they are not yet able to prop sideways on one arm to ‘save’ them-selves. However they may well be able to put their hands out in front to save themselves from falling forwards.
At around 8 mths you may notice your baby is learning to put their hands down to their sides to stop themselves from falling sideways.

3. Gently stimulate their body senses. As your baby rocks from side to side and back and forth in Bear pose they will be stimulating their ‘body senses’. This stimulation not only helps them develop their movement skills (as discussed above) but also helps them to control their levels of alertness. The rocking movements of Bear pose can either help your baby to rouse themselves if they are a little drowsy or, if done slowly and just in a forwards and backwards direction, to calm down. Do not rock your baby for too long as it will overexcite and eventually upset them.

Bear Pose In Lying - Younger Babies

Baby bear!

Description of Pose

N.B. Remember, when you are doing the poses with your baby, never force the movements and keep looking at your baby to make sure they are comfortable. If you feel any resistance, or your baby becomes unsettled, do stop. Once your baby has settled, gently try the pose again, perhaps making clicking sounds or using a toy to distract them. If your baby remains unsettled, do not persist with the pose, instead ask your Baby Bumpkin teacher for advice.

This adaptation of bear pose is ideal if your baby is about 6 mths or younger and is still happy to play games on the floor!

Settle your baby in lying on a mat in front of you and gain good eye contact with them.

Gently take hold of one of your baby’s forearms with one hand and their opposite lower leg (calf) with your other hand.

Then guide their two opposite limbs towards each other over the middle of your baby’s body. So, for example, guide their left hand and right foot towards each other. Do not force the movement but if your baby is comfortable they can feel their right foot with their left hand – foot play.

Slowly take your baby’s hand and foot back to their sides.

Now swap sides i.e. gently take hold of your baby’s right forearm and grasp hold of their left lower leg.

Gently guide your baby’s right hand and left foot towards each other over the middle of their body as before. Once again, do not force the movement. If your baby is comfortable encourage them to explore their left foot with their right hand.

Slowly bring your baby’s foot and hand back to their sides and give your baby a hug!

Repeat the movement several times on both sides.

As you do bear pose with your baby you can make gentle growling sounds or recite the “The bear goes over the mountain” poem to your baby.

As your baby ‘gets the idea’ of the movement – wait and see if they start to do part of the action by themselves. You may have to support your baby to start with but then they may ‘take over’ for a bit. Smile and encourage them – as this is the start of them doing things for themselves!

Support your baby to reach up for their feet with their hands (foot play) by themselves by tucking a piece of furry fabric between your baby’s toes and then lifting up their foot so they see the fabric and are encouraged to reach for it!

Why Bear Pose is ‘Good for You and Your Younger Baby’

As you do younger Bear pose with your baby you will give them a chance to:

1. Activate their shoulder hip and tummy muscles. As your baby curls up their body and reaches for their feet with their hands in bear pose they will be strengthening many of their muscles but especially their tummy and shoulder muscles.

2. Stretch out their back and hamstring muscles. Bear pose gives your baby the chance to gently stretch their:

Lower back muscles – as they bring their shoulders and hips up off the floor.
Hamstring muscles (the muscles at the back of their thigh) – as they stretch their feet up into the air.

3. Become more aware of the ‘midline’ of their body. As your baby reaches out to feel their feet with their hands they will be doing so in the middle part of their body. The midline is an imaginary line down our body which separates the left side of our body from the right, see picture. Your baby first becomes aware of their right and left sides and then starts to ‘map’ the middle area of their body. Being aware of their midline will help your baby to progress many skills i.e. learning to feed themselves, and later on, learning to dress themselves.

The midline of the body

4. Explore and activate their feet. Your baby’s delicate foot muscles need the chance to move so they can gently stretch out and develop in preparation for walking. A very natural way for your baby to stretch and ‘activate’ these muscles is to play with them using their own hands. Foot play not only helps your baby to develop their foot muscles, it also makes them more aware of where their body starts and finishes – great for their body confidence. Often your baby will refine their rolling skills through foot play as it puts them in an ideal position to roll.

Other Games to Play in Bear Pose with your Baby (Older and Younger)

The Teddy Bear’s Picnic. Imagine you and your baby are going on a teddy bears’ picnic:

You are in the forest, with the leaves hanging down low – Play peek-a-boo with you baby using a (green) piece of cloth or wave (green) streamers over your baby. Encourage your baby to look at the streamers and to ‘bat’ the streamers or cloth with their hands.

In the forest - the trees hanging down low ..

Then you walk with the bears through the wood to find the perfect picnic spot – Do bear pose with your baby in either sitting or lying.

At last you settle down to have your forest picnic. Gently roll your baby onto their tummy and place some of their favourite toys in front of them. Encourage your baby to reach out and explore their toys. Remember, do not leave your baby on their tummy by themselves.

Having your picnic!

Bears Go over the Mountain!

Carry your baby next to your body with their head over your shoulder so they can look out at the world around them. If your baby is younger you will probably have to support their neck and head with your hand.

Walk with your baby round your house or garden in this position – your baby will love to look out the windows or at a waving tree branch!

As you walk, you can sing the following rhyme to your baby:
“The bear goes over the mountain, the bear goes over the mountain, the bear goes over the mountain
To see what he can see!
And all that he can see, and all that he can see, is ..
The other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain, the other side of the mountain is …
All that he can see!”

Make it Multi-Sensory, Educational & Fun

In Tatty and Baby Bumpkin classes we use unique storylines to make the activities meaningful and to fire the imagination.

All our classes are multi-sensory comprising of:

Adapted yoga poses and activities which both stimulate and calm the body senses
Dedicated songs and rhythms which are relevant to the stories
Bespoke hand-woven props to look at and feel.
Tatty Bumpkin has its own range of fairly traded animal props to back up the yoga poses and bring the stories to life. Our teachers are supported to use natural props in the classes which are great to feel as opposed to smooth plastic

We have carefully linked each Tatty and Baby Bumpkin to the new 2012 Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Importantly supporting children to learn ‘how to learn’ not just focusing on what on they learn.

Find your local Tatty Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html