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 ideas on progressions for the activity and games you can play around the activity.
This week’s Tatty Bumpkin Yoga Activity is Crocodile Pose
Snap as a hungry crocodile!
Ideally, try to do Crocodile pose with your child, or encourage brothers and sisters to join in, as:
Children, and definitely those under 3 years, learn new movements best by copying the actions.
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.
Crocodile pose will give you a chance to stretch out your back and upper chest muscles. Remember though, if you have issues with your muscles or joints, do check with a health professional to make sure that this pose is appropriate for you. If you know your back is vulnerable be very careful and only do the ‘snapping’ actions on your side!
How to do Crocodile Yoga Activity
Find a space on a carpet or mat where you and your child can safely stretch out and roll as crocodiles.
Take off your shoes and socks. So you can feel your feet …
Lie on your tummies – facing each other and do a gentle smile to show off your crocodile teeth!
Stretch your arms out in front of you, keeping your palms together and roll over onto one side.
Take your hands and arms apart a little way – then bring your palms together to ‘Snap’!
After you have a done several snaps on one side, roll over and do a few more snaps o your other side!!
If your child is younger – start the activity by lying on your side facing your child and encourage them to lie on their side as well - so they are facing you. See picture below. In this position you can gently guide your young child’s arms into a snapping action. Once they have the idea – they can then do the snaps by themselves – copying you.
Snap, snap, snap!!
To Progress Crocodile Yoga Activity
Imagine you are a crocodile in the river, catching a fish!
Cut out a ‘fish’ shape out of card or spongy paper and thread a piece of string through one end . Make sure your fish is big enough so it is not a choking hazard for your child and never leave your child unattended with the fish prop.
As your child does crocodile pose on their tummy, dangle the fish in front of their out-stretched hands and encourage them to reach up and snap at it! See your child can catch the fish between their hands. This great activity helps your child improve their eye-hand co-ordination and it is fun as well!
Why Crocodile Pose is Good for Your Child
As you do crocodile yoga activity with your child they will have a chance to: 1. Develop their body balance and co-ordination for sporting and classroom skills As your child rolls on their side in crocodile pose they will:
Become more aware of the right and left hand sides of their body. This will help them to progress their general coordination skills. Your child will use these basic skills when they do sports such as football or dance or when sit down to draw or write.
Increase the activity in their shoulder, back, tummy and hip muscles - their ‘core muscles’. Strengthening and increasing awareness of these muscle groups will improve your child’s sitting posture and help their hand skills.
2. Develop their awareness of the 'midline' of their body - for dressing quickly! As your child brings their palms together to ‘snap’ as a crocodile, they will be increasing their awareness of their ‘middle’. As zips and buttons tend to be placed in the middle of clothing – crocodile Yoga activity can help your child with their dressing skills.
3. Develop their eye –hand coordination - for sporting skills and reading and writing As you child snaps for the fish prop they will be refining their both their eye-hand co-ordination and their visual tracking skills. Not only are these skills useful for sports they are also key for reading and writing.
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 with Tatty Bumpkin to find the crocodile in the river. On this adventure your child and will have a chance to:
Physically, develop their balance and co-ordination as they roll as crocodiles, stomp as elephants and tiptoe as giraffes!!
Develop their imagination and thinking skillsas they come up with own ideas on how to cross the river safely.
Progress their communication skills as they listen, and follow the movements, to the Tatty Bumpkin Crocodile song and tell Tatty Bumpkin how they plan to cross the river.
But, best of all, your child will have fun with others as they snap and smile as crocodiles or make an elephant train altogether!
Having fun as elephants!
A New Start with Tatty Bumpkin in 2015?
Or, maybe, you are thinking of a new career for 2015, which gives you:
