tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77268935311700585752024-03-18T05:48:54.138-04:00Moving SmartMoving Smart, Early Childhood Development, Movement, Learning, Play, Parenting, Parents, Teachers, Preschool Teachers, Preschool, School, Playground, Swimming, Swim Teachers, Swim School, PMP, Developmental, Preschoolers, Infants, Toddlers, Kids, Active Learning, Physical Activity, Brain Development, Gill Connell, Perceptual Motor Programming, Play Equipment, Consultant, Education, Water Play, Moving to Learn, Learning to Move, Play and Learn, Music and MovementCheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-76796655053622444082022-11-07T14:34:00.008-05:002022-11-07T14:40:04.190-05:00MY LITTLE SPEEDSTER<p><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #262626;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SFEhVoamsQbp5V4RgIFs5ZjZS04VfD_liLIColdJg7a1aHKMe3g31j5p098KD0AvbJIFVFeYVDeIo5ATYUNghCRBDNwxAWWtdgzI3TA4ui9m03vb3Nhshs-fzXR1ws49jyhsK2PI9ZeCdFLzVI8YnWnCDzggCjaO_JyF4FTS5t5kxp48OO09n083/s2531/3102480320_ac75ef745c_o.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2336" data-original-width="2531" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SFEhVoamsQbp5V4RgIFs5ZjZS04VfD_liLIColdJg7a1aHKMe3g31j5p098KD0AvbJIFVFeYVDeIo5ATYUNghCRBDNwxAWWtdgzI3TA4ui9m03vb3Nhshs-fzXR1ws49jyhsK2PI9ZeCdFLzVI8YnWnCDzggCjaO_JyF4FTS5t5kxp48OO09n083/w400-h369/3102480320_ac75ef745c_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></span>WHY DO KIDS GO SO FAST?</b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #262626; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have you ever noticed little ones tend to go fast? And telling them to slow down doesn't work (at least not for long).</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #262626; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Chances are children who move fast aren't "hyperactive" or even in a hurry. It's more likely they haven't yet mastered their balance. You see, <b>to move slowly or deliberately the brain needs a good sense of balance to keep us upright while in motion. When that's lacking, the easiest thing to do is go faster!</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #262626; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">So, to slow down your little "speedster" try making going slow into a game. Here are a few ideas you can try anytime, anywhere...</span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>FREEZE!</b> This kid’s favorite is a great way to modify speed from “on” to “off.” Start the game by explaining when you say ”Freeze” they have to stop in their tracks and not move a muscle. Count to three and unfreeze. Be sure to give them a chance to make you freeze too!</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>THE CHALLENGE. </b>Instead of instructing them to “Slow down,” turn it into a game by throwing down a challenge... “I bet you can’t go slow.” “I bet you can’t go slower.” ”Even slower.”</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>TURTLE TIME. </b>Set a timer for 5 minutes and call out “Turtle Time.” During Turtle Time, everyone has to do everything in slow motion... walk slow... talk slow... hug slow!</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626;">For more information on movement & learning, like us on Facebook and Instagram. </span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MovingSmartNow">https://www.facebook.com/MovingSmartNow</a></span></span></p>Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-4606031230002145222022-11-03T15:13:00.009-04:002022-11-03T15:27:03.817-04:00STICK-TO-ITIVE-NESS<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626;"><b>WHY CAN'T KIDS FINISH WHAT THEY START?</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWT_YnWfvKe-7Vfv-f8ikgOdXTxsv_eeLNIdqUIZIROSyIhDhUW3tSRwnSqkyftJk-TG-GWJOYrmOH50cvYfcws1FBfQZFFXX65d6bTFYTVHiHvLncHERCFXUlLd2S0C8SVML8kNl3du6gekNvm9R5RzPLrU0Y_Hwo4zXEFYyBiO5ISz2fTPVHePB/s1350/Boy%20-%20Playing%20(Dimensional).png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1338" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWT_YnWfvKe-7Vfv-f8ikgOdXTxsv_eeLNIdqUIZIROSyIhDhUW3tSRwnSqkyftJk-TG-GWJOYrmOH50cvYfcws1FBfQZFFXX65d6bTFYTVHiHvLncHERCFXUlLd2S0C8SVML8kNl3du6gekNvm9R5RzPLrU0Y_Hwo4zXEFYyBiO5ISz2fTPVHePB/w396-h400/Boy%20-%20Playing%20(Dimensional).png" width="396" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626; font-family: helvetica;">Have you ever noticed <span style="caret-color: rgb(38, 38, 38);">some</span> kids jump from one activity to another without spending concentrated time on any one thing or just never seeming to finish anything? Adults may see this as a sign the child can’t stay focused, gets bored easily, or gives up without the resilience to keep trying.</span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: helvetica;"> </span></span><p></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But for little ones, it may simply be a matter of physical endurance. For instance, drawing a picture takes concentrated hand strength. When their hand gets tired, it doesn’t feel good. So they switch to another activity that uses a different set of muscles giving their hand a chance to rest.</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #262626; font-size: medium;">It’s actually a clever strategy if you think about it. But learning to finish what you start is an important readiness skill (and mind-set) for school and life.</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #262626; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AaxcMbyzqX_4h4b0C8nu0pIXk2xNcoLR_lPveDi2rK6ysJOxDgIFl-UhmLXQRa4j8ckBskGqn_Cqq4NcyjKARBvIZMD4bqt45M4Co-tDvHo9NzKez3KWKJRW576On5bgDtpI5JQgWoct5CXjRLiUEXcamZ8UcPTOrxtO2e1mzswP1fo5wL4smnIY/s890/Boy%20on%20Monkeybars.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="890" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AaxcMbyzqX_4h4b0C8nu0pIXk2xNcoLR_lPveDi2rK6ysJOxDgIFl-UhmLXQRa4j8ckBskGqn_Cqq4NcyjKARBvIZMD4bqt45M4Co-tDvHo9NzKez3KWKJRW576On5bgDtpI5JQgWoct5CXjRLiUEXcamZ8UcPTOrxtO2e1mzswP1fo5wL4smnIY/w320-h307/Boy%20on%20Monkeybars.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><br /></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>GET OUTSIDE & PLAY</b></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #262626; font-size: medium;">If you've noticed this tendency, watch to see if they’re using different muscle groups when they jump from one activity to another. If they are, consider introducing more time outdoors and on the playground. All whole-body active play will naturally build up stamina and endurance across all the muscle groups which, over time, will give them the power they need to stick with it!</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For more information on movement & learning, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MovingSmartNow"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">https://www.facebook.com/MovingSmartNow</span></a></span>Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-69141660030708539922022-10-31T17:57:00.001-04:002022-10-31T17:58:58.969-04:00MEET THE SPINNER<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzBZrTU0lTotltkRPu2kushxtV9x2NKV-egBUZ1M-Zs_DiSmFriOhjKpQgylIzQXaMQep5KJmfxDiGwspgsGmeJxYQyb_pD93TjTQJqxnOPB6-AYy_jtVvVZq0GlQjiHyPJBLtltD-n4D8w2-9QjPPnosHOpdEIyCRq8HtgwhWG6wY_kmWAmH7KvL/s1736/Girl%20Spinning%20-%208521904610_58ea75d765_o.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="1736" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzBZrTU0lTotltkRPu2kushxtV9x2NKV-egBUZ1M-Zs_DiSmFriOhjKpQgylIzQXaMQep5KJmfxDiGwspgsGmeJxYQyb_pD93TjTQJqxnOPB6-AYy_jtVvVZq0GlQjiHyPJBLtltD-n4D8w2-9QjPPnosHOpdEIyCRq8HtgwhWG6wY_kmWAmH7KvL/w400-h338/Girl%20Spinning%20-%208521904610_58ea75d765_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>WHY KIDS LOVE GETTING DIZZY!</b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Kids love to spin around and around. Most</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"> grown-ups think it’s cute and silly. Or maybe they have ants in their pants. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">But it's actually important for brain development. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">You see, it’s likely when they go for a spin it means the brain is craving vestibular stimulation (the inner ear that controls balance). <b>Spinning naturally trains the brain to understand equilibrium and orientation. </b>And the brain likes it so it feels good. That's why they'll spin and spin until they fall down dizzy.</span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So when they go for a spin, here's our advice... Let ‘em!</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWROzhVji_o35ggYY5AOxLheDorMbeXcez9cuEzBmGyWKYHQCgx_DCsfNeQX0tQefRt0b9OL58Nb7cdgvkNN3bDGcIK_bZa13z-kjKkynlJuGwvMT2k4K26CCWtfd7UWTWYZgyUy4KQwqdDbtiFugk_7VvUk-o2P21Y7ie2E9-M4pxo3KLXZTXFDft" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2210" data-original-width="2423" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWROzhVji_o35ggYY5AOxLheDorMbeXcez9cuEzBmGyWKYHQCgx_DCsfNeQX0tQefRt0b9OL58Nb7cdgvkNN3bDGcIK_bZa13z-kjKkynlJuGwvMT2k4K26CCWtfd7UWTWYZgyUy4KQwqdDbtiFugk_7VvUk-o2P21Y7ie2E9-M4pxo3KLXZTXFDft=w400-h365" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><b style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A FEW THOUGHTS ON SPINNING...</span></b></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Encourage them to <b>SPIN SLOWLY.</b> This gives the brain more time to absorb the kinetic information.</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Challenge them to spin in <b>BOTH DIRECTIONS.</b></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If you have an <b>OFFICE CHAIR</b>, sit them on your lap and go for a spin with them!</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And of course, whenever you’re at the playground, be sure to hop on the <b>MERRY-GO-ROUND.</b></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For more information on movement & learning, like us on Facebook and Instagram. @MovingSmartNow... </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MovingSmartNow"></a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MovingSmartNow">https://www.facebook.com/MovingSmartNow</a></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p>Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-69570192460356925052022-04-28T11:32:00.014-04:002022-04-29T02:32:38.136-04:00KIDS THAT GO BUMP<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgftkbwCvOtJAfo-FAJzn8qNTRn03uu3OImIW4BUaiFpvEduVpEtJGuPF4meXK_4T00G5JSIgt0O5MlbrEmvhxJDB9UgSRRXpOUmkZlna7-cRGMeIKxBmKA4hX5wW8kopdu6FSBBR3Yk0VNCM9u5fqHqTT8MkUxrnrner6OKvy36lcl9b-kKPFC9tYk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1904" data-original-width="1903" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgftkbwCvOtJAfo-FAJzn8qNTRn03uu3OImIW4BUaiFpvEduVpEtJGuPF4meXK_4T00G5JSIgt0O5MlbrEmvhxJDB9UgSRRXpOUmkZlna7-cRGMeIKxBmKA4hX5wW8kopdu6FSBBR3Yk0VNCM9u5fqHqTT8MkUxrnrner6OKvy36lcl9b-kKPFC9tYk=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We’re guessing every parent knows this kid. The one who goes bump into everything... the furniture... the potted plant... the ever-patient pet... and especially you. They’ll practically knock you over if you’re not looking! </span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We call those “bump ‘n hugs” and in our view, they’re the best part of the day. </span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But did you ever wonder why they do it?</span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>WHY KIDS GO BUMP</b></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The technical term for it is proprioception - our internal GPS system. You see, <b>children aren’t born with an understanding of their own bodies. They don’t even know their own size or shape at first. They learn it over time through interactions with the people, places, spaces, and things in their path.</b></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But it’s not as simple as introducing your child to the ottoman and they’re good to go. <b>Their body is always growing which means their spatial relationships are constantly changing. </b></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>And that’s why they go bump. </b>As we describe it in <a href="https://www.freespirit.com/teaching-strategies-and-professional-development/moving-child-is-a-learning-child-gill-connell-cheryl-mccarthy/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666;"><i>A Moving Child is a Learning Child</i>...</span></a></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">“It’s not a question adults have to think about. But it’s a big idea for little ones. <b>Will I fit? </b>And that likely explains why kids love to climb in, on, around, under, over, and through things. <b>It’s</b> <b>their way of exploring their place in our world.</b>”</span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>HOW YOU CAN HELP</b></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Sit back and watch and you’ll see <b>your child is working on this all the time. </b>Notice how they might take an indirect route to get where they’re going, preferring to go under the coffee table for example, or over the arm of a chair.</span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrfLACbSPrXPDpWRHsCg4naEmZ8J9_g98wRzWVaBtrG-aWGvImRODk_Wrr8uqMjoHwAcH6rJ3pEVqh7JWiivpzm2xRblJzlWmo8Z1k3v-952i4sms7_4v_8WmxSCKF1JuHDS2XlCLYcOeYrT5FaZdAIbE6MuMlACD65lf_BWfbRX6do0mzxe6VT2IR" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2264" data-original-width="2264" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrfLACbSPrXPDpWRHsCg4naEmZ8J9_g98wRzWVaBtrG-aWGvImRODk_Wrr8uqMjoHwAcH6rJ3pEVqh7JWiivpzm2xRblJzlWmo8Z1k3v-952i4sms7_4v_8WmxSCKF1JuHDS2XlCLYcOeYrT5FaZdAIbE6MuMlACD65lf_BWfbRX6do0mzxe6VT2IR=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Consider what you have right in your own living room they could navigate. For instance, throw pillows on the floor that challenge them to move over or around them. Put different sized cardboard boxes around so they can see how they fit into them. Use the dining room set as a natural tunneling system. Position the ottoman to block their path so they have to retrace their steps. (But don't be surprised if they decide it's a mountain to climb!) Or choose a row of tiles on the floor or a crack in the sidewalk to walk along. </span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Encourage them to move in space-related ways. For instance, bring your head down when crawling under things. Move sideways in tight spaces. Bend your knees to jump over things. </span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And most important of all, the next time you get a bump ‘n hug, be sure to hug back extra tight so they know <i>you</i> are where they always fit.</span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidMEU3shmuCR3n3L-48iIUeKHmtV8W2B-SCuRbSaWihnAu3WdSTiOaOs64xWswWyyy0spW3R8OVQDlvodtCy2JfSU1mS2rfLMRndA9-IOcXBWGzFwTE5Cv7Ohn9NIrB1cy2NMQluJ-a2jeO9pqa1pckln-bcyNcS8EEKMaOI7mHOarOAcgxgOe7_rt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1844" data-original-width="1844" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidMEU3shmuCR3n3L-48iIUeKHmtV8W2B-SCuRbSaWihnAu3WdSTiOaOs64xWswWyyy0spW3R8OVQDlvodtCy2JfSU1mS2rfLMRndA9-IOcXBWGzFwTE5Cv7Ohn9NIrB1cy2NMQluJ-a2jeO9pqa1pckln-bcyNcS8EEKMaOI7mHOarOAcgxgOe7_rt=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><br /></p>Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-49251207269358186682022-03-22T09:48:00.010-04:002022-03-31T01:02:28.199-04:00STANDING WITH UKRAINE'S CHILDREN<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif">In 2010, Christchurch, New Zealand was hit with a devastating earthquake and more than 14,000 aftershocks over the next two years. At the time, I wrote about the impact of stress on young children, wondering whether there would be lasting effects. There were.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">According to Dr. Kathleen Liberty, Professor of Health Sciences at the University of Canterbury, </span><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">“The impact of the quakes became apparent as children began entering school." Initial findings from Liberty’s post-earthquake study found that, compared to the baseline study, children who entered school after the earthquakes (including those who were in utero at the time) were</span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif;"> four to five times more likely to present with learning or behavioural issues. </b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://www.mindfood.com/article/126-years-of-suffrage-how-kathleen-liberty-eased-trauma-in-christchurch/" target="_blank">(Read full article here.)</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhwUCi6DdjTsrocqWRHbi_zKsHE-Cxeobc6423Qpwb9lrggGj59XzJnd-pROHXpxCZmVgGN9TNh192Z1HiYEUh2TyWWTlvPAOJAz1tY6INQg1tCZSOlvV7attGPwtl2ae1EAPTNeFsd2D6cwdhC8D8B8-_bHVmeN8fPAXGL3g-hVPn8tjFsoKCeCSx" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1596" data-original-width="1602" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhwUCi6DdjTsrocqWRHbi_zKsHE-Cxeobc6423Qpwb9lrggGj59XzJnd-pROHXpxCZmVgGN9TNh192Z1HiYEUh2TyWWTlvPAOJAz1tY6INQg1tCZSOlvV7attGPwtl2ae1EAPTNeFsd2D6cwdhC8D8B8-_bHVmeN8fPAXGL3g-hVPn8tjFsoKCeCSx=w400-h398" width="400" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Today, there is war in Ukraine. A vicious, senseless, man-made earthquake. Our hearts turn again to the children, for what they endure today, and for the future that is now so uncertain.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl50DsT1dec_DET63IAuE24PZjjA6uekAnqaaG9gepNr2tuEB_iadGdbcWqQxYlujaVzJKF_RrXrV6Z6NUfbUIyPIsOT0z9EtQQuHM0mDmpBh7hF_2X3eMWkfq9Xc9q-HuI07ZN0bM77H4vVF64pJe2LJHPl9nvsHYTd7m2cxgNlsfm3vxYmzPYDNt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2437" data-original-width="2437" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl50DsT1dec_DET63IAuE24PZjjA6uekAnqaaG9gepNr2tuEB_iadGdbcWqQxYlujaVzJKF_RrXrV6Z6NUfbUIyPIsOT0z9EtQQuHM0mDmpBh7hF_2X3eMWkfq9Xc9q-HuI07ZN0bM77H4vVF64pJe2LJHPl9nvsHYTd7m2cxgNlsfm3vxYmzPYDNt=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;">In their honor, here is our original post... </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;">UNDERSTANDING CHILDREN & STRESS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Stress can come in many forms, not just earthquakes. And it leaves a lasting, negative imprint on children’s early development. <b>Research shows how important it is to provide a calm and loving environment in order to help insure children’s emotional and social well-being, and surprisingly, children’s CAPACITY TO LEARN</b>...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Scientists studying stress have shown that when a human being feels threatened – physically or emotionally – a chain reaction of chemicals is released in the brain and sent coursing through the body. In doing this, the brain is fulfilling it’s first, primary function – survival. Stress hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol are the body’s physiological alarm bell signaling danger. And it doesn’t matter whether that danger is defined as an earthquake, public speaking, a bad report card or a boo-boo. The body responds physiologically pretty much the same way every time.<br /><br />So here’s what happens. When these hormones are triggered, the brain goes into a primitive state known as “fight or flight,” pouring nearly all of its energy down into the brain stem – the area that controls automated functions such as breathing and heart rate. At the same time, the senses are heightened and blood rushes into the muscles (which feels like shivering) in readiness to “fight” or “flee” the danger. Now, because of this rush down into the brain stem, the brain has difficulty accessing the cortex – the higher region of the brain that governs thinking and executive function. If you’ve ever felt highly stressed or scared you may remember feeling an inability to think clearly. And in fact, that’s exactly what’s happened, because your brain, without your permission, went on “automatic survival pilot.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVIzOGvpE-TUiDseyMRCHFBPSsD9TWPrs3ql6jp8HaAxgZeGpW9BAx1A79nHDYBTaPzY5KkIGhlO6VUW68ZkMdlNbQJ_oWWwQAGz9syDkMd9-32Gw2mYKGkGHo0AM50UZ6zWrY-4BtB5IWIoAj-YWAxTVlIbD8mn0SUXh7IY2jLv7p_JwztfP5q_q6" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1904" data-original-width="1904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVIzOGvpE-TUiDseyMRCHFBPSsD9TWPrs3ql6jp8HaAxgZeGpW9BAx1A79nHDYBTaPzY5KkIGhlO6VUW68ZkMdlNbQJ_oWWwQAGz9syDkMd9-32Gw2mYKGkGHo0AM50UZ6zWrY-4BtB5IWIoAj-YWAxTVlIbD8mn0SUXh7IY2jLv7p_JwztfP5q_q6=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif"><br /></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif">STRESS INTERRUPTS LEARNING</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Of course, I’m thumbnailing years of essential research here, but the long and the short of it is this: when we are under stress the thinking part of our brain is more or less de-activated. <b>And when we can’t think, we can’t learn. </b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Further, when cortisol is present in the system for prolonged periods, science has shown it may have long-term damaging effects including depressed immune responses which can effect health, and memory impediments which can impact learning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">So, the next question is, what is stress for little ones?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">DEFINING STRESS</span></b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Children are small, vulnerable, dependent, needs-driven creatures. Without years of experience in understanding the world around them, they stress easily</span></b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> (hence, all the crying) over a variety of factors, including hunger, discomfort/pain, separation, and both instinctual and acquired fears. As a parent or caregiver, managing their stress is an essential part of helping your child flourish.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioc6gdh6rNvjUK2UqH6DIx3F0tpqTc9Kk-Eeqw9xjLH1-o-RFsesGVdKy_27DCHq8reYKJ21bbDtjGSwNRPg7jpvAjOppXk5qrrdzOsTNo3OuA_G8_KBRGlR9w1sdspusbIOXNKgEqtw-L_u9HB4GJpJq_-BW520mfuxkD5TPgHRdIwdQvAgSPHjTz" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="3693" data-original-width="5532" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioc6gdh6rNvjUK2UqH6DIx3F0tpqTc9Kk-Eeqw9xjLH1-o-RFsesGVdKy_27DCHq8reYKJ21bbDtjGSwNRPg7jpvAjOppXk5qrrdzOsTNo3OuA_G8_KBRGlR9w1sdspusbIOXNKgEqtw-L_u9HB4GJpJq_-BW520mfuxkD5TPgHRdIwdQvAgSPHjTz=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">AT FIRST…</span></b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">For newborns and infants, I believe there’s only one approach: meet your child’s every need.</span></b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> Making sure they are well fed, warm, dry, comfortable, and connected to you (especially when they are in need) is essential for controlling newborn stress levels. There are theories that babies should be left to cry in order to learn to self-calm. But the physics simply don’t work in my opinion. The more stress hormones that build up in their tiny bodies, the harder (and longer) it will take to calm down.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"></span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCNzHdb4hXwTbPnVFTryYJ4T-cf7526PEuDuw27NBwnnZyGow05wgwwvkBsJiXzGBgfhX-zQ7S2fjJ-M1O0mTPbwh34X8lWr7jIaV3ZLCvDh6eoGgSVSbE6_69atkVtX0z-kz1wtz_fRMqzvTyurKKMWNrzwKu-hDT917hATwuKgasjI2GOWKjZynO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1603" data-original-width="1665" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCNzHdb4hXwTbPnVFTryYJ4T-cf7526PEuDuw27NBwnnZyGow05wgwwvkBsJiXzGBgfhX-zQ7S2fjJ-M1O0mTPbwh34X8lWr7jIaV3ZLCvDh6eoGgSVSbE6_69atkVtX0z-kz1wtz_fRMqzvTyurKKMWNrzwKu-hDT917hATwuKgasjI2GOWKjZynO=w400-h386" width="400" /></a></div><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></b><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">SELF-CALMING<br /></span></b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">As children grow and are better able to communicate, they may now be entering a time when <b>they can explore the power to calm themselves – an essential step on the road to developing independence and self-confidence. Experts call this self-calming.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Your role is just as important during this stage, but frankly, a little less clear. Here you need to give them the time and space they need for self-assessment while still being right there in case things go off the rails. By example…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">I’ve seen parents react when a little one trips and falls, encouraging them by saying, “You’re OK,” as the child gets back to their feet. I applaud the encouragement, of course, but in this scenario, the child isn’t given the opportunity to assess their own “Okness.” Instead, I recommend a slightly different approach. Rather than say, “You’re OK,” ask them, “Are you OK?” This does three things: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">1. It respects your child’s ability to assess their own feelings<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">2. Shows them you have confidence in them and builds self-esteem<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">3. Reassures them you’re right there if they decides they needs you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPu4DKiSWDjl8fa4WjhFr2DJ3JPRcB_HvUNL1zLy_5sMzJ-zfKc3dXzjDd9xLcJcqW5GiHBRQweqaCaUf1SP1G3eK3fCL_5EcHwp_fBj2I4S3PC_fNI1B3L8yyfmUBp_hAS7kewV2GKgVx7uBdO2A39QODgvHExA1mVUebwNrlT1sRMzrtv5odHnoa" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1280" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPu4DKiSWDjl8fa4WjhFr2DJ3JPRcB_HvUNL1zLy_5sMzJ-zfKc3dXzjDd9xLcJcqW5GiHBRQweqaCaUf1SP1G3eK3fCL_5EcHwp_fBj2I4S3PC_fNI1B3L8yyfmUBp_hAS7kewV2GKgVx7uBdO2A39QODgvHExA1mVUebwNrlT1sRMzrtv5odHnoa=w400-h345" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">YOUR STRESS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Even the youngest babies can read <i>your</i> stress levels, so managing your stress is equally important.</span></b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> If you are calm and confident, your child is more likely to be relaxed, because just as in all relationships, emotions fuel emotions, positively or negatively. And while I realize staying level and calm around your child is not always easy, it never pays to add fuel to their “stress fire.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Stress is a fact of life, and helping your child learn to cope with her feelings is a balancing act you will play out time and again. And no, the two of you aren’t going to get it right every time. But instilling confidence in them while making sure they know you’re always there when needed, is the best start you can give them on the road to independence, and the ability to manage stress in multiple situations, with or without you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhT01hOSWB5eiasBBdYbD2WViGGhxgiXpLK-50v3ktklW9BFTclAjN6_sbZm-B8bB43aIL5lYoDrWJd5apzHbPX4Qjnr18If5RvmgxAnhl7k1nk9w5DVn_j42c6yRoBCLvoUFahyullW0Kkj6_JAruSoxGauzeEbj1AkwjLvkeb6s4jKhcpcRrGoL8x" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="444" data-original-width="1412" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhT01hOSWB5eiasBBdYbD2WViGGhxgiXpLK-50v3ktklW9BFTclAjN6_sbZm-B8bB43aIL5lYoDrWJd5apzHbPX4Qjnr18If5RvmgxAnhl7k1nk9w5DVn_j42c6yRoBCLvoUFahyullW0Kkj6_JAruSoxGauzeEbj1AkwjLvkeb6s4jKhcpcRrGoL8x=w400-h126" width="400" /></a></div><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Helping children calm down from a stressful moment in the day takes love and attention. And sometimes you can even help the process along with a little humor.</span><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Next time your little one’s Grin goes missing, try this game. As you recite the poem, search all over your child (and add a little tickle here and there) and before you know it, that grin will come running back! Note: please, feel free to make up your own words to match whatever fits your particular situation. And no, it doesn’t have to rhyme.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">And after you’ve found your child's Grin, reverse roles and have them find your Grin!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">FINDING GRIN</span></b><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Oh, where did Grin go?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">I do miss it so.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Did it flap like a crow?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Is that it on your toe?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Did it buzz like bee?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Is that it on your knee?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Did it hop like a bunny?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Is that it on your tummy?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Oh, wait! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Now I see.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Here it comes!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Right towards me!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Welcome back,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Great big Grin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">There it is!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Above your chin!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face=""Century Gothic", sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhG7ddrTkcdBrIyB16cnAu9f7cXhW3T19NEHWawXt8MML4AX5p3UaOBfj6hs8u55lWNZUQ6bxcEKzt9dE2m4E7JPHQkCY3Alm3z9pHDp6lWa0EYvh9OdKsFmhk8VrVtl9LATayJWPlechhe1tFbZcRt1Z8GbatUqtN6nMHKnt5eE9cAfUC08IgkzcqC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="4288" data-original-width="2333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhG7ddrTkcdBrIyB16cnAu9f7cXhW3T19NEHWawXt8MML4AX5p3UaOBfj6hs8u55lWNZUQ6bxcEKzt9dE2m4E7JPHQkCY3Alm3z9pHDp6lWa0EYvh9OdKsFmhk8VrVtl9LATayJWPlechhe1tFbZcRt1Z8GbatUqtN6nMHKnt5eE9cAfUC08IgkzcqC=w349-h640" width="349" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><br /><br /><p></p>Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-81000356793909607782020-04-20T18:39:00.001-04:002022-03-30T17:33:03.764-04:00SPAGHETTI FOR BREAKFAST<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigy47TXJdVda34zXyLtbiAWVA3w2TCDUmpyi30EpqdkwYz0hcT6mR-OTwKqLnwb-eREGfuZOdHVDkXsv6hc53ctKhgCLWAaxMDXFOXDTh82y2bwDnl4EEO82rJNUZy2nzFZrY1jIXOHKs/s1600/Eatng+spaghetti.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigy47TXJdVda34zXyLtbiAWVA3w2TCDUmpyi30EpqdkwYz0hcT6mR-OTwKqLnwb-eREGfuZOdHVDkXsv6hc53ctKhgCLWAaxMDXFOXDTh82y2bwDnl4EEO82rJNUZy2nzFZrY1jIXOHKs/s400/Eatng+spaghetti.jpeg" width="348" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">We're all coming to terms with "the new normal." And as hard as new routines are for adults they're even harder for kids. And more essential. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif"><b>THE IMPORTANCE OF ROUTINE</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">All parents know the importance of giving kids structure which includes a daily routine they come to count on. Routine gives children a sense of security and empowerment which helps them understand and navigate their world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">But when routines are disrupted as they've been these past weeks, it's like trying to recite the days of the week in alphabetical order. Seriously. Have you ever tried that? If you haven't stop right now, don't read ahead, and recite the days of the week in alphabetical order. And don't use a pencil and paper. Come back when you're done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotZMBSA7fgCpxhyY8Zhx_de5hsKzI_DUvMjQ4FJeGTXK1f-z_dUPGgVbjIhpysQjriAN6QaX6P6HdimiWf8B-gCWxGCw1KC8Kbm3b1dfGAgdtVXpDRjUoXCipQWbxe_gAN9hl7KUHx0k/s1600/kid-435140.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhotZMBSA7fgCpxhyY8Zhx_de5hsKzI_DUvMjQ4FJeGTXK1f-z_dUPGgVbjIhpysQjriAN6QaX6P6HdimiWf8B-gCWxGCw1KC8Kbm3b1dfGAgdtVXpDRjUoXCipQWbxe_gAN9hl7KUHx0k/s400/kid-435140.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">Notice how you had to stop and rotate through all seven days several times to get them in the right order. You probably started with Monday, which of course, you later realized was wrong. You probably put Tuesday in front of Thursday too. Something so simple can be so halting when you change the order of things. </span><br />
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">And that's exactly how your child feels whenever his routine is disrupted.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif"><b>THE IMPORTANCE OF ADAPTABILITY</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">Now that we've made the case for routine, there's an equally important argument to be made for flexibility and adaptability. Adapting to unexpected changes helps little ones learn to think on their feet -- an essential life skill as we all have to deal with unexpected situations, like right now. In other words, children need a balance of both - routine and spontanaeity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">And this is especially important right now because when things finally do go back to the "old normal," guess what? That's going to be their "new normal."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif"><b>PLAYING WITH ROUTINE</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">There's a game I used to play that is so much fun, we thought you might like to try it with your own family during these uncertain times. It's designed to give kids a sense of humor about life's unexpected situations by playing with their known sense of routine. It's creative, full of possibilities, and everyone in the family can play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">I call it Back to Front Day, where you take a day and do everything BACKWARDS! And I mean EVERYTHING. </span><span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">Here's how I do it. Feel free to improvise!</span><br />
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU"><b><span style="font-size: large;">BACK TO FRONT DAY</span></b></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">By living a day in reverse, kids learn to think in a different way because all day they'll be anticipating not what comes next, but what comes before! And if you involve them in the planning of the day, they will enjoy the unpredictable wackiness that comes with living backwards! </span><span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif"><b>PLAN AHEAD</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Sit together with your kids and explain the idea so they can help you plan. Start by talking about your daily routine and what you do each day. </span><span face=""century gothic", sans-serif">Perhaps make a list or a chart and if your child isn't old enough to read, have him draw out the activities so he can see how the day unfolds. </span><span face=""century gothic", sans-serif">Then talk about how you can do it all backwards on Back to Front Day.</span><br />
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU"><b>IDEAS FOR BACK TO FRONT DAY</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Here are some ideas to get you started. Be sure to brainstorm these and any other ideas with your child so he feels in control of the day. Here goes...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Start by giving your day a wacky name. For instance if you plan it for a Saturday, you could call it Yadrutas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">And while you're at it, give yourselves backwards names for the day. For instance, Pam becomes Map; Emily becomes Ylime, Mommy becomes Ymmom, Daddy becomes yddad, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif">Then be sure to do everything backwards. For instance...</span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">The night before get dressed in your clothes to go to bed. Sleep in your clothes. And be sure you are wearing them backwards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">When kids wake up, greet them with "Good Night!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic", sans-serif">Snuggle in bed and read them a bedtime story. Be sure to read it backwards from the back cover to the front.</span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Walk backwards to the bathroom. (Actually, try to walk backwards all day.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Brush your teeth – rinse first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Have a bath. Dry from bottom to top, not top to bottom. Get out of the bath backwards and get into your pyjamas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Spend the day in your pyjamas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Have dinner for breakfast – dessert first. (Note, this will take some planning on your part, but I highly recommend spaghetti!) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Everybody uses their non-dominant hand to eat. (If you're a rightie, use your left hand!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">At the dinner table talk about what's going to happen today. Review your backwards plan so everyone is reminded of what's going to happen. Project forward by planning backwards!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span face=""century gothic", sans-serif">Do activities in the morning you would do normally do in the afternoon</span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">At lunch, eat dessert first, and with the wrong hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Do activities in the afternoon you would do normally do in the morning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Have breakfast for dinner. (I highly recommend pancakes!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic", sans-serif">Remember you will be in your PJ’s all day. So you will need to get dressed in your day clothes to go to bed. And don't forget to wish them a "Good Day" as they settle in for the night.</span><br />
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<span face=""century gothic", sans-serif">Whatever you choose to do, have fun with this. The sillier the better. And the longer you can keep it going throughout the day, the more fun you'll have. You might just find by the end of the day, living backwards feels pretty normal, proving that these days, "normal" is what we say it is!</span></div>
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<span face=""century gothic" , sans-serif" lang="EN-AU">Enjoy. (And please, send us pictures. We'd love to hear about your "yad!")<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-72497726599153901902020-04-02T18:00:00.003-04:002022-03-31T00:51:32.214-04:00A JOB WELL DONE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja306U73iTNMWTSFGKr4x8qMuWzqu7QuHikHr2XHVScWDlt0z5e_ZQ_InbxpMwkV5m0RN6E_pnXHvM2y85iPuJGCMTSHIxAoSjK7yt4Se7bVqWBcYJXklf4YgwmcjMR7vRFfzdRJC7aZ8/s1600/PHOTO-2020-04-03-08-17-45+2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja306U73iTNMWTSFGKr4x8qMuWzqu7QuHikHr2XHVScWDlt0z5e_ZQ_InbxpMwkV5m0RN6E_pnXHvM2y85iPuJGCMTSHIxAoSjK7yt4Se7bVqWBcYJXklf4YgwmcjMR7vRFfzdRJC7aZ8/w335-h400/PHOTO-2020-04-03-08-17-45+2.jpeg" width="335" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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Have you ever noticed you have a little shadow... someone who always wants to be with you... and be you. Your little shadow finds you endlessly fascinating and is eager to do what you do, even if it's just tidying up around the house. Washing the windows or folding the laundry is the farthest thing from drudgery. To them it's challenging, intriguing, and just plain fun. And they get to be with you! What could be better than that?<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the very basis of what teachers call play-based learning. The ancient Greek philospher Sophocles said, "One learns by doing a thing. Although you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try." For little ones it hardly matters what the doing is. <b>As long as the child chooses it and is physically involved in it, fun and learning are bound to follow. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Taking a walk in your shoes is an important part of your child's development particularly in the toddler years. This is the beginnings of role play, and the role they want to play is you.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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So, whenever there's a chore to be done, watch to see if your little shadow wants to "help" out. <b>If they show interest, invite them in. And whenever you can, make it real. Hand them a sponge or a brush or a squeegie, not a toy. </b>Give them a bottle or bucket of water (not any cleaning fluids at this point), and watch how they try to do what you do. Several things are happening when you do this...<o:p></o:p></div>
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1. Little ones don't know how to behave so they use you as their model. They learn from you by doing what you do. Go at their pace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2. When little ones mirror your movements, they are moving their bodies in new and unique ways. They're learning what they can do and developing new and important pathways in the brain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. And you're together in the process, in the moment, sharing the task at hand. When you are "shoulder to shoulder" it makes them feel important.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQ0ITm-TeYXE9aZlZbm5ZRdYetcTxPlEFemSuC-oJgNu8uy5_4wUp1IU9nfNedxvezY_Wtl8B6-o-rQFPhu8IDs6dGknDnXrxGKp8XF2crXkkpMKGZJycvAi0xuuo8iUxekLB2igFQQY/s1600/PHOTO-2020-03-30-17-27-02.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQ0ITm-TeYXE9aZlZbm5ZRdYetcTxPlEFemSuC-oJgNu8uy5_4wUp1IU9nfNedxvezY_Wtl8B6-o-rQFPhu8IDs6dGknDnXrxGKp8XF2crXkkpMKGZJycvAi0xuuo8iUxekLB2igFQQY/w334-h400/PHOTO-2020-03-30-17-27-02.jpeg" width="334" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div>
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And sure, it takes a little longer with your little shadow's help, but it's time well spent when you both feel the satisfaction of a job well done.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div>
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Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-56193651631763924702020-03-27T18:09:00.002-04:002022-03-31T00:35:19.021-04:00MR. POTATO HEAD'S LAUNDRY DAY<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif">OK. Nobody likes laundry. But even laundry can be a fun, learning activity for preschoolers while you're knocking a big chore off your list.</span><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif"> So here's what you do...</span><br />
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<b>HOW TO PLAY...</b></div>
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As you're folding the laundry, choose articles of clothing from the basket and encourage your child to identify each item (e.g., socks, shirts, pants, underwear, etc.). Talk about how we wear the different items. We wear socks on our feet. We wear shirts on our backs, etc. This establishes the concept of "order" for your child. </div>
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Now, like Mr. Potato Head, let's mix it up and play with the concept of "disorder." Only in this game, your child is Mr. Potato Head!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Start by wondering out loud what it would be like to wear your socks on your ears. Coax your child to try wearing her socks on her ears. And put socks on your own ears too. Oh, how silly! And the fun has begun.</div>
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Your child may take it from there, but if not, suggest a few other mix ups to give her the idea. For instance, I wonder what it would be like to wear your pants on your arms? Or your underwear as socks? Or see what it's like if you climb into dad's shirt together! In other words, the sillier the better!</div>
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<b>WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING...<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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What we just described is a game involving patterns, sequences, order and disorder, all essential underpinnings to problem solving, creativity, and mathematics. That might sound a bit heady or academic, but in fact, children are naturally introduced to these concepts through everyday, physical experiences and play.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For instance, early on babies adapt to daily routines which give them a sense of security and belonging through the predictable order of life. Toddlers eventually figure out that it's better to put the big block on the bottom in order to support the smaller blocks on top. With enough repetition, preschoolers they learn that "A" comes before "B." And of course, we all inevitably arrive at the conclusion that socks come before shoes.</div>
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Further, dressing the "wrong" way actually instills a sense of pride and confidence that they're "in the know." They know the right way to dress!</div>
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And in the process, you might even get the laundry done.</div>
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Stay home. Stay well. Have fun. And keep moving!</div>
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P.S. When we asked friends and family to snap some photos of this game for us, even the older kids wanted to join in and had fun with it!</div>
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Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-83190925612440369912020-03-25T18:24:00.001-04:002022-03-31T00:37:13.700-04:00PLAY MAKES THE BEST TEACHER<div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
We wrote a blog post called Parents Make the Best Playmates several years ago and it has always been one of our most popular topics. (You'll see the post in full below.) In these days when parents are being called upon to guide their children's learning at home, it's important to understand <b>in the early years, play is the most powerful learning tool of all.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We'll dig deeper into the power of play over the next few weeks, but for now, rest assured. You don't need a degree in education. All you need to do is relax and play. Because even if you don't recognize it in the moment, your child is learning in so many ways...</div>
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<b>Play is TANGIBLE and PHYSICAL. </b>Kids are tangible, physical creatures. That's why they can't sit still.</div>
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<b style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Play is a WHOLE-CHILD EXPERIENCE</b><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">, inviting the body, senses, emotions, imagination, and natural problem solving to the party. That's why she becomes so engrossed she doesn't even hear you calling to her.</span></div>
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<b>PLAY BEGINS WITH THE CHILD</b>, making the entire experience personal and relevant. That's why she puts on her tiara and goes out to the garden to make mud pies. It makes sense to her.</div>
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<b>Play is how children learn to RELATE TO OTHERS.</b> That's why it's important to make time for the two of you to play together each day.</div>
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Which brings us to today's topic. As important as play is, we've found some parents don't fully understand their role in the process. Take a look at our original blog post for a few ways you can become a better playmate to your child and have fun along the way...</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">PARENTS MAKE THE BEST PLAYMATES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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All child development experts (including me) will tell you that one of the best things you can do for your child is to play with your child. But those same experts (including me) often lament that parents don’t always know HOW to play with their kids.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have a theory about this. Adults sometimes struggle with “child’s play” because it is counter-intuitive to what’s expected of us in every other part of our lives. As adults, we’re expected to be strong, mature and in control at all times; responsible, efficient, effective, and results-oriented. Yet it is these exact qualities that make adults INEFFECTIVE as play partners to their children. <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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To help you understand what I mean, here are a few rules of thumb I prescribe for parents during playtime...</div>
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<b>FOLLOW, DON’T LEAD. </b>When it comes to play, your child is better at it than you are. Know your place and follow her lead (unless safety becomes an issue).<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>GET SHORTER. </b>Whenever you can, bring yourself down to her level (both physically and emotionally). This is your time to see the world through her eyes.<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black;">KEEP IT POINTLESS. </span></b><span style="color: black;">True play has no agenda – no rightness or wrongness to it. Whatever happens happens. Keeping playtime open and free is not only the best way to encourage your child's imagination, it's also the best way to help her learn naturally.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">And no matter what, remember, playtime is for both of you, so relax and go for the ride!</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 18pt;">THE OVER-UNDER JOURNEY! </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Playing collaborative games equalizes the playing field for your child while giving you a perfect, kids-eye-view of life! Next time you have a few minutes, try taking an Over-Under Journey and you might just be amazed where the two of you end up!</div>
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<span style="color: black;">SET UP</span><span style="color: black; font-family: , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">1. Start by deciding where to go. You may want to go to a real place like the kitchen or you could think of grander, imaginative places like the Dinosaur Forest or the Princess Castle! (Wherever you decide to go, pick a physical location 10-15 feet away as your target for a game of 5-6 turns.) Let your child decide the destination and then follow her imaginative lead.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">2. Next, decide who is "Over" and who is "Under." Again, let your child decide. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">3. Using only your bodies and your imaginations, the "Over" player must travel each step of the journey by going over the other player. Likewise, the "Under" player must go under the other player.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">GAME PLAY</span><span style="color: black; font-family: , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Here’s a few ideas to get you started. Note: These ideas are written for parents but can easily be adjusted for children as well. But be sure to let your children make up their own over/under obstacles as much as possible.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Go OVER THE HILL (stand tall and let your child climb all the way up you!)<span><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Go UNDER THE BRIDGE (form a bridge with your body or legs and let your child climb under)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Go OVER THE TICKLE TIGER (lie down on your back and have your child climb over your tummy -- tickling as she goes!)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">GO UNDER GATE (lie on the floor and raise one leg in the air up and down. Have your child scoot through the gate.)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Go OVER THE TEA POT (sit on the floor and form the shape of a tea pot. As your child climbs over you, whistle like a tea pot!<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Go UNDER THE PUDDLE (lie down on the floor tummy-side down. Have your child "swim" underneath you)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">GO OVER THE WORM (wiggle like a worm on the floor and have your child climb over you from head to toe)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
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<span style="color: black;">Have fun, and let me know how your journey went!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-78563028608443002812020-03-24T20:25:00.002-04:002022-03-31T00:38:09.582-04:00BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
No matter how we try to shield them from it, kids are feeling the stress of the worldwide health crisis. Routines are disrupted. Schools are shut. Mom and Dad are acting weird. Playdates are cancelled. Playgrounds are closed. And there's even more screen time to do schoolwork or stay connected to family and friends.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It's no wonder we're already hearing "my kids are bouncing off the walls."<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLGAeaiMCg42G7Tag72nsL5q1T_l993iH_jCn4Oz-qsh5d9tE_bcaq2VM8Fcmku4G966HT-ulvKvfbATAZD7urAmKTCMUla2jMe3Jt4pCEsLevNA19sFD0imXXfHj7WzbIFiHaVRzg-k/s1600/Happy+girl.JPG"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLGAeaiMCg42G7Tag72nsL5q1T_l993iH_jCn4Oz-qsh5d9tE_bcaq2VM8Fcmku4G966HT-ulvKvfbATAZD7urAmKTCMUla2jMe3Jt4pCEsLevNA19sFD0imXXfHj7WzbIFiHaVRzg-k/w395-h400/Happy+girl.JPG" width="395" /></a></div>
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<b>THE NEW MOVING SMART BLOG</b></div>
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That's why we've decided to restart our Moving Smart blog. Here we'll repost relevant articles and new ideas for how to help children (and yourselves) navigate this unique time together at home. And along the way we will share some insights into how nature uses movement to help children grow and develop their bodies AND their brains. For instance...</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAI1m021bRzgsbBTjZ6Dt8ZaMk4DZOdwMehtEvcN-0O7_cN9uK6-043b4eCJWM3Gdw2BrG8x3iSub0MrXWr7nurHCL4Zgkcdqm1HmPL1iM4yhK5P2Cb4CivLjsVavR85VZbo6kq8Zjhc/s1600/Cheeky+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAI1m021bRzgsbBTjZ6Dt8ZaMk4DZOdwMehtEvcN-0O7_cN9uK6-043b4eCJWM3Gdw2BrG8x3iSub0MrXWr7nurHCL4Zgkcdqm1HmPL1iM4yhK5P2Cb4CivLjsVavR85VZbo6kq8Zjhc/w326-h400/Cheeky+1.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b>BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS...</b></div>
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So let's get this out of the way right now. "Bouncing off the walls," is your child's brain trying to communicate with you. And notice we're saying your child's <i>brain</i>, not your child. Her brain needs physical and sensory stimulation in order to grow and develop, and quite often acting out is her only way of expressing that need. In short, <b>it's not naughty. It's natural. </b></div>
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<b>The thing you can do is understand it and lean into it.</b> And we're here to help you lean.</div>
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We hope you find this helpful and welcome your questions any time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Stay safe. Stay well. And keep moving.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>FINDING GRIN: HELPING LITTLE ONES CALM DOWN <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Kids are bound to be more stressed with the limitations we're all under. And of course, that stresses you out. Here's a little poem that works for me. I call it Finding Grin. Not only does it help you both release the stress, it's a good activity for helping your child develop awareness of her own body.</div>
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Next time your little one’s grin goes missing, put her on your lap, snuggle in, and recite this little poem. The idea is simple. Grin has gone missing and you need your child's help to find him. As you recite the poem, search for Grin by very gently tickling your child on her knee or her nose, her wrist or her toes. And before you know it, this gentle touching time together will bring Grin back right where he belongs.</div>
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<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8g_aVVs5bjQ3MQZV05Z-OFUTVkDNAKoPsAKXMdlpzpQaFDk3JMZuOCCvySscx_OrtHbmUpBeE06doh7cztqy1jDqvbUxOLm9ZKlzeAxivCaKPdrreM6CfEHvQlYVdhYDt7CUeGRtVQk/s1600/Gill+%2526+Caitlin+hugging+slide.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8g_aVVs5bjQ3MQZV05Z-OFUTVkDNAKoPsAKXMdlpzpQaFDk3JMZuOCCvySscx_OrtHbmUpBeE06doh7cztqy1jDqvbUxOLm9ZKlzeAxivCaKPdrreM6CfEHvQlYVdhYDt7CUeGRtVQk/w391-h400/Gill+%2526+Caitlin+hugging+slide.jpg" width="391" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""calibri" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif">Feel free to use the verses below, or make up your own little ritual. And when Grin is back above her chin, </span><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">reverse</span><span face=""calibri" , sans-serif"> roles and have her help you find yours!</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;">Finding Grin<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Oh, where did Grin go?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I do miss him so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Is that him on your nose?</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Is that him on your toes?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Is that him on your knee?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">On your wrist? Let me see!</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Is that him on your tummy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Now that would be funny.</span><br />
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Oh, wait! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Now I see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Here he comes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Right towards me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Welcome back,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Great big Grin!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Right at home</span></div>
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<span face=""helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Above your chin!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-3320779438490423142015-04-23T02:48:00.001-04:002022-03-31T00:40:12.975-04:00HOW SLOW CAN YOU GO?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";">Lucky me! The
other day I had a "Charlie Day" with my grandson (whose name is Jakie
not Charlie, but that’s a story for another day). Charlie Days consist of a
sleepover followed by a full day of fun for just the two of us. No mommies, daddies,
or big sisters allowed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";">Jakie is a
loving, gentle child with the typical tornadic energy you would expect from a
three-going-on-four year old boy. That means Charlie Days are why-walk-when-we-can-run
days! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";">Fun, but <i>phew!</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";">And that got me thinking about the importance of speed in a young child’s
life.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlRRNzQ9V4-L0QygLvOgD9hD_fx3stNbxJVq8G_9-PceeazNcm6_mlnqec9otBC6F4Mxj4ifV4HTk3kG1SwmAP9llVwalAduBkEETUOD8p84wr5ekjizjQw2aZWVIaZTJ9PnZz1lUc7s/s1600/C+Running.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlRRNzQ9V4-L0QygLvOgD9hD_fx3stNbxJVq8G_9-PceeazNcm6_mlnqec9otBC6F4Mxj4ifV4HTk3kG1SwmAP9llVwalAduBkEETUOD8p84wr5ekjizjQw2aZWVIaZTJ9PnZz1lUc7s/w177-h400/C+Running.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: 14pt;">Why
Kids Love Fast!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";">It seems that just
minutes after their first steps, little ones are off and running. Not walking. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Running!</i> I love that stage, watching
them relish the freedom of their own two feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";">And certainly,
going <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">fast feels good and is a large
part of why “fast” is a young child’s default speed.</b> But it’s not the only
reason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";">You see “fast” is actually easier than “slow”
for young children.</span></b><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"> That’s
because when the human body moves fast, the physics of forward momentum take
over part of the job our sense of balance normally does for us. When we move
slow, we rely more on our balance to keep us steady, stable, and upright. And
that’s where the challenge comes in for little ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";">As we’ve written
about before, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">children aren’t born with
a sense of balance. Balance is developed in the early years through the natural
process of movement.</b> As such, when children do get to their feet, the brain
and body are working double-time, managing balance and complex movements simultaneously. And of course, that takes some getting used to… actually
years of getting used to in order to perfect the highly sophisticated act of
moving at a slow, controlled pace!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5rGg5NS4HAwHQKzVEYY4nWsYcgWbs7C4iXe8ag5_bGTDhnIyXOcVlkgDc46VafiCu3NHfW8s2Vv-yaYP3USa5HCyDiPqGCxWIaHLNel_J4A_8hmgxbMiqlWHNxMaA8lzSqCpIw0lTU4/s1600/Girl+Giant+Steps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5rGg5NS4HAwHQKzVEYY4nWsYcgWbs7C4iXe8ag5_bGTDhnIyXOcVlkgDc46VafiCu3NHfW8s2Vv-yaYP3USa5HCyDiPqGCxWIaHLNel_J4A_8hmgxbMiqlWHNxMaA8lzSqCpIw0lTU4/s1600/Girl+Giant+Steps.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: 14pt;">Why
Slow Matters<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";">Now, going fast is perfectly natural and great for kids. But it’s important to try to slow them down too... at least
sometimes. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You see, going fast doesn’t
give the brain time to think. Going slow engages the brain, giving it the time
it needs to receive, analyze, and store all that sensory information.</b> This
helps build the brain’s sense of balance while refining movement. And when that
happens, children are on the road to more deliberate control of their bodies…
and yes, they might even slow down a bit!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgTM2PvuJA5LkJMLjxstNf3opmjMgutnTe6tfuWxM1gdrxOsYe_61rz4TkfddN1LALvU3FDZXFlzFVUE4ZY4CdVEGcNuDxWUfFj7teSQGlX_s765fCo54-AYWTnkcYl-7vAh1CkvDOgA/s1600/Playable+Moment+22.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgTM2PvuJA5LkJMLjxstNf3opmjMgutnTe6tfuWxM1gdrxOsYe_61rz4TkfddN1LALvU3FDZXFlzFVUE4ZY4CdVEGcNuDxWUfFj7teSQGlX_s765fCo54-AYWTnkcYl-7vAh1CkvDOgA/w400-h121/Playable+Moment+22.png" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";">So, how slow can you go? Here are 10 fun ideas I’ve used
at home and in my classroom that kids might just slow down for...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: 14pt;">Ready?
Set. Slow!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b>1. THE GO-SLOW
CHALLENGE!</b> Little ones naturally want to please us and naturally want to show
off what they can do, so when they’re dashing about at top speed, say to them,
“Oh my goodness, you really can go fast! I bet you can’t go slow!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtNNwd2R3a-H0zqATIR_H_CpPB0YbcjMDQa03GpJUHzTiY-SFo9hQB51dXM15vJT_zImyfbSDohh00u142JZRFfh6jqc3CScHaETUN3KYFWZY2EQR5a4WkEoIPc4zp3Wv_L5pB466wIE/s1600/Girl+Walking+On+Line.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtNNwd2R3a-H0zqATIR_H_CpPB0YbcjMDQa03GpJUHzTiY-SFo9hQB51dXM15vJT_zImyfbSDohh00u142JZRFfh6jqc3CScHaETUN3KYFWZY2EQR5a4WkEoIPc4zp3Wv_L5pB466wIE/w182-h400/Girl+Walking+On+Line.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b><br /></b></span></div>2. CHANGE IT UP!</b> Any
time you change the way children move, they will automatically go
slower. For instance, when transitioning from snack time to story time in my
classroom I’d sometimes have the children walk backwards to the mat. Other ways
include: walking sideways, walking on a line on the floor, walking with a bean
bag on your head, etc.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b>3. TURTLE! TIGER!
TREE!</b> To give little ones a full sense of their own self-control, give them
practice changing speed. For instance, when you call out “turtle” they need to
walk very, very slow. When you call out “tiger” they need to speed up and move
very, very fast. When you call out “tree” they need to stretch their “limbs”
like a tree and freeze in place! At first, do this with a predictable rhythm.
Once they’ve got the hang of it, change to a more random/unpredictable rhythm.
And be sure to change the sequence so they have to listen carefully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b>4. CAREFUL! CAREFUL!</b>
Set up activities that require them to be careful and precise in their
movements. For instance, crawl through the tunnel without touching the sides or
carry a ping pong ball on a spoon from one end of the yard to the other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b>5. GIANT STEPS.</b> The
bigger the gait the slower the movement, so have the children walk across the
room or play yard using giant steps. Once they have a feel for it, have them
count how many steps it takes to get from start to finish. Now have them come
back the other way and see if they can do it in even fewer steps!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b>6. TWO BY TWO.</b> Pair
up the children standing back to back, linking arms. Now challenge them to
cross the room or play yard. Without even asking, they’ll automatically move
more slowly as they negotiate their movements with each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeNS0y8HIrFYLefYzepdzkhI7EPi6ap4c8xZdsOadjIPtMXw9rl9Jqh_2lWCR3kdt4hkZPz-RuXVQDzl4O7raNlp9MHg7srvt1AjQL6QEIQWd3qGCiqNmuiti6GZI4J9QdRZgS0clndI/s1600/Crab+Walking.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeNS0y8HIrFYLefYzepdzkhI7EPi6ap4c8xZdsOadjIPtMXw9rl9Jqh_2lWCR3kdt4hkZPz-RuXVQDzl4O7raNlp9MHg7srvt1AjQL6QEIQWd3qGCiqNmuiti6GZI4J9QdRZgS0clndI/w400-h340/Crab+Walking.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b><br /></b></span></div>7. THE SLOW ZOO</b> is
filled with the slowest animals you’ve ever seen! Have the children move like a
turtle, snail, crab, sloth, elephant, rhinoceros, etc., or make up their own
“slowimal” to show you just how slow they can go!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b>8. SLOW TALK.</b> Doing
anything slowly will help children understand how to pace themselves. Talking
slow is a really fun way to develop auditory discrimination while sounding out
words and at the same time giving them “slow” practice. Model slow talking for
them and encourage them to repeat words or phrases you say. Then let them loose
to slow chat with each other. It’s hilarious!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b>9. SLOW TALK &
WALK.</b> Once they’ve practiced Slow Talk, add a movement challenge for even more
fun. For instance, take a trip back to the Slow Zoo. Have the children move
like their favorite slow animal while describing their movements in Slow Talk.
“I ammmm walllkkking lllikkke aaaaa turrrrrtlllle.”</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkXKDGPiVFmgkFvi6DSrXvtw4rkG0Uf4aXzpXOvPB_5nRM1s0j2QdyU4361oUp2PiZ_Npp6suf-JV-XXpOeADNtF4KDXJbL7ySYQgPgQgsq51VBg7s_7uohdgUTRDHSoSgURkjOKVD7I/s1600/Kids+bouncing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkXKDGPiVFmgkFvi6DSrXvtw4rkG0Uf4aXzpXOvPB_5nRM1s0j2QdyU4361oUp2PiZ_Npp6suf-JV-XXpOeADNtF4KDXJbL7ySYQgPgQgsq51VBg7s_7uohdgUTRDHSoSgURkjOKVD7I/w358-h400/Kids+bouncing.jpg" width="358" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b>10. IT’S SLOW TIME!</b>
Indoors or out, play any favorite game but take it slow. Great games for this
are Follow the Leader or Simon Says, but try this idea with any game the children
already know. Taking it slow will make the game different, challenging,
(and often silly) for them!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "century gothic"; font-size: large;"><b>WANT TO KNOW MORE?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";">If you're interested in learning more ways to help children develop balance and control, you might enjoy these posts...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
<a href="http://bit.ly/MSSpinCycle" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";" target="_blank">DEVELOPING BALANCE: THE SPIN CYCLE</a><br />
<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><a href="http://bit.ly/LetEmRoll" target="_blank">SMART STEPS: LET 'EM ROLL</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><br /></span>
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Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-76170885628725730922014-07-24T20:47:00.002-04:002022-03-31T00:43:11.357-04:00THE SEVEN SENSES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQuB0WNt7JcaQQ501NJDEo8jLsp7eNLdn3jQjtOUbEK0TWL_zPh4mU43h1kXr9GmbuOxJOukknmveCAfZYjm5PLuafMB_ZUcVbSFZ8m4CU8s7Z7erMGV_3WUTVSkBYQyNgSYGcgexC0M/s1600/Seven+Senses+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQuB0WNt7JcaQQ501NJDEo8jLsp7eNLdn3jQjtOUbEK0TWL_zPh4mU43h1kXr9GmbuOxJOukknmveCAfZYjm5PLuafMB_ZUcVbSFZ8m4CU8s7Z7erMGV_3WUTVSkBYQyNgSYGcgexC0M/w206-h400/Seven+Senses+6.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Seven? Yes, seven.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Beyond the five senses we learn about in school (sight, sound, smell,
taste, and touch) there are actually two more: the vestibular system (sense of
balance) and proprioception (our intuitive sense of space and position). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now, I realize these may not be words you’re familiar. So you might be
surprised to hear that <b>the vestibular system and the proprioceptive sense make
possible just about everything we do (even sleeping).</b> And they do so without
our notice. That’s because, as adults, we’ve had years of experience with these
senses so they are automatic to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiF3rVf-OBHuubLjsCzUsw27o37kdSfe_t1l9Wn80Xq1ts3mdbe6yXX-e7b1tU3Tt9GHR2TlQFiJ2-GzoGyLHHAMCvZNrZotdvRs9hVX4Wf9f3hI5ChXUM0sUmzOm_tS5AVi5BGgt9qu0/s1600/Seven+Senses+10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiF3rVf-OBHuubLjsCzUsw27o37kdSfe_t1l9Wn80Xq1ts3mdbe6yXX-e7b1tU3Tt9GHR2TlQFiJ2-GzoGyLHHAMCvZNrZotdvRs9hVX4Wf9f3hI5ChXUM0sUmzOm_tS5AVi5BGgt9qu0/w400-h285/Seven+Senses+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">But they are NOT automatic to kids. Like the other five senses, kids need
to learn what these senses are trying to tell them through the trial-and-error
process of everyday living, playing, and moving. And because they guide and govern how
we use our bodies, </span><b><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">the vestibular and proprioceptive senses contribute to every major milestone and are often behind those fall-down-and-go-boom moments.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So, let’s take a quick tour these two not-so-well-known senses…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">SENSE #6 – THE VESTIBULAR SYSTEM (BALANCE)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The vestibular
system is the scientific term for our sense of balance, responsible for keeping
us upright and in balance.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And if you think about it, without balance, we
pretty much couldn’t do anything. For instance, if you’re reading this sitting
down, your vestibular system is keeping you upright and in the chair. Now, you
might be thinking the chair is keeping you upright, but in fact, if your brain
didn’t understand which way was up, you’d tip right over. And notice how you
don’t have to THINK about staying upright. Your vestibular system is doing it
for you automatically, every day, 24 hours a day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Conversely, <b>kids are focused on their balance a lot.</b> Have you ever
noticed when a child sits in a chair he fidgets around? Yes, sometimes he has
to go to the bathroom, but quite often, what you’re seeing is his vestibular
system at work with his body, helping him adjust himself to feel in balance. In
fact, <b>whenever a child moves (on or off the chair, indoors or out, fast or
slow, right-side up or upside down, etc., etc.), his inner ear reacts to and
records those movements, giving his brain important information about the
body’s orientation at any given moment.</b> Over time and with lots of different
kinds of movement, his brain will begin to determine what is and isn’t “in
balance” for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">SENSE #7 – PROPRIOCEPTION (SPACE & POSITION)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Proprioception,
or what I call Intuition, is our body and brain working together to understand
and navigate space and objects.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Again, for adults this is automatic and intuitive.
Without thinking about it, you know if your body will fit through a passageway.
You climb stairs without looking at them. You have a sense of how much strength
you need to push open a door. And you don’t fall out of bed at night. Your
proprioceptive sensors (residing in your muscles, tendons, and ligaments) have
helped you develop these navigation skills over many years of practical,
everyday movements and experiences with space and objects. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">A child, of course, is less experienced so so it's not automatic yet. We can guide him, but only to a point. </span><b style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">That’s because the only way for a
child to truly know his own body is to use it.</b><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"> And yes, that includes
bumping into furniture, tripping over his own feet, pushing too hard, and all
those other things we think of as kid-clumsy. It’s just his body and brain working
together to learn about his environment using his proprioceptive senses to pave
the way.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq1r6O6Dfqpoz4bBy7Gam7hkOW5xx3yoO8dJe2Tu-EgdeSuvS9DF8I2ybwjFKZPwI4ghyphenhyphen_N5y4iQR_B4grSMz4Kgoa06bXon4KQROGgak70HHHg6ogAUeoi098rZ6ugenhHdNCQamSs0/s1600/Boy+Climbing+Down.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmq1r6O6Dfqpoz4bBy7Gam7hkOW5xx3yoO8dJe2Tu-EgdeSuvS9DF8I2ybwjFKZPwI4ghyphenhyphen_N5y4iQR_B4grSMz4Kgoa06bXon4KQROGgak70HHHg6ogAUeoi098rZ6ugenhHdNCQamSs0/s1600/Boy+Climbing+Down.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14pt;">WHY
IS HE STILL CLUMSY?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Parents often ask me when kids will stop being so clumsy. Surely, if they
can walk, run, and jump, they must have mastered these senses by now? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Well, of course, those physical capabilities are signs of his maturing
vestibular and proprioceptive senses. But he’s not done yet for one simple
reason… he’s growing. <b>As the body changes, the brain needs to readjust its
understanding of balance, orientation, and of course, space.</b> And that will
take all of his growing years. For instance, the play tunnel he could walk
through last year, he has to duck down to get through this year. Next year,
he’ll probably have to get on all-fours and crawl through it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The thing to
look out for isn’t when he bumps into things, but when he begins navigating things on
his own.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> That’s when all his senses, his life experience (memory), and emerging
problem solving skills are combining to give him an automatic sense of himself…
without the fall-down-and-go-boom part.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><i>You can find more information on the Vestibular and Proprioceptive senses in our book <a href="http://amzn.to/1crZi3I" target="_blank">A Moving Child Is a Learning Child</a> by <a href="http://www.freespirit.com/teacher-resources/child-development/a-moving-child-is-a-learning-child-gill-connell-cheryl-mccarthy/" target="_blank">Free Spirit Publishing</a>.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.to/1crZi3I" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OjJMhkOOhbnjuM2glTXFLrrwUPcatlx_TUVOdYRVzUcSwmrOGQeIU32YZPS9MPLsoVe52chucYxCchsLAa_ZEKDJW7XJDm0hJ8zmp_M53uv_ZRaGfAUR16z6uHPPItxNG4mjL_qmUr4/s1600/A+Moving+Child+Is+a+Learning+Child+Book+Cover.png" width="167" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fIO5fHf1OGufymtqVmt_1WjqqkZ7HYAdLN7fxMMvODJETIUhpNZndEggmdnGsXaUgKQWddB3uGhv4UQPRlXDpnbFDW9BmEPHCzACUDP0-EKiPbrwATDrFJKnh-qTTdCNe2jWLtg7pog/s1600/Banner+-+Barefeet.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fIO5fHf1OGufymtqVmt_1WjqqkZ7HYAdLN7fxMMvODJETIUhpNZndEggmdnGsXaUgKQWddB3uGhv4UQPRlXDpnbFDW9BmEPHCzACUDP0-EKiPbrwATDrFJKnh-qTTdCNe2jWLtg7pog/w400-h123/Banner+-+Barefeet.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Like the other
senses, developing the vestibular and proprioceptive senses actually begins
before birth and continues all throughout the early years of life.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Simple,
everyday, playful activities help teach the brain what balance, space, and
position feel like<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14pt;">HUG
& DIP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">FOR YOUNG BABIES (PRE-WALKING)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvXatWtle0fzqejP-4tL7i2joPom2qEKatRay1CLOJTnOG5b8TinlqkjODyYqjW6ne2kdBhLKgpaXEgdDeJlGAPZbw2BzjVyzL-a_BVP1eo2HmgD-rYGe6jA_FvRXVrkbt93KO92w2uY/s1600/Seven+Senses+11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvXatWtle0fzqejP-4tL7i2joPom2qEKatRay1CLOJTnOG5b8TinlqkjODyYqjW6ne2kdBhLKgpaXEgdDeJlGAPZbw2BzjVyzL-a_BVP1eo2HmgD-rYGe6jA_FvRXVrkbt93KO92w2uY/s1600/Seven+Senses+11.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>Sit in a chair so you’re very steady, and hold baby upright close to your
chest so he feels your sense of touch all around his body. Supporting baby’s
neck and back (see photographs), very slowly lean baby back and rest him horizontally on your
lap. Hold for a few moments, then continuing to support his neck and back, tip
baby back so that his feel are slightly above his head in an upside down
position. Hold again for a few moments, then slowly bring baby back to your
lap, then back up to your chest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">PLEASE NOTE: As with any activity with young children, go slow and be very
gentle with your movements. If at any time you feel baby is not enjoying the
activity, stop immediately. You can always try it another time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE? First, by holding him close so he feels your touch
360 degrees around his body, you are giving his proprioceptive senses an
all-over feel for his own body. Then, by slowly and gently changing his orientation
(starting with his head up, then horizontal, then slightly upside down his vestibular system recognizes and records these changes in position,
giving his brain important clues to all the possible ways the body can move.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14pt;">LET’S
GO FOR A SPIN!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">FOR TODDLERS ABLE TO SIT UP ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT SUPPORT<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Find a cardboard box big enough for the child to sit in and hold onto the
sides. Sit the child in the box, then slowly spin the box around. As the child
gets accustomed to the sensations give him a gentle ride around the room in
different directions, spinning, zig-zagging, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE? Sitting the child in the box gives him a sense of
himself fitting into space (proprioception). When you spin him or give him a
ride, his brain is using the vestibular system to keep his orientation upright
and in balance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14pt;">WORM
ALONG<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">FOR PRESCHOOLERS ABLE TO CRAWL, WALK, AND RUN<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wq5a-RWuImrFElw7yQXkfBGpTgHUSl36oaUAsXYl7SwWbNIqVP55uFNubrIfCfJVt8PVrynANHlqcHHHOrMXq0RCUOFOlBlMuojiDy-3DKMUoanLpaGrImzOfHKMqGC2zHiYNLrecog/s1600/Seven+Senses+12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wq5a-RWuImrFElw7yQXkfBGpTgHUSl36oaUAsXYl7SwWbNIqVP55uFNubrIfCfJVt8PVrynANHlqcHHHOrMXq0RCUOFOlBlMuojiDy-3DKMUoanLpaGrImzOfHKMqGC2zHiYNLrecog/w400-h197/Seven+Senses+12.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Lay out a plank several inches off the ground, threading one or more
hoops through the plank. (See photograph). Encourage the child to crawl across
the plank. Each time he reaches the hoop, encourage him to crawl through the
hoop while maintain his balance on the plank. As the child gains confidence,
suggest trying to walk across the plank, crawling through the hoops as he goes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">PLEASE NOTE: Stand by for support as the child needs it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE? Of course, the plank is a great test of the
child’s ability to control his balance on a narrow surface. By adding the
hoops, you are challenging his coordination and proprioceptive senses to
navigate a completely different shape of space. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-15324876781096745682014-03-30T23:02:00.003-04:002022-03-31T00:45:02.636-04:00MEETING NATURE: On Our Way to the Duck Pond<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0xX18lcAZNRGtHyei6SeRLOIhm7qlMoiy400GGXuPgjIFt5fHGEu2Xo-rwX7RrIe_e3Nq8UGGGxr2cLqzE78eFAWu_fImVYfQ0Q4JUKo9PA5J4yna1kL5x6rk1XQh2-fyUsm6LYpURzv/s1600/Flower+Smell.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0xX18lcAZNRGtHyei6SeRLOIhm7qlMoiy400GGXuPgjIFt5fHGEu2Xo-rwX7RrIe_e3Nq8UGGGxr2cLqzE78eFAWu_fImVYfQ0Q4JUKo9PA5J4yna1kL5x6rk1XQh2-fyUsm6LYpURzv/s1600/Flower+Smell.png" width="318" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Some time ago when my granddaughter was visiting, we took a walk in
the park as we always did. Caitlin loved the duck pond and we usually made a beeline straight to the ducks. But that day was different. The flowers
caught Caitlin’s eye, so we stopped to explore…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">At
first I stepped back to watch as she crouched to meet the flowers up close. Her
fingers reached out instinctively to touch a daisy. I told her how much I liked
that she was gentle with the flowers because we want to keep them safe for
everyone to enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Like a
little bumblebee, she buzzed from flower to flower gathering new information,
insights, and ideas, while I did my best to keep up, adding the words she didn’t
have to describe her floral journey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaw0gQmi-rHgozZsyIXLYlJ2Zm2n8ON8Xa37iV5Gsuh42WtsvroZnMqV8M80M-V-u6pR8Jx-mOmKExjG05AE6MRRC2617e1_hen6N7TFZoigDuwLE1wdzNjSKaesQ4fYI3WjbXjLLcXIN/s1600/BEE.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaw0gQmi-rHgozZsyIXLYlJ2Zm2n8ON8Xa37iV5Gsuh42WtsvroZnMqV8M80M-V-u6pR8Jx-mOmKExjG05AE6MRRC2617e1_hen6N7TFZoigDuwLE1wdzNjSKaesQ4fYI3WjbXjLLcXIN/w400-h266/BEE.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">I
marveled at the different flowers in the bed, narrating as she touched each
one… yellow, pink, white, orange… lilies, daisies, poppies, roses, gladiolas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">I wondered
what the flowers smelled like. She leaned in and sniffed each flower, the
pollen sticking to her nose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">I
couldn’t decide which were my favorites, so Caitlin helped me choose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">It
turns out, I love roses and lilies the best!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RT_5exSgIq-H6GO4-h3-bCwD3fsXXdL-gfM-yS-ssbYwsPuJn2DmM-YuhxkDLAce6YqTDAnrlQvBF31onzdgRgTpWqJ_HhOOUecrBFmyt7CSCZ1LivG01gvYwN8uIXlz1R7qEG9QmhsB/s1600/ROSES.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RT_5exSgIq-H6GO4-h3-bCwD3fsXXdL-gfM-yS-ssbYwsPuJn2DmM-YuhxkDLAce6YqTDAnrlQvBF31onzdgRgTpWqJ_HhOOUecrBFmyt7CSCZ1LivG01gvYwN8uIXlz1R7qEG9QmhsB/s1600/ROSES.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">I
pointed out a garden beetle strolling by, using the flowers to stay cool in the
shade the way we play under the maple tree to keep out of the sun. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">I
wondered what the flowers look like to the beetle. We laid down and peeked up
at the flowers from our beetle’s eye view. Have you ever seen a bed of flowers
from the bottom up? The petals are perfectly gathered into the cap of the stem,
then splaying up and out towards the sun. The delicate petals let the sun shine
through, creating rich and vibrant patterns of color pitched against the bright
blue sky. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">It
turns out, beetles are very lucky to live in the colorful shade of the flower
bed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Just
then, a caterpillar started inching his way down the flower stem right towards
us. We laid very still, and as he drew closer, I reached up and put out my
finger to him. He graciously accepted my invitation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Caitlin
petted the caterpillar, studying his boneless, little body. He was bright green
and furry all over. In time, he inched his way right into Caitlin’s hand and paid
a gentle visit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">It
turns out caterpillars tickle!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Then I
wondered what it would be like to move like a caterpillar. Caitlin wanted to
show me how, so we carefully returned our little green friend to his flower
bed, and made great grass stains playing Caterpillar Crawls on
the cool grass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">
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<!--EndFragment--></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And like
an old friend, it turns out, nature never disappoints. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ5cijI9fe0SsetnW73Pn2rFEFo46kfgA8QZ2r2SfF1p-tLb55l4UgHOCDGPkp3H_s41r_E1TClzYYUymoFOJYZe2PFtmD7iusYlzmof1WRe7Kdg07RojAPolWN4jROE7BoLYB4V098xf/s1600/Hill.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ5cijI9fe0SsetnW73Pn2rFEFo46kfgA8QZ2r2SfF1p-tLb55l4UgHOCDGPkp3H_s41r_E1TClzYYUymoFOJYZe2PFtmD7iusYlzmof1WRe7Kdg07RojAPolWN4jROE7BoLYB4V098xf/s1600/Hill.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">MAKING INTRODUCTIONS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Wherever
they go, young children encounter things they’ve never seen before, and as we
know, first impressions are lasting impressions. So, here are a few concepts I
use when introducing children to new things…</span><br />
<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b>
<b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Follow,
don’t lead.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; text-indent: -18pt;">
Whatever interests them is what you should spend time exploring. (Caitlin chose
the flowers to explore, not me.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><br /></span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Wonder
aloud…</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; text-indent: -18pt;"> When you
wonder aloud, kids take up the idea and run with it. This is a great way to draw them in AND draw
their own conclusions about things. (I wanted Caitlin to explore all the
flowers so I said, “I wonder what colors they are?” “I wonder what they smell
like?”)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><br /></span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Recognize
the positive behavior you want, not the negative you don’t want.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; text-indent: -18pt;"> With new things, children
won’t necessarily know how to behave. Focusing on positive behavior is a great
way to give them the guidance they need.
(I didn’t want Caitlin to pick the flowers so I told her how much I
liked how gentle she was being with them.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><br /></span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Use
YOUR Imagination.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; text-indent: -18pt;">
Try to imagine what it’s like to have never seen this before, and try to find
new ways to explore it so that you’re seeing things for the first time too! (I
had never seen flowers from the bottom up before.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><br /></span><b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Physicalize
New Ideas.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; text-indent: -18pt;"> If
you have the opportunity, help children grasp new ideas by getting them to put
their whole body into it. (I asked Caitlin, “I wonder what it feels like to
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mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
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mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
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<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzqhZiTqfrzk33jj-tiHG2jmjsCPNf0_V6-rsF5lTJXbN2c6Uj4s3-G4ip4JHheFdcI-_GL1_mSom8OzqZB0D2BeEmD_5Ppiu7YV4rn0UDISgyDJE4UfIbzDxQLYLfH0rVUfUK0_TuTm2/s1600/Playable+Moment.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzqhZiTqfrzk33jj-tiHG2jmjsCPNf0_V6-rsF5lTJXbN2c6Uj4s3-G4ip4JHheFdcI-_GL1_mSom8OzqZB0D2BeEmD_5Ppiu7YV4rn0UDISgyDJE4UfIbzDxQLYLfH0rVUfUK0_TuTm2/w400-h94/Playable+Moment.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><b style="font-family: -webkit-standard; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><b style="font-family: -webkit-standard; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">CATERPILLAR CRAWLING</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">To
start, have her lie on her tummy and raise her seat up and down. </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Once
she’s got the hang of it, show her how to raise her seat up, then inch forward
as she brings it back down to the ground to create an “inchworm” forward crawl.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">CATERPILLAR WALKING<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">For an
older child, have her stand and reach down, walking her hands out in front of
her. Then walk her feet up to meet her hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
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<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
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<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
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<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
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<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
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<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Gill Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15594829697859305394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-33535264698422209762013-12-25T00:01:00.000-05:002013-12-25T00:01:01.320-05:00HUG THE MAGIC!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7VceB_jgKNIGiPR6iOlQrL2SfeUi4Z8mX00acNGxpCmzDe1GUkB1hOslaSNMffzF3NC8wvY7tlfSvRIFdIQhrd1UW3H9abdRRe4pMO_Ijad_so3syEAF_c-_qqI0I78KYCxjA7RRvk8/s1600/Hug+the+Magic+Christmas+2013.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7VceB_jgKNIGiPR6iOlQrL2SfeUi4Z8mX00acNGxpCmzDe1GUkB1hOslaSNMffzF3NC8wvY7tlfSvRIFdIQhrd1UW3H9abdRRe4pMO_Ijad_so3syEAF_c-_qqI0I78KYCxjA7RRvk8/s1600/Hug+the+Magic+Christmas+2013.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7VceB_jgKNIGiPR6iOlQrL2SfeUi4Z8mX00acNGxpCmzDe1GUkB1hOslaSNMffzF3NC8wvY7tlfSvRIFdIQhrd1UW3H9abdRRe4pMO_Ijad_so3syEAF_c-_qqI0I78KYCxjA7RRvk8/s400/Hug+the+Magic+Christmas+2013.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Wishing you the
very best of the holiday season!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Gill & The Moving Smart Team</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
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Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-64366299929289524042013-12-19T07:16:00.000-05:002013-12-24T01:44:18.590-05:00A KINETIC CHRISTMAS: Tinsel Toes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesXXZewo7QZMDCl0g97q2SHXk-uiRUbjW5NmFq1kx475IMrSg_JBnonFJSblVD-XbniJ4omgkXzOhFvTNbkl3f46afeDyybyytjcgb8i_9mLSsaa_pxLYq6_aGSZ8rtMeUlzFKX0b1CY/s1600/Tinsel+Toes+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesXXZewo7QZMDCl0g97q2SHXk-uiRUbjW5NmFq1kx475IMrSg_JBnonFJSblVD-XbniJ4omgkXzOhFvTNbkl3f46afeDyybyytjcgb8i_9mLSsaa_pxLYq6_aGSZ8rtMeUlzFKX0b1CY/s1600/Tinsel+Toes+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Day 19<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Tinsel Toes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 3.5in 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">FROM LEAPING
TO SKIPPING (4+)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20xqgLZAkeY3TGTVfTlHjivAAtb-Hdz56ZMWh7pfUFByjrrZLgkowKrEef5ZYjeZeHjyx2KXMIfTIPkIgEDplzhk9F_tUvZ_dT3CzzEaBwq6Ek1NE06qSyLED3sKikFCpqJ7XBxkLTCw/s1600/KCKS+19.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20xqgLZAkeY3TGTVfTlHjivAAtb-Hdz56ZMWh7pfUFByjrrZLgkowKrEef5ZYjeZeHjyx2KXMIfTIPkIgEDplzhk9F_tUvZ_dT3CzzEaBwq6Ek1NE06qSyLED3sKikFCpqJ7XBxkLTCw/s1600/KCKS+19.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Click to Enlarge</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">SANTA'S TAKE-OFF</span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">On Christmas Eve, while every one's busy in the Workshop getting
Santa ready to take off, there's one elf outside getting the take-off ready.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">His name is Tinsel Toes and he's in charge of the tinsel that lines
the runway. It's a really long runway, and every flutter of tinsel has to be
perfectly straight so the sleigh sets off in the right direction! <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">Now, this is a big job, but don't you worry. Tinsel Toes has been
doing it for as long as anyone can remember. He's bound to get it right one of
these years.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">(OK. So if you really want to know the truth, the runway is always
crooked as a candy cane. But don't blame Tinsel Toes. It's not his fault. It's
the tinsel! You see, it's a little known fact that when you step on tinsel, it tickles
your toes and makes you dance! And when you dance, it's hard to keep things
straight!)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">Maybe you'll have better luck. Would you like to help Tinsel Toes
lay out Santa's runway? But just beware. Your toes might start dancing!</span></i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrtR-aVUjteGKjdcQN599QNdVFo14MUeiGX0HVfRiopoHgAYgXhgbUnjz1_lOgGnuOp0MN6l7tJ8QQ7qJ9EyN8YTiA1nubAiwjyMRaJ-SYo4EzGnez1WhKJHPMWUrIn9BEF6QNwujdmw/s1600/Tinsel+Toes+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrtR-aVUjteGKjdcQN599QNdVFo14MUeiGX0HVfRiopoHgAYgXhgbUnjz1_lOgGnuOp0MN6l7tJ8QQ7qJ9EyN8YTiA1nubAiwjyMRaJ-SYo4EzGnez1WhKJHPMWUrIn9BEF6QNwujdmw/s1600/Tinsel+Toes+1.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">TINSEL TOES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">Back on <a href="http://bit.ly/18Ssph0" target="_blank">Day 1 </a>of our Kinetic Christmas series, we talked about the sensory value of tinsel. So let's take that a step further…. do these games BAREFOOT...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">TINSEL BEAM. Lay out a single path of tinsel
and walk on it all the way to the end. Now, walk backwards on the tinsel back
to where you started. (Remember to try to keep your runway straight!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">TINSEL RUNWAY. Lay out two strands of tinsel
parallel to each other about 6" apart. Step carefully BETWEEN the tinsel.
If your toes touch the tinsel, stop, lay down, put your feet in the air and
twinkle your toes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">TINSEL TWIZZLE. Lay out two strands of tinsel
parallel to each other about 12" apart. Cross-walk along the tinsel,
putting your right foot on the left tinsel, your left foot on the right tinsel.
(Some children may need assistance with this. It's an advanced midline
activity, so stand by just in case.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">TINSEL TROUBLE. How many ways can you dance on
the tinsel? For instance, try walking the length of the tinsel on your tippy
toes... your heels... the sides of your feet. How would a caterpillar dance on
tinsel? A monkey? A penguin?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">DO THE TINSEL TIZZY! Put on some upbeat music
and dance, but here's the trick. All throughout the dance, you must have at
least one foot on the tinsel! (It may help to pretend to "glue" his
foot to the tinsel. Rub his foot with your hand, then "stick it" to
the tinsel. This gives him a physical cue to remember to keep his foot still.)
Make up some dance steps for your child to try, then have him make up his own.
And don't forget to Do the Tinsel Tizzy with him! After all, toes are for
dancing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">Wishing you a happy, healthy, and active
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<b style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: xx-large;">A KINETIC CHRISTMAS</b></div>
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<b style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: xx-large;">BLOG SERIES</b></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><b>24 DAYS OF ACTIVE HOLIDAY PLAY!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><a href="http://bit.ly/18Ssph0" target="_blank">DAY 1: A KINETIC CHRISTMAS</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/186124F" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';" target="_blank">DAY 2: CANDY-CANE-GO-ROUND</a></div>
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<span style="color: #999999;"><a href="http://bit.ly/BeTheTree" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">DAY 3: BE THE TREE</span> </a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ReindeerReins" target="_blank">DAY 4: REINDEER REINS</a></span><span style="color: #999999;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ChristmasCrawl" target="_blank">DAY 5: CHRISTMAS CRAWL</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/RockinAround" target="_blank">DAY 6: ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/WalrusWords" target="_blank">DAY 7: WALRUS WORDS</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ChimneyChallenge" target="_blank">DAY 8: CHIMNEY TRICKS!</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/CCHockey" target="_blank">DAY 9: CANDY CANE HOCKEY</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; text-align: start;"><a href="http://bit.ly/JingleRings" target="_blank">DAY 10: JINGLE RINGS</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ThreeHGM" target="_blank">DAY 11: THREE HEADED GINGERBREAD MONSTER</a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><a href="http://bit.ly/KCSantaSays" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">DAY 12: SANTA SAYS!</span> </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/SantaClausWay" target="_blank">DAY 13: SANTA CLAUS WAY</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; text-align: start;"><a href="http://bit.ly/IndoorSnow" target="_blank">DAY 14: INDOOR SNOW!</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/MYOBlizzard" target="_blank">DAY 15: MAKE YOUR OWN BLIZZARD</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/FrostyStacks" target="_blank">DAY 16: FROSTY STACKS</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; text-align: start;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ReindeerRelay" target="_blank">DAY 17: REINDEER RELAY</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><a href="http://bit.ly/LittleDrummerKids" target="_blank">DAY 18: LITTLE DRUMMER KIDS</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; text-align: start;"><a href="http://bit.ly/TinselToes" target="_blank">DAY 19: TINSEL TOES</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><a href="http://bit.ly/JingleTag" target="_blank">DAY 20: JINGLE TAG</a></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; text-align: start;"><a href="http://bit.ly/NutcrackerJig" target="_blank">DAY 21: NUTCRACKER JIG</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; text-align: start;"><a href="http://bit.ly/SantasSack" target="_blank">DAY 22: SANTA'S SACK</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; text-align: start;"><a href="http://bit.ly/PTPresents" target="_blank">DAY 23: PASS THE PRESENTS</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; text-align: start;"><a href="http://bit.ly/MakingXmasMagic" target="_blank">DAY 24: MAKING MAGIC</a></span></div>
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Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-3947998596209388362013-11-18T18:23:00.001-05:002013-11-23T20:28:57.997-05:00THE KINETIC SCALE: Beyond Gross & Fine Motor<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Well, it's official! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Moving Child
Is a Learning Child</i> is in print!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Here's a little preview</span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">In our new book, you'll see we're introducing a brand new tool we haven't talked about yet
here on the blog. <b>We call it THE KINETIC SCALE, going</b></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><b> beyond gross and fine motor to better understand how movement fuels the body
and the brain for </b><i style="font-weight: bold;">learning</i><b>. </b>(Oh, and health and fitness too!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">I like to <b>think of The Kinetic Scale as </b></span><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;"><b>the food pyramid for movement.</b> I</span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">t </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">breaks movement down into its essential "nutrients," making it easy to see and understand what's happening in children's development. And of course,
once you know what goes into it, it's easy (and fun!) to create a "well balanced
diet" of movement kids need each day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We'll talk more about The Kinetic Scale and how to use it in the coming
weeks. But in the meantime, once again, Cheryl and I would like to thank all of
you for your inspiration, support, and encouragement in bringing <i>A Moving Child Is A Learning Child</i> to
life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(And by the way, the next time someone asks you to sound serious on a
playground full of kids, tell them that's a seriously silly idea!)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: x-small;">Image from <i>A Moving Child Is a Learning Child: How the Body Teaches the Brain to Think</i> by Gill Connell and Cheryl McCarthy, copyright © 2013. Used with permission of Free Spirit Publishing Inc., Minneapolis, MN; 800-735-7323; www.freespirit.com <<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://www.freespirit.com/">http://www.freespirit.com</a></u></span>> . All rights reserved.</span>
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<!--EndFragment-->Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-67395111846736751572013-08-31T16:08:00.001-04:002014-01-29T09:00:15.525-05:00A MOVING CHILD IS A LEARNING CHILD<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqiQkLGIIkfZaya3nqHcq6ZFmjqp14QaG8zEKn9sVwohi1n9pvqhHgjwUGxunm_2lGnGVF-ay4fPTWX56E-l8qjqCbhJgI0Rocwj-TGqzCbx595O4YVZTxYPKIB5Ro2DDQNnffMQLYto/s1600/AMCIALC+COVER+CROPPED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqiQkLGIIkfZaya3nqHcq6ZFmjqp14QaG8zEKn9sVwohi1n9pvqhHgjwUGxunm_2lGnGVF-ay4fPTWX56E-l8qjqCbhJgI0Rocwj-TGqzCbx595O4YVZTxYPKIB5Ro2DDQNnffMQLYto/s640/AMCIALC+COVER+CROPPED.jpg" height="640" width="420" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When my writing partner, Cheryl McCarthy and I sat down to talk about
writing my second book, her first question to me was "why do you want to
write this book?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I explained that I believe movement is the under-appreciated piece of the
early childhood puzzle, and that I wanted parents and teachers to understand
the vital role movement plays in helping little ones reach their fullest
potential.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I sat back, fully satisfied with my answer and thought, job done. Writing
this book is going to be a snap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Cheryl paused, leaned forward and rephrased the question. "No. I
meant, why do you WANT to write this book? What's in it for YOU?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Wow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I was stumped. My mind raced. Tears welled. I leaned forward for the
words and managed a whisper. "I wish I knew then what I know now." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There it was. My 30 year quest to uncover what makes kids tick was actually
a personal journey to understand myself through the lens of the two most
important roles of my life -- parent and teacher. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOf2-ySJI5Ad0qUVhAy97M5YXyg-qrpH8FNvSNYW_5HJm9wCEvJDKn_dGOBNr8UOVqBMVUDdY2zp_oo7Noim4x8RWctahG_CBNhc8QbMEGdnmvi8jjPpBSdP_f0gXCr1kOOEZ_kEQZRo/s1600/Gill+&+Caitlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeOf2-ySJI5Ad0qUVhAy97M5YXyg-qrpH8FNvSNYW_5HJm9wCEvJDKn_dGOBNr8UOVqBMVUDdY2zp_oo7Noim4x8RWctahG_CBNhc8QbMEGdnmvi8jjPpBSdP_f0gXCr1kOOEZ_kEQZRo/s400/Gill+&+Caitlin.jpg" height="400" width="306" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Knowing what I know now, I really <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i>
ready to write this book. And I was (and still am) humbled by the thought. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">With gratitude to our families and friends for all of their support over
the past three years, and the amazing team at Free Spirit Publishing for their
guidance and partnership, Cheryl and I are so pleased to share with you the
first excerpt from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Moving Child Is a Learning Child</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And so it begins...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Opening
Passage from...<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A
Moving Child Is a Learning Child<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">All learning
begins with the body. It has to. It</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">ʼ</span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">s our point of reference—our own personal, portable True North, so
to speak. And for children, it</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">ʼ</span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">s even more because <b>the body is the brain</b></span><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">ʼ</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">s first teacher. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">And the
lesson plan is movement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">From
grasping your finger to grasping her rattle to grasping the mechanics of
crawling, standing, walking, jumping, and those hurtling-headlong-hugs, <b>every
move a young child makes</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">—<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">intentional or accidental</span>—<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">leads to learning.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Movement develops her physical capabilities,
of course. But at the same time, it is building sensory perceptions and
critical pathways in the brain necessary to reach her full potential.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">It's been well reported that within the first
years of childhood, approximately 90 percent of the neural pathways in the
brain will be set for life. Those pathways determine how a child thinks and
learns, but more, they will shape who she becomes . . . her passions and
pursuits, triumphs and challenges, inner reflections, outer reactions, and
outlook on life . . . <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">all flowing <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">through the neural network built by her
earliest physical and sensory experiences.</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprPqbDoJjLxp6TyXyrvOzfplKlmf2IjQQLT9acnBC5dD2m1wd7F71lueCQf6eeEEinNAQ3D7F1Bpvudez4PyJ5jFm058Q_MlyN8Rjjnnfjs4YaZOjZHN-k6A3J2aZn__5-1dvPT9ZBGw/s1600/Caitlin+Slide+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprPqbDoJjLxp6TyXyrvOzfplKlmf2IjQQLT9acnBC5dD2m1wd7F71lueCQf6eeEEinNAQ3D7F1Bpvudez4PyJ5jFm058Q_MlyN8Rjjnnfjs4YaZOjZHN-k6A3J2aZn__5-1dvPT9ZBGw/s400/Caitlin+Slide+2.png" height="400" width="306" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">With breathtaking simplicity, nature has
created this move-to-learn process to be both dynamic and self-perpetuating,
building the body and brain simultaneously</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;">.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;"> As such,
the more a child moves, the more she stimulates her brain. The more the brain
is stimulated, the more movement is required to go get more stimulation. In
this way, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">nature gently coaxes the child
to explore beyond her current boundaries towards her own curiosity to acquire
new capabilities. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">And that, of course, is what we call learning.</span></div>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;">Adapted from <i>A Moving Child Is a Learning Child: How the Body Teaches the Brain to Think</i> by Gill Connell and Cheryl McCarthy, copyright © 2013. Used with permission of Free Spirit Publishing Inc., Minneapolis, MN; 800-735-7323; www.freespirit.com. All rights reserved.</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Thank you to all our readers for your continued support for our work, and your love, care, and advocacy for children everywhere.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Child-Is-Learning-Teaches/dp/1575424355/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377955128&sr=8-1&keywords=a+moving+child+is+a+learning+child" target="_blank">A Moving Child Is a Learning Child</a></span></i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;"> will be
available now! </span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-68548177748320631032013-05-28T20:59:00.000-04:002013-08-10T12:24:41.204-04:00"ACADEMIC CREEP"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrteRWRBPLh570AdGko7CXynl5rV80MwtlUqT_V5hQ6TSwZafcv8xYTxG9Skv1cMk6Wxnz0z5NywL3LknYN0mJWFzeOLjoO9gsTeHYoDp0JMKvSO1YOdk8KYJWycdsKk4quSpxjVj2l0/s1600/AC6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrteRWRBPLh570AdGko7CXynl5rV80MwtlUqT_V5hQ6TSwZafcv8xYTxG9Skv1cMk6Wxnz0z5NywL3LknYN0mJWFzeOLjoO9gsTeHYoDp0JMKvSO1YOdk8KYJWycdsKk4quSpxjVj2l0/s400/AC6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Not long ago, I was talking to a mom of a three year old little girl. She
was clearly a loving mom and very in tune with her daughter who was bright, curious,
fun-loving, happy, and healthy. In other words, all's well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But this mom was concerned that her daughter "wasn't interested in
anything educational in nature." She explained that she's tried lots of
different ways to interest her child in letters and numbers, but her daughter
"just isn't having any of it." So she wanted to know if I had any tried and true ways of introducing the ABCs and 123s to little ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I think this concern is very concerning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What Is Educational?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">In our current
culture, it seems we've all embraced the notion that anything related to
academics is "educational" and everything else is somehow not.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> I call this
"academic creep" -- a teach-to-the-test mentality that's clouding our
view of learning and short-changing our children by denying one
simple, intuitive truth...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>For kids, EVERYTHING IS EDUCATIONAL. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJ-HMjjUuVh2Aj-pXU__y8RqWbysUD6HqIRAi7I0I6IG3lFfrBiKqbAwPPGR9sKQdMR-JQ3m6RX2uF4jEC4HSvAn5RNURGO9BCIQOvLetZwxmSH8HkrFyeBtGGcdTMy6tz5pv5vm_-Ok/s1600/AC+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJ-HMjjUuVh2Aj-pXU__y8RqWbysUD6HqIRAi7I0I6IG3lFfrBiKqbAwPPGR9sKQdMR-JQ3m6RX2uF4jEC4HSvAn5RNURGO9BCIQOvLetZwxmSH8HkrFyeBtGGcdTMy6tz5pv5vm_-Ok/s400/AC+2.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Forgive my soap-boxedness about this, but honestly, how could we have
come so far in advancing human knowledge only to have narrowed the definition
of "educational" to academic subject matter? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I'll never forget the first time my daughter Becky waved bye-bye on her
own. I was so proud, I told everyone how smart she was. And she <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i>! She heard "bye bye" and
knew what to do. That's what I call learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfN7xteiaOdTv56bFfZ5xxp31B0DFQFH1HGoawzlkLJjgo6LYRJ5XJZ-84GBca54PmODgTmrHFLISb8DRB9V5Oj7NfNJUw0WtSU9uqbaGESBolitcBIc8Rtv4B0EqbAEdneACvJ1vk9Y/s1600/AC1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfN7xteiaOdTv56bFfZ5xxp31B0DFQFH1HGoawzlkLJjgo6LYRJ5XJZ-84GBca54PmODgTmrHFLISb8DRB9V5Oj7NfNJUw0WtSU9uqbaGESBolitcBIc8Rtv4B0EqbAEdneACvJ1vk9Y/s400/AC1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Education vs. Academics <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And what we call things actually does matter because words shape our
attitudes and actions. Certainly, learning letters and numbers is educational.
But so is learning to wave "bye bye," and how to put on your socks,
when to say please, what it takes to get to the top of the monkeybars, and how
not to get caught with your hand in the cookie jar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A child who understands everyday language is ready for school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A child who dresses herself is ready for school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A child with good manners is ready for school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A child with stamina, coordination, and persistence is ready for school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A child who understands there are rules she is expected to follow and
consequences when she doesn't is ready for school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It's all educational. It's just not academic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And we must learn to separate the two in the way we think and speak about
learning.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OiNS827f0mz7l6oOelLDSaYE57Hr4cEg9_cZL1aLwVPsTF3o4FQRJkC9fi_Ji1RpHIakL_gx48rA6dERQyG7TR1uXYCPyH5fq1TL1zlbX2t6dU9UFEvHPeD7TvRCpdqcyhaPowELD6M/s1600/AC4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OiNS827f0mz7l6oOelLDSaYE57Hr4cEg9_cZL1aLwVPsTF3o4FQRJkC9fi_Ji1RpHIakL_gx48rA6dERQyG7TR1uXYCPyH5fq1TL1zlbX2t6dU9UFEvHPeD7TvRCpdqcyhaPowELD6M/s400/AC4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What is Kindergarten Readiness, Really?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now, you might be asking yourself, what about all those stories of kids not
being ready for kindergarten? As an educator and professional development
consultant, I agree many kids are NOT as ready as they need
to be today. <b>As I see it, there are two academic trends colliding here: 1. we're
expecting more from kids earlier, and 2. we're starting them earlier. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">I realize this sounds like double-talk, but it's the adult logic that's backwards here, in my view. It makes sense to us that if a child needs more preparation for the higher standards we set, we should start them earlier. After all, practice works, doesn't it? But learning at these early ages is a function of
developmental and neurological maturity. The brain simply isn't wired up
enough to process information the way it needs to be processed for schoolwork. And sitting little ones around a table doing worksheets is the exact OPPOSITE of what
they need to be "ready" for learning at that higher level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Early childhood
learning is a personal, follow-your-nose journey of play and exploration with
no other agenda than what's fun and fascinating <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right now</i>.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> That's nature's educational plan. In fact, a three
year old's brain is far more receptive to learning from mudpies and monkeybars
than ABCs and 123s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right now</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Of course, gently introducing them to new things they haven't found on
their own is a great way to expand their learning horizons. But expecting them
to engage or "perform" academically or in any other arena, is another matter
entirely. They'll do their best to oblige us, of course, but if they can't, all
we're doing is setting the table for unnecessary stress and frustration.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW2BGRIY3OdNzrNUTXCBnzMUrgzUPHN9UdiqUqN5ERIdN9EZHfX0qwdxpKa6cpROJcTxDr59SoydjHaekV7ZTfwwqLvYZMzJOThjmbmS34yXUdTxUrR_mzBSaxeQciOC_h7uPbuvuLKw/s1600/AC3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW2BGRIY3OdNzrNUTXCBnzMUrgzUPHN9UdiqUqN5ERIdN9EZHfX0qwdxpKa6cpROJcTxDr59SoydjHaekV7ZTfwwqLvYZMzJOThjmbmS34yXUdTxUrR_mzBSaxeQciOC_h7uPbuvuLKw/s400/AC3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Attitudes Towards Education<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Just because a preschooler isn't showing interest in letters and numbers yet
does not mean she's not interested in "anything educational in
nature." That's an adult concept of what education is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">supposed</i> to look like being applied to three-year-old behavior set against
the backdrop of "academic creep."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So when that mom applied the "educational" label to letters and
numbers, without realizing it, she was actually ignoring the educational value
in everything else her child <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">WAS</i>
interested in doing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">But what worries me most is the possibility of a false or fear-laden judgment
forming about the child's attitude towards academics, while overlooking her
individual disposition for learning. After all, how’s a three year old supposed
to know the difference between what's “educational” and “not educational?” And
even if she could, would she really be savvy enough to strike an attitude about
it, good or bad?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">We need to
respect and celebrate learning in all its forms at all stages of early development.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> And yes,
sometimes that may be academic in nature. But if it's not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right now</i>, that's perfectly OK. It will happen when she's ready. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the meantime, mudpies and monkeybars still have plenty to teach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGJIxaAqsgYh8lNhYo_fLSxEssuMftPf0QqFTurla48JpdHZ71IlqWE8eBjs4SnHqARPH40dSh8QTlJpAep9mvK5vF04a1kuC4lnsa1sjnhBP0pFJ7EfwL1KrKSMS8kmLvqnmrPbTQDo/s1600/Mudpies+&+Monkeybars.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGJIxaAqsgYh8lNhYo_fLSxEssuMftPf0QqFTurla48JpdHZ71IlqWE8eBjs4SnHqARPH40dSh8QTlJpAep9mvK5vF04a1kuC4lnsa1sjnhBP0pFJ7EfwL1KrKSMS8kmLvqnmrPbTQDo/s400/Mudpies+&+Monkeybars.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaczrLLgk0yzormx5UWsg4ACAs7XdPfaZ7A_FrMoGoebYCvEi1mKammdzyIZ1BY8UZT7OCaKUUYz6k7UA9wbvNx5NI8_g7YuQ2gg-JyGwp7Afx06nEZjLfxCbRKc04cTat-MMLNlhKTbU/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-07-18+at+8.11.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaczrLLgk0yzormx5UWsg4ACAs7XdPfaZ7A_FrMoGoebYCvEi1mKammdzyIZ1BY8UZT7OCaKUUYz6k7UA9wbvNx5NI8_g7YuQ2gg-JyGwp7Afx06nEZjLfxCbRKc04cTat-MMLNlhKTbU/s400/Screen+shot+2013-07-18+at+8.11.05+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-63770320935931292572013-05-16T22:38:00.001-04:002013-05-19T04:42:58.223-04:00SINGSTRUCTIONS<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcFVmwYeCqPr87yOusy6rzl65Sm-Xb1AgcNJsQbkw13wgWCgKxEp4ZpaNrCodFlnn7xNFvyCFBUiYY4lYEJnGNsfAIRacx4Yxy01pMON_9ckU32b-a0Re1P_L6RzZMIEkVB1BK1C2XrU/s1600/Silly+Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcFVmwYeCqPr87yOusy6rzl65Sm-Xb1AgcNJsQbkw13wgWCgKxEp4ZpaNrCodFlnn7xNFvyCFBUiYY4lYEJnGNsfAIRacx4Yxy01pMON_9ckU32b-a0Re1P_L6RzZMIEkVB1BK1C2XrU/s400/Silly+Girl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As a mum and former early years teacher, I am fully qualified to tell you
it can be really difficult to get little ones to follow instructions
sometimes. Now, sure, there are times they don't want to do what you're asking
of them. And of course, they're easily distracted (<i>especially</i> when they don't
want to do what you're asking of them!). But in my experience, <b>when instructions are a struggle, it probably has more to do with the
brain's ability to process new information and store it in memory long enough
for the instruction to be carried out.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It may not seem like it, but <b>children are born with the same memory capacity adults have. What they're lacking is the experience they need to use it efficiently or effectively
just yet.</b> That's because in the early years, the brain is laying down neural pathways that
determine how information is processed, stored, and retrieved. Until those
pathways are in place, reliable memory (short-, working-, and long-term memory)
is still a work in progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">There are lots of fun ways to help children manage memory tasks, but one of my favorites is music...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYhZZtlWSSl0rA8gB1rwp20zEpCxt7_o_xJsNgUJYyL866OyDwnWw8bVndu1hRVhO4gxAQYg5sK2L5ngvqoQIFGNrkRHYt2qvyj0vP4U6aoIwtOFJ1CjsSOp7shLNEDD7xGEg38NaYfs/s1600/Girl+Winking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYhZZtlWSSl0rA8gB1rwp20zEpCxt7_o_xJsNgUJYyL866OyDwnWw8bVndu1hRVhO4gxAQYg5sK2L5ngvqoQIFGNrkRHYt2qvyj0vP4U6aoIwtOFJ1CjsSOp7shLNEDD7xGEg38NaYfs/s400/Girl+Winking.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Music & Memory<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Music works
together with the brain to compress information and make it easier to retain.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> You see, the
human brain has limits to what it can store in short-term memory at any one
time. <b>The repetitive nature of a musical melody enables the brain to group or
"chunk" multiple pieces of information. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">An obvious example is The ABC
Song. Long before a child grasps the complex concept of symbolic language, he's
able to sing all the letters of the alphabet -- in order! We think "how
smart!" But it's really music condensing 26 pieces of information into
one memory.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Singstructions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So it goes, that if music helps little ones remember, then you both stand
a better chance with instructions if you add music to the mix. So here's an easy
trick... <b>sing your instructions. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>That's right, SING them. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For instance, try singing the following lyrics to the tune of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Old MacDonald Had a Farm</i>...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Time to tidy up
today<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Let's put our
toys away.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Time to go.
We're on our way! <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Hooray! Hooray!
Hooray!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Come sit by me and have a chat.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Come circle round the mat.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Music also cuts through the audio clutter to get children's attention...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Show me how you listen here.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Give me both your ears.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">And, once the kids are familiar with your Singstructions, pause to let them
finish the lyric. For instance, try a musical reminder of good manners and have
the children sing "please" and "thank you" with you...</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">To be polite you
must say </span></i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">PLEASE<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And </span></i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">THANK YOU<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> very much</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNAF7JDYGelf8KxN7usZyayWN1292koWl3bNKHy0P50QS73B2tWEFh-nhgBVv6ZZTdjD0YLh0bQixlf6DejS8wMZrVst01lmyy6scbWFDsnvdVYNca7WDGJ7CSaCy29F6MHi2T9ROUSs/s1600/Sing+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNAF7JDYGelf8KxN7usZyayWN1292koWl3bNKHy0P50QS73B2tWEFh-nhgBVv6ZZTdjD0YLh0bQixlf6DejS8wMZrVst01lmyy6scbWFDsnvdVYNca7WDGJ7CSaCy29F6MHi2T9ROUSs/s400/Sing+7.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Dancestructions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Of course, little ones will remember even more when they physicalize
the instruction. So add movement through dance, finger plays, or whatever else
works. For example, rub your hands together as you sing...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Scrub-a-dub-dub<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Let's wash our hands<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And don't forget the SOAP!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNrMMynaOaX4C0NFfxiOZ0GHgr4PXIxW0VoAT94hBMPlK5VWnHTQB_TixLP1walGXMTld9zVuI9gBTYykkXALkfrUYLhiKKKlmwgK4_7PFTBQDlOFa7N0IEiJGSRDFiUbXA9Yl2N4G8o/s1600/Sing5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNrMMynaOaX4C0NFfxiOZ0GHgr4PXIxW0VoAT94hBMPlK5VWnHTQB_TixLP1walGXMTld9zVuI9gBTYykkXALkfrUYLhiKKKlmwgK4_7PFTBQDlOFa7N0IEiJGSRDFiUbXA9Yl2N4G8o/s400/Sing5.jpg" width="363" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Setting a Collaborative Tone<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">More than a memory trick, music and movement can be a shared language that
makes you partners in the instruction. <b>Striking a collaborative tone
fosters understanding and respect between you while giving kids an active role
in the decision making. </b>And any time a child plays a part in deciding things
for himself, he's learning what it feels like to be self-reliant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So when it’s time to get the job done, start singing! And if you're shy
about your voice, don't worry. Kids respond to the voices they
know, love, and respect (even if you do sound like a frog!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Close your eyes and snuggle in.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And let your dreams begin.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-31880163182795788062013-03-20T19:35:00.000-04:002013-07-20T13:39:42.315-04:00WHAT CARDBOARD BOXES CAN TEACH KIDS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Like red rubber
balls and teddy bears, broccoli refusals, skipping rope, sticky fingers, boo
boo kisses, bath time pouts, and nighty night tuck ins, I think cardboard boxes
are essential kit for little kids.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And the
granddaddy of them all are refrigerator boxes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Guess what
arrived at my house the other day? (he-he-he!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">After a day
with my grandchildren and a big cardboard box, it got me thinking about why kids
love cardboard boxes, and why cardboard boxes are great for kids...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Six
Learning Dimensions of a Cardboard Box</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(Refrigerator
or Otherwise)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">1. SPATIAL AWARENESS.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> Babies do it. Toddlers do it. Preschoolers
too. (And I bet more than once you've secretly wanted to as well.) The first
thing little kids do when confronted with a cardboard box is try to get in it.
Cute as this is, there's actually an important reason why they do this. It's
called Spatial Awareness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">You see, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">in the early years, little ones spend a good
deal of time getting to know their own bodies, and with that comes the
necessary question "how big am I?" But they're growing, so the answer
to that question keeps changing.</b> That's why kids are constantly testing
their own size by crawling in, through, around, over and under things. And
cardboard boxes are often the perfect size for this kind of spatial exploration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">2. COMFORT & SECURITY.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> There's also an emotional component to
seeking out small spaces. Right from the start, children are soothed by a sense
of being bundled up or embraced in mommy's arms. This need for
"denning" continues throughout childhood (and I would argue
throughout life) because in many ways, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">it's
a subconscious return to the comfort of the womb.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">3. EMPOWERMENT.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> Imagine what it's like to always be the
smallest person in a room. Everything is sized for big people. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">In small spaces, kids feel BIG. </b>(Sometimes
it's good to be small.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Likewise, the light-weight
construction of a cardboard box enables young children to move and manipulate
an object that is bigger than they are. In other words, cardboard yields to
their will.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">4. CONTROL.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> Cardboard boxes make ideal hiding places.
And kids love to hide. Now, I haven't made a scientific study of this, but I
believe <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">hiding game may well be the first experience a child has with knowing
something you don't know. </b>And I think this is such a powerful idea when we
grow up, as adults we intuitively "get it."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Think about it.
The hiding game usually begins with an impish grin as she ducks out of sight.
Without even thinking about it, you join the game. "Hmmm. I wonder where
Caitlin is? I can't see her. Is she under the pillow? No. Is she behind the
couch? No. Hmmm. Is she on my head? No..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Then comes the
big surprise! "Here I am!" And of course, the tone in her voice let's
you know she's got one up on you. What fun! And what a powerful role reversal
that is!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB3d4szXMmY6GwHBJEGdb4mtXwUrYrlQ7Oa2XeDuhXGNYTEeVIkYUOJnv-VIS7hm175wRj6pXddVuHen1GqtRe6ulz6Q1U8kCVhcuUB16pBiFdd6fIxFFBiQibMLzNDo63_HwWA1cBYM/s1600/Kids+&+Cardboard+Box+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB3d4szXMmY6GwHBJEGdb4mtXwUrYrlQ7Oa2XeDuhXGNYTEeVIkYUOJnv-VIS7hm175wRj6pXddVuHen1GqtRe6ulz6Q1U8kCVhcuUB16pBiFdd6fIxFFBiQibMLzNDo63_HwWA1cBYM/s400/Kids+&+Cardboard+Box+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">5. ASENSORY PLAY.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I've read a lot and I've written a lot about the importance of providing
children with rich sensory experiences each and every day. Yet "<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">asensory" experiences play an
important role in sensory development as well.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">For instance, the humble cardboard box is a
great example of an asensory environment.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> The brown color suggests nothing in particular. The smooth
sides infer little. The cube structure defines empty space. The subtle smell
lacks distraction. The sound of the cardboard folding is muted and music-less. This
very LACK of sensory inputs (or perhaps, more accurately said, the subtle
nature of the sensory inputs) is an essential contrast to the more powerful and
deliberate stimulation we traditionally think of when we talk about
"sensory play." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">This relief from
the sensory world may explain, in part, why kids find the confines of a
cardboard box so appealing. And of course, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">its
very neutrality is the blank-slate upon which children so easily imprint their
imaginations...</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">6. IMAGINATION.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> Much as been written about this, but for
my money, the minimalist <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not A Box</i>,
by Antoinette Portis says all that needs to be said on the subject.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOFURmbAF2RWq_PzURxEThMis42baHcFJb-b4ADdb8PyTAadJQNIVK9IdewrNI_IpRwAhvgo0-vW44IPXkv_u5BeCfyqY1cFHc1ocrxBwQzLrxhvp654y0ibORl3K3bud1LPw1nl668A/s1600/Kids+&+Cardboard+Box+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOFURmbAF2RWq_PzURxEThMis42baHcFJb-b4ADdb8PyTAadJQNIVK9IdewrNI_IpRwAhvgo0-vW44IPXkv_u5BeCfyqY1cFHc1ocrxBwQzLrxhvp654y0ibORl3K3bud1LPw1nl668A/s640/Kids+&+Cardboard+Box+5.jpg" width="464" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Introducing
A Big Cardboard Box<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">For the record,
turning a box into a plaything is an eco-friendly first lesson is waste-not,
want-not. So when you have the opportunity, try encouraging preschoolers to
think about the concept of reusing things for other purposes. For instance, you
might explain the purpose of packaging -- that the box was designed to protect
the product so that it wouldn't get scratched. But that doesn't mean that's the
only thing you can do with a box. Then wonder aloud... "I wonder what we
could do with this big box? What do you think?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Children's
natural curiosity should take over, but if the size of the thing is a bit
overwhelming, you might want to encourage a few ideas to get her started, and
before you know it, you won't be able to get her out of it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Big
Box Ideas?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">If you've got a great
big cardboard box idea you've tried with your kids, I'd love to hear about it!
Please post your link here in the comments section. Thanks so much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">For this post, we focused on oversized boxes, but any size box can be put to re-use for recycled
fun. Here are a few activities I found on Pinterest I think would be great to
try. Thanks to all the "pinners" for sharing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Red Ted Art's Blog<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">One Box: 40
Crafty Ideas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690120/">http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690120/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The Imagination Tree<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Small World Play:
Cardboard Box Town<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690093/">http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690093/</a></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Boy Germs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">25 Ideas for a
Carboard Box<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425689967/">http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425689967/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Pink & Green Mama<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Cardboard Box
Play House, May 2012<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425689981/">http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425689981/</a></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Molly Moo Little Tales & Tips<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Cardboard
Aquarium <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690142/">http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690142/</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Tot Treasures<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Glow Stick Fun<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690017/">http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690017/<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Bolig Liv<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Cardboard Display
Shelf<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690066/">http://pinterest.com/pin/148618856425690066/</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/HOPSCOTCH" target="_blank">Why Hopscotch Matters</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhm6OMWA5iCKbgPyxXpA_nE40kH_9DrfGBaDpcAkv5pQI7y__y39cXCcLWjbZKFbLE0cJjRaFvGYfE-9k2_-rglWsaMzfi6Bwtwj2Fea6pf8vD8tgnUV_t750RaGFI5EDQswoP_gtrHs/s1600/Hopscotch+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhm6OMWA5iCKbgPyxXpA_nE40kH_9DrfGBaDpcAkv5pQI7y__y39cXCcLWjbZKFbLE0cJjRaFvGYfE-9k2_-rglWsaMzfi6Bwtwj2Fea6pf8vD8tgnUV_t750RaGFI5EDQswoP_gtrHs/s200/Hopscotch+8.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhm6OMWA5iCKbgPyxXpA_nE40kH_9DrfGBaDpcAkv5pQI7y__y39cXCcLWjbZKFbLE0cJjRaFvGYfE-9k2_-rglWsaMzfi6Bwtwj2Fea6pf8vD8tgnUV_t750RaGFI5EDQswoP_gtrHs/s1600/Hopscotch+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-32431513784048799622013-01-01T19:32:00.000-05:002015-03-25T17:00:47.877-04:00HAPPY ENDINGS<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">HAPPY
ENDINGS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The other day, my
granddaughter had a sleepover and we were playing together for most of the
afternoon. I had to jump on a quick conference call so I stepped away for a few
minutes, leaving her happily playing princess in the living room. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">When I came back I asked her what had happened while I was gone. But she didn't answer me.
I asked again. Still no answer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And then I
realized she wasn't in my living room any more. In that short time she had
transported herself to a world she created all for herself... a world called
play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">DEEP
IN PLAY. DEEP IN LEARNING. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">There are essential
bodies <span style="color: black;">of research on the subject of play. (If you
want to read more on the topic, I've listed a few of my favorites below.) But in a nutshell</span>, the research adds up to one simple,
organic, and time-honored truth. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Play is
the most important thing a child can do to expand her mind, body, and sense of
self </b>because play gets the body up
and moving and the imagination out and exploring. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">When a child enters into a deep state of
play, she's in charge of what's real and what's important.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> Time stands still as she makes her own
discoveries and draws her own conclusions about things. And in those powerful
moments of creation and decision-making <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">she
is laying down the foundations for all future learning by figuring out for herself how she
learns best. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">It's no wonder my
little four year old wasn't hearing a word I said. For children deep in play,
the reality of our world melts away in favor of their own, far more vibrant,
and yes, REAL, reality. And anything that tries to intrude on that (like nosy
grannies) gets filtered out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_oNGgmkMbD7pDAQ2dYkVcha-tyX7IrLuxxuSG8moXVPVELvN-btxlPD9F5bBVpQzU1UU6UrhHhsdE5PBMeBzFaMmYRXKP598u4EwY67N2Ac0FEzlBT3apzYhJaiSUy1KACADgnj12Ok/s1600/Learning+for+herself+how+she+learns+best.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_oNGgmkMbD7pDAQ2dYkVcha-tyX7IrLuxxuSG8moXVPVELvN-btxlPD9F5bBVpQzU1UU6UrhHhsdE5PBMeBzFaMmYRXKP598u4EwY67N2Ac0FEzlBT3apzYhJaiSUy1KACADgnj12Ok/s400/Learning+for+herself+how+she+learns+best.png" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWoCyCye4oJCSXdxf86yMkxrh8iLqYXwOIXdJM6xoxej7s2a4II86q0LAyR_St2uebH1SlwouWYhpurriAMKpsTE8zYLqyrmEXJhy5ZmtArhZNC3QgevdGpyZSWjBNEAlimB6bwHEPT8/s1600/Happy+Endings+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWoCyCye4oJCSXdxf86yMkxrh8iLqYXwOIXdJM6xoxej7s2a4II86q0LAyR_St2uebH1SlwouWYhpurriAMKpsTE8zYLqyrmEXJhy5ZmtArhZNC3QgevdGpyZSWjBNEAlimB6bwHEPT8/s200/Happy+Endings+5.jpg" height="200" width="166" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PLAY
INTERRUPTUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">In my view, we should strive to respect play as an essential part of growing up by giving children opportunities to enter into deep play as much as possible and for as
long as possible.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> That
said, time does not always stand still for grown-ups, and sometimes it's necessary
to interrupt or stop the play. But if you've ever spent time with playful
little ones, you know that can create a fuss. And of course, the more deeply they're
engrossed in what they're doing, the bigger the fuss.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Now, I'll admit
I've never made a scientific study of it, but over the years, I have found some
strategies work better than others. So, in <span style="color: black;">the</span><span style="color: red;"> </span>hope of helping you navigate the tantrum-filled
waters of "It's time to stop," I thought I'd share some of my favorite
ways to create happy endings...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Distraction<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Strictly
speaking, I find this strategy bit of a cheat and I'm always left feeling a bit
guilty about it, but it does work most of the time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Have something
you know your child likes at the ready like a favorite book or toy. Or create
your own transitional ritual. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">For instance, I
keep a magic wand in the closet. We call it Magic-Magic Wand. When I sense we
need to change things up, I bring out the wand and we cast our own magic
spell. And sure enough, Magic-Magic always has a new, fun idea for us to play!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">GRANNY &
CAITLIN CAST A SPELL...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Magic-Magic Wand
so true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">What's the next fun
thing to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">MAGIC-MAGIC WAND
RESPONDS...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Hug three times
and clap your hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The fun will
always be so grand,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">When you <u>FILL
IN THE BLANK</u>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoONVdeO8eru53fL3Gg_C4x7rAkDcI03NKBT5nps6p80Y5iA8o4416GGbBIjZZsqEKRFaB4XjxOP4An_vkEpEeVnYkkwiK4fhPc5M0IKRySrzuzFD36fkHCbYetEQR91Wf3hKwp7ZdSak/s1600/G&C+Pure+Joy+Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoONVdeO8eru53fL3Gg_C4x7rAkDcI03NKBT5nps6p80Y5iA8o4416GGbBIjZZsqEKRFaB4XjxOP4An_vkEpEeVnYkkwiK4fhPc5M0IKRySrzuzFD36fkHCbYetEQR91Wf3hKwp7ZdSak/s200/G&C+Pure+Joy+Cropped.jpg" height="200" width="192" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">When my granddaughter
sees Magic-Magic Wand, she can't wait to see what's next. (And I can't wait for
my three hugs!) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Whatever your solution, chances are a few minutes of
distraction are often all you need to transition a child from one activity to
the next.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">In other words, <b>when it comes to kids, always have some fun up your sleeve.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Preparedness<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">When playing a
game with one or more children, be sure to set up the ground rules for STOPPING the play BEFORE you begin. For younger children, set an egg timer. When the
bell goes off, the game is done. Once they're familiar with the egg timer, have
them set it themselves. (And as a bonus, egg timers help little ones begin to
understand the passage of time. If you want to read more about how children
learn about time, hop over to our blog post <a href="http://movingsmartblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/impatient-zone.html" target="_blank">THE IMPATIENT ZONE</a>.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">For older
children, establish the number of turns they each get (and have them count the
turns just for the fun and learning of it). <span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">When you're
getting close to the end of the game, be sure to prepare them that the end is
coming soon. "Time will be up soon" or "Two more turns
each," is often enough to lessen the disappointment of a fun game coming
to an end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><b>Choices</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">When you can,
offer the child choices of what to do after the fun is done. For little ones,
it's often best to offer just a couple of options. "When we finish our
game, you can have a snack or we can read a story. Which would you like to
do?" Be sure to honor their choice.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">For older children,
it's always great to make them think stopping is their idea. Set it up in their
minds in simple ways that get them thinking. "Once we finish our game, I
wonder what we'll do after this?" Discuss the options and make sure it's a
conversation and collaboration between the two of you. After all, choice often
involves compromising with others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-Bp2XecMHEpLR1ToqrMx9v6ruHopX_7ul7yBLnhZQXVM3V5VbJtl1Q7SpdOmVv-f91NZ_O32JDHpJgFZrqxVl7cY76mHeCrIfj25a5H5qoUatcwa-PeUI1ZyJFSc3s-xncGGHCpFSts/s1600/Happy+Endings+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-Bp2XecMHEpLR1ToqrMx9v6ruHopX_7ul7yBLnhZQXVM3V5VbJtl1Q7SpdOmVv-f91NZ_O32JDHpJgFZrqxVl7cY76mHeCrIfj25a5H5qoUatcwa-PeUI1ZyJFSc3s-xncGGHCpFSts/s400/Happy+Endings+6.jpg" height="373" width="400" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The Big Finish<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Play should
always be fun and end on a high note so the child will want to play again the
next time. But once in a while, a game or activity will go on too long and
start to drag. If you're sensing this, create a "big finish" to the
game. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Kids will follow
your emotional lead so ramp up the energy level with your voice and actions.
Add new intensity to the last minutes of the game. Speed it up. Add a silly
twist. Create a big finish! "Ta-Da!" "Hooray!" "You
Did It!"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Celebration<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Be sure to
celebrate the play once it's done. Encourage the child to retell the tales of
her play. Listen intently. Ask questions. Explore it fully with her. Have her
re-enact it for you or draw a picture of what happened. In other words,
celebrate the play! And then help her envision what she might do the next time.
"I wonder what happens next..." or "I wonder what would happen
if..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Not only will post-play
celebrations reinforce the concepts she explored during play, your interest in
her play will encourage her to play and explore even more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And that, in my
view, is the very best ending of all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUNsWPauoUYebCMU2hnDLFRLsxziMXyrF6beusqJKerQpo_zsaKgUHkBYq81Q63uGCFw8LK7B8j66s8Ci4SylfDv2ejvu0DLoqdT1ru4munLw8012EWVX_H_ngSp8JjtHEfChUJjtDUs/s1600/Happy+Endings+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUNsWPauoUYebCMU2hnDLFRLsxziMXyrF6beusqJKerQpo_zsaKgUHkBYq81Q63uGCFw8LK7B8j66s8Ci4SylfDv2ejvu0DLoqdT1ru4munLw8012EWVX_H_ngSp8JjtHEfChUJjtDUs/s400/Happy+Endings+9.jpg" height="400" width="348" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic";"><b>SELECTED
READING ON THE POWER OF PLAY...<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.nifplay.org/" target="_blank">PLAY: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul</a> by Stuart Brown, M.D.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Power-Play-Learning-Comes-Naturally/dp/0738211109" target="_blank">THE POWER OF PLAY: Learning What Comes Naturally</a> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">by David
Elkind, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.playfulparenting.com/" target="_blank">PLAYFUL PARENTING</a> by Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Work-Importance-Fantasy-Play/dp/0226644898/ref=la_B001ILHHVK_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357081860&sr=1-2" target="_blank">A CHILD'S WORK – The Importance of Fantasy Play</a> by Vivien
Gussen Paley <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://theartofroughhousing.com/" target="_blank">THE ART OF ROUGHHOUSING</a> by Anthony T. DeBenedet, M.D. and
Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">If you'd like to read more about playful parenting, you might like...</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwP6ivGQTjLNPMTYjoBu2ZFJk3an3hHxtvyN4kv0Ven4d9hPAuSSx_gYWCHoN26vo76_cYA8zhEQ6FBBsd2NNsPRP6d1kk8upV3JNquQ2lFroYrBn4iG6i2Rmwidv5gVUzxCvXeqfi_n8/s1600/True+Play+Has+No+Agenda.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwP6ivGQTjLNPMTYjoBu2ZFJk3an3hHxtvyN4kv0Ven4d9hPAuSSx_gYWCHoN26vo76_cYA8zhEQ6FBBsd2NNsPRP6d1kk8upV3JNquQ2lFroYrBn4iG6i2Rmwidv5gVUzxCvXeqfi_n8/s200/True+Play+Has+No+Agenda.png" height="200" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://movingsmartblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/parents-make-best-playmates.html" target="_blank">Parents Make the Best Playmates</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-35395053560660135042012-12-22T12:43:00.000-05:002012-12-22T12:47:54.068-05:00ENJOY THE SEASON, EVERYONE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZzBs6pR6I61mOF0fwZ_ZRfhVj2pzcarz-w0ewmF7vTHtZZkD8r2Yrs57PmzxFEOY9imdDZnxr0asEVQXLgUZoKP7xtlcO2X2M-EhOFm-f2E8L8zxTReJAEsh7jkgS-XnEbCsx911Ct8/s1600/Go+Hug+Christmas.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZzBs6pR6I61mOF0fwZ_ZRfhVj2pzcarz-w0ewmF7vTHtZZkD8r2Yrs57PmzxFEOY9imdDZnxr0asEVQXLgUZoKP7xtlcO2X2M-EhOFm-f2E8L8zxTReJAEsh7jkgS-XnEbCsx911Ct8/s400/Go+Hug+Christmas.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-17973677322224836262012-08-09T08:20:00.002-04:002012-08-09T09:00:12.010-04:00OLYMPIANS IN GUMBOOTS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY9DuCGFTJdGcOrZmiMxHvvybI_rbCAoPM8uIF9gZGzbO5m2Bh5k1DR9VzOCogLwMDMNHDrLha65X3UybohNAxHB0k-muArnF6naKyEcGBRuNZqx0oMc_jfaXOlB6aTSvGBAmfhiOTb0/s1600/Hurdles+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY9DuCGFTJdGcOrZmiMxHvvybI_rbCAoPM8uIF9gZGzbO5m2Bh5k1DR9VzOCogLwMDMNHDrLha65X3UybohNAxHB0k-muArnF6naKyEcGBRuNZqx0oMc_jfaXOlB6aTSvGBAmfhiOTb0/s200/Hurdles+1.jpg" width="142" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">I'm so pleased to introduce Wendy Pirie, our first-ever guest blogger. Wendy is part of the Moving Smart family in the Hawke's Bay area, joining us a year ago after completing her Masters in Perceptual Motor Development. Wendy works with schools, preschools, parents, and children and, like me, is a lifelong advocate of children's natural wiggling, giggling way of learning!</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">We all know that most Olympians have spent a fair share of their lives in the gym, in the pool, or on the track preparing for their Olympic moment. They embody dedication to perfection. But when you compare that training regimen to what a preschooler goes through everyday, it's just possible our Olympians need to take a few more laps if they want to keep up with our little ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZo4soj0Z3gp3loTQL84h0wEGwzkb4Dis7JEC9KPLO0YmWW1swpUbIVWGxe6OSasf3bul7YxwshULyIm-pQYRuEcuWJktu5vVfW4FJLUfPIlBPjqdQrQriIenvxXxdYfCfyxmb0IfCNVQ/s1600/Hurdles+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZo4soj0Z3gp3loTQL84h0wEGwzkb4Dis7JEC9KPLO0YmWW1swpUbIVWGxe6OSasf3bul7YxwshULyIm-pQYRuEcuWJktu5vVfW4FJLUfPIlBPjqdQrQriIenvxXxdYfCfyxmb0IfCNVQ/s400/Hurdles+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The other day I had the pleasure of participating in the Gumboots Kindergarten tribute to the Olympics! This is a photograph of my son Carter jumping his very first hurdle! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Like an Olympian, it's taken him years to perfect his skills in preparation for this event. But now put that in perspective. He will turn four next month which means three years ago, he took his very first step. That's advancement on an Olympic scale, and it happens one tiny step at a time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">So let's take a look at what it takes to clear your first hurdle...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">CLEARING HURDLES<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The Hurdles is a sport for masters of speed, strength, agility, and balance. But there's actually a lot more to it than that... and it all begins in early childhood...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi254KOpH37-B7WzL1gZyfopim_hAHNcvVuUh1zfRW0TyfPUMpwgFFiQ7CveRm9cnFP327JAyqL31U21wrdcEiK02SDWRoyN13FMGo57VCCvxuC9r67kX3JkYUaLgAtf5BM__qBhGtVKII/s1600/Hurdles+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi254KOpH37-B7WzL1gZyfopim_hAHNcvVuUh1zfRW0TyfPUMpwgFFiQ7CveRm9cnFP327JAyqL31U21wrdcEiK02SDWRoyN13FMGo57VCCvxuC9r67kX3JkYUaLgAtf5BM__qBhGtVKII/s400/Hurdles+3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">LATERALITY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Leaping is the signature skill of a great hurdler, and demonstrates a high degree of proficiency in Lateral Movement skills. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Laterality is the ability to move arms and legs in opposition to one another. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">It begins when babies first start crawling, walking, and running, and continues to be refined through the early school years. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJa2SlAookR07RS8QcY8l244YDuCypKqT_2-_Xz5x8iW1fQnG00QCauArbM5nwAoTDa9vNnFrvzH7abIzkUxrddrbbIMuyxIx0EaW9oExEbPtzs9Etcyt_lTMpJfjAZ_ZrT3rJtfK1ZaI/s1600/Hurdles+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJa2SlAookR07RS8QcY8l244YDuCypKqT_2-_Xz5x8iW1fQnG00QCauArbM5nwAoTDa9vNnFrvzH7abIzkUxrddrbbIMuyxIx0EaW9oExEbPtzs9Etcyt_lTMpJfjAZ_ZrT3rJtfK1ZaI/s400/Hurdles+2.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">LEAPING<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Leaping -- jumping into the air off of one foot -- is an advanced skill that comes after much practice with the everydayness of walking and running (taking one foot off the ground at a time). Over time, a child's natural instinct to move his body in different ways progresses to two-footed jumping in place, followed by two-footed jumping forwards, backwards, and side to side, and eventually leaping off of one foot (usually from the couch).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">But it will probably take some more time before he can put <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the run-leap-run combination together (without tripping over his own feet). The rhythm and timing to successfully "switch gears" mid-stride signals more that physical coordination. It's an indication that body-brain communication is reaching a refined state.</b> And when that happens, he'll be able to turn his focus and attention to more important matters, like deciding what he's going to leap over next!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbuyJW53H0CdxdKqDO726_4bcXBXJZ2yFMDAAwqFXuHpjEWK4YuC3wPXzU45Fxw3M2wcTkfXQ5ZwAWE-wvdzfvp3rfI9t1ECvuF4nFsYF9FSpUH4xZf1XAUnir_Kt0s39m8NRi5fG_U0/s1600/Hurdles+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbbuyJW53H0CdxdKqDO726_4bcXBXJZ2yFMDAAwqFXuHpjEWK4YuC3wPXzU45Fxw3M2wcTkfXQ5ZwAWE-wvdzfvp3rfI9t1ECvuF4nFsYF9FSpUH4xZf1XAUnir_Kt0s39m8NRi5fG_U0/s400/Hurdles+6.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">TEMPORAL AWARENESS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The ability to judge distance either while standing still or moving is a hurdler's best friend. Without it... ouch!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">You see, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">understanding where the hurdle is, how fast you are running, and calculating -- on the run -- the exact right moment to "lift off" is a complex body-brain-environment triangulation that can only happen after years of experience with motion</b> -- his own movements and the comings and goings of the people, places, and things around him. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And that's no small feat for big or little feet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Happy Olympics, everyone.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Go Team New Zealand!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Thanks to the Gumboots Kindergarten team for allowing me to participate in your tribute to the Olympics. A lot more winning went on that day than just the gold medals that were handed out. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5KOYu_RMSdQ20n7TF4QFW1DNOcOhTcrL6H0AgEudFLyQyIq4RALjsjqkP_GGf73EWvlA1aUsYnsG4-AyjyAdZ-iyKfPOaMr-wQT3IStwoWObbY8dmmiAlWDKgZX3ynV-ocX1nfxHpZk/s1600/Hurdles+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5KOYu_RMSdQ20n7TF4QFW1DNOcOhTcrL6H0AgEudFLyQyIq4RALjsjqkP_GGf73EWvlA1aUsYnsG4-AyjyAdZ-iyKfPOaMr-wQT3IStwoWObbY8dmmiAlWDKgZX3ynV-ocX1nfxHpZk/s640/Hurdles+5.jpg" width="392" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">To contact Wendy in Hawke's Bay area for Moving Smart courses and resources...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Wendy Pirie<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">Moving Smart Ltd.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">wendy.pirie@movingsmart.co.nz<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic'; font-size: 12pt;">+64 273 296 776</span></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zRnmTlBPhCGl81zg8u3_9rUqWRqGoCHK6edBDW_Fk_eSrsffNZVY7fX6egmScwa-aE1oTHf09EueCT-qomkrKjFqiIH4nIfLizrZReGagMvf6Y-EtePE91xK4VXC6BMF325ROMOhoh0/s1600/Banner+20.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zRnmTlBPhCGl81zg8u3_9rUqWRqGoCHK6edBDW_Fk_eSrsffNZVY7fX6egmScwa-aE1oTHf09EueCT-qomkrKjFqiIH4nIfLizrZReGagMvf6Y-EtePE91xK4VXC6BMF325ROMOhoh0/s400/Banner+20.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BAREFOOTIN' BEANS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Bean bags are so versatile. They're fun to throw, catch, balance with, and the wibbly-wobbly crunchy feel is great tactile experience for little hands. And little feet too!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Here's a super-simple game for preschoolers that enhances skills they'll need -- laterality, balance, concentration, amongst others -- to be able to clear all the hurdles they want some day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Clim1Fc8rBaby41pMq3110x0m1AwYJmJo9YKKXswwaIVTPTBPy1oZF48EDL0ruMel9aIseJxwoUXbpDniztkmIyFiOOsZOi2-UQcY_VEQrcAE6QQDNQuV-kVxfNgF7B52m871XYub2c/s1600/Hurdles+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Clim1Fc8rBaby41pMq3110x0m1AwYJmJo9YKKXswwaIVTPTBPy1oZF48EDL0ruMel9aIseJxwoUXbpDniztkmIyFiOOsZOi2-UQcY_VEQrcAE6QQDNQuV-kVxfNgF7B52m871XYub2c/s200/Hurdles+8.jpg" width="105" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">SET UP<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Line up bean bags in two straight rows like stepping stones. If you have enough, use one color for the left row and another color for the right row to make it easy for the child to spot the difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Now, take off your shoes and socks and you're reading to start.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">WARM UP</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Standing at the top of the two rows, have the child walk on the bean bags any way they'd like.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkYMiXVlIo_MA0uloKFW9Wt_TI7A-7ao0fE34bt4qBa_yD6JsZNwMskQBKTf48h80AGKRXq5KxjENgd5HAFGA2YJRfTJPwAlh61p_cQ-DaGqnlgkv20YsAtj_gCD9HbSQ8gQ3b22GEu4/s1600/Hurdles+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkYMiXVlIo_MA0uloKFW9Wt_TI7A-7ao0fE34bt4qBa_yD6JsZNwMskQBKTf48h80AGKRXq5KxjENgd5HAFGA2YJRfTJPwAlh61p_cQ-DaGqnlgkv20YsAtj_gCD9HbSQ8gQ3b22GEu4/s400/Hurdles+9.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">CROSS-STEPPING<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Next, have the child walk down the rows, stepping his right foot on the left row of beans and his left foot on the right row. (Easy as this sounds, little ones might need a little support with this one, so be standing by.) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Have fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</span></div>Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-87810135455794868142012-08-03T01:28:00.000-04:002012-08-03T01:28:07.542-04:00ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIG2rXrV-Uqxn7dGUTHNncyCoZqheWXaA1JKLbMIYS0ZLYbClxAYT6dv4fwVSZRltrMc5QCN9bTW2Fiw8BIC4a3iYHdmGv4SPDWuQpxh3CfzJpH4J31q47GSm96O2epwyta-TJTFrwAw/s1600/Rowing+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIG2rXrV-Uqxn7dGUTHNncyCoZqheWXaA1JKLbMIYS0ZLYbClxAYT6dv4fwVSZRltrMc5QCN9bTW2Fiw8BIC4a3iYHdmGv4SPDWuQpxh3CfzJpH4J31q47GSm96O2epwyta-TJTFrwAw/s400/Rowing+1.jpg" width="357" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">New Zealand won its first gold of The Olympics today in Double Sculls. Congratulations Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan for showing the world how it's done! Go Team New Zealand!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">So, in keeping with our tribute to The Olympic Games, let's take a look at how a rowing team is formed...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">SYNCHRONICITY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">No matter how many oars you've got in the water, if they're not all rowing in the same direction, you'll never get anywhere. That's why rowing teams work to perfect synchronicity. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">But how does a child just discovering the world learn to sync up with that world? Well, of course, it starts with you...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvYHVEarEL0XTr6XXKMgt4k-Tq-TU3GFh5oCaafVjWbNzjupvoq3OlfvnPgDtWHkazjsaIwbhxllwCMiVheo2kAqgO9z5oC1Y-tSbDMrUNboHCRpRQd706Y_dhDepBai0zm2f3v1SRLk/s1600/Rowing+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvYHVEarEL0XTr6XXKMgt4k-Tq-TU3GFh5oCaafVjWbNzjupvoq3OlfvnPgDtWHkazjsaIwbhxllwCMiVheo2kAqgO9z5oC1Y-tSbDMrUNboHCRpRQd706Y_dhDepBai0zm2f3v1SRLk/s400/Rowing+2.jpg" width="390" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">IMITATION<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The goal of rowing as a team is to row as one... perfectly mirroring -- imitating -- each other's every precise movement stroke after stroke.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Young infants do much the same with us. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Driven by an innate need to fit into their environment, they want to become like us, which means trying to move like us. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Imitation starts by observing you and your family with his eyes, ears, nose, touch, and of course, his mouth.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Observation gives him the idea of what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> be done which, in turn, motivates him to try to imitate what he sees.</b> At first it won't look like much... a random smile or giggle, perhaps, or a vague-but-discernable interest in that soccer ball his big brother plays with. But as he gains more control over his body, he will soon be doing things on purpose and with control, and soon enough, that soccer ball will be his!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">To encourage imitation, sensory stimulation is essential in these early years.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> Talking and singing to your child, playing with him at all different times of the day, gentle touching and rocking, and generally involving your infant in your family's everyday routine will give him lots to think about and try to imitate.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9J2K1PaQqaLqsJmsg53Jhp3zvvGP9rwCIkMMti1xTlKqeZ9B8Pz2nrWo9Vz_iGbH1pXlA_Fg-HZWR91vWv3kTESIZlmSwBX884zGzVt1_QKPGWOpG2e6-xe2B2IJAmTmkugEb8D2YrA/s1600/Rowing+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9J2K1PaQqaLqsJmsg53Jhp3zvvGP9rwCIkMMti1xTlKqeZ9B8Pz2nrWo9Vz_iGbH1pXlA_Fg-HZWR91vWv3kTESIZlmSwBX884zGzVt1_QKPGWOpG2e6-xe2B2IJAmTmkugEb8D2YrA/s640/Rowing+3.jpg" width="419" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">RHYTHM<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">In rowing, with or without a coxswain, the rhythm of the rowers is what keeps them all together.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Likewise, Body Rhythm is one of the tools your child uses to develop well-coordinated, whole-body movement. But surprisingly, it's also fundamental to language acquisition, which of course, will be essential to his understanding of our world... and to being understood by others.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">You see the pattern, beat, and rhythm of your voice and the other voices around him give him a sense of how language comes together,</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> and while he may not understand the words you speak, he will begin to get a sense of your intent through the way in which you naturally modulate your voice in speech or song. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bOEDj0ZQx_YtvNhdsbt_G2MiEdYXkpFqlRkBkobhkMgVxu7n0JvDQvEy9siyVjBkJUFyMuKbK58919xVvqPV85xg_nwcwZUbyKjscvUtikcRpOvJlIp_JPS1MlS634s2O4h9Rqj4lTY/s1600/Rowing+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bOEDj0ZQx_YtvNhdsbt_G2MiEdYXkpFqlRkBkobhkMgVxu7n0JvDQvEy9siyVjBkJUFyMuKbK58919xVvqPV85xg_nwcwZUbyKjscvUtikcRpOvJlIp_JPS1MlS634s2O4h9Rqj4lTY/s400/Rowing+4.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">POWER, STRENGTH & ENDURANCE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">In rowing, arms and legs are working to their maximum potential, kept in control by the core muscles of the torso. The hands hold tight to the oars, while the feet provide the leverage the whole body needs for propulsion. In short, every muscle in the body is engaged.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And of course, that's what's happening with your young child as he plays <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>naturally everyday. As he pulls, pushes, lifts, carries, climbs, runs, jumps, etc., he engages all of his muscles at different times in different ways, helping him develop overall fitness -- the perfect recipe for these young years. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">But more, when your child is active throughout the day, he's building up endurance and resilience... the exact qualities he needs for the long row ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Happy Olympics, everyone!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBmCxEjKRKLcUR2_hdq_PfH-9uLoQyoLPRnphCvKpSsij12vXUJ2CpSBWGWzvvH_kR3PHxWxxYFhr6_qDd2-N3tsu7hG-eXeMogzwirIJBXyTzeN8RTdkbJpS5HwNE-SmqIN0ZzXolyY/s1600/Banner+Monkeybars.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYBmCxEjKRKLcUR2_hdq_PfH-9uLoQyoLPRnphCvKpSsij12vXUJ2CpSBWGWzvvH_kR3PHxWxxYFhr6_qDd2-N3tsu7hG-eXeMogzwirIJBXyTzeN8RTdkbJpS5HwNE-SmqIN0ZzXolyY/s400/Banner+Monkeybars.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Rowing is one of the great sit-down sports in the world, so here's a fun game to play with your child (or between two children)... sitting down!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">TEETER TOTTER TIPS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">SET UP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Sit on the floor with your backs together and lock arms. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Start by leading the game so your child gets the idea, but your goal should be to have him take over leadership as soon as he's ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">GAME PLAY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">There's a teeter totter (see saw) on the playground in need of repair. It seems every time it teeters or totters, it giggles right out loud. We've got to put a stop to all that giggling! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Sometimes the teeter totter teeters...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">LEAN FORWARD SLOWLY.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">(As you do, your child will stretch backwards.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And sometimes the teeter totter totters...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">LEAN BACKWARDS SLOWLY.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">(As you do, your child will bend forwards.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And sometimes the teeter totter tips...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">LEAN TO THE LEFT THEN TO THE RIGHT.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And once in a while, the teeter totter tickles!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">GIVE YOUR CHILD A LITTLE TICKLE<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Now try it again, only be sure to let your child take the lead and give out the tickles!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7726893531170058575.post-80722195511829166542012-08-02T10:42:00.001-04:002012-08-02T16:11:01.297-04:00LEARNING TO SWIM ON DRY LAND<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsR8_f4Qj7ReHpBIEdivU1UVfNiheZiPwEOVN-T_k1nLOxmgtav5V2mqMvVtCRjytsadzjWu2JkgA7wacRw25HsVqHS2iNrmjfBsc_fwFFkUb9kJKRSrnkSTXImw2Mna-WT2eO9u05tCI/s1600/Swimming+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsR8_f4Qj7ReHpBIEdivU1UVfNiheZiPwEOVN-T_k1nLOxmgtav5V2mqMvVtCRjytsadzjWu2JkgA7wacRw25HsVqHS2iNrmjfBsc_fwFFkUb9kJKRSrnkSTXImw2Mna-WT2eO9u05tCI/s400/Swimming+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The Olympics are in full swing and as always, the swimming pool has been full of nail-biting finishes, broken records, and a new Olympic champion of champions. Congratulations to America's Michael Phelps on his remarkable achievement. And to all the fish in the golden Olympic pond this year, swim on!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">As part of our on-going tribute to The Games, let's take a look at what's happening as little fish get their first feel for the water...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhDzM6lNjhv3I8ZZ-V1kHTEgBF7wppGJ2cAm9b2xGQTjp_jxK5FhH116hjy0b13_VR-Esj8b7S-yyQjVuyfntiTWKlPWpwuxSu4elYT0XaUU-4fj0zbR7WV7uyEtZF3Av9VZn-NHVX8k/s1600/Swimming+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhDzM6lNjhv3I8ZZ-V1kHTEgBF7wppGJ2cAm9b2xGQTjp_jxK5FhH116hjy0b13_VR-Esj8b7S-yyQjVuyfntiTWKlPWpwuxSu4elYT0XaUU-4fj0zbR7WV7uyEtZF3Av9VZn-NHVX8k/s400/Swimming+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">AN INTRODUCTION TO WATER<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">No matter the age, comfort and confidence in the water is a mandatory first step in achieving safety, relaxation, proficiency, and enjoyment in the water. So I strongly recommend a professional "Introduction to the Water" class for all children new to getting wet. And no matter how experienced a swimmer you are, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I believe the most effective experiences are parent-child classes that give you important safety and relaxation techniques while being your child's most trusted guide... just as you do every day on dry land.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And note, I'm not calling these "swim lessons."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Swimming is a very specific set of skills that involve highly complex and coordinated, whole-body movements -- abilities that young children develop gradually and naturally over many years. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Without those abilities in place, trying to learn specific swimming techniques (such as the strokes you see in the Olympics) will be difficult if not impossible to master, and could lead to frustration or even fear of the water.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">ON DRY LAND<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">So while you are looking for a great "Introduction to the Water" class in your area, take heart. Your child is already getting herself ready for the water right here on ON DRY LAND. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Let's take a look at the different swim strokes and I'll show you what I mean...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';"><br />
</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSe7ZM1-TEHdsbOAunK4mvTHb5m3GdCTiKzUOyMwmDgK1mL3Jwf82m5lQyf6vwHDXNn-W3Ry3RDfoTc0MUVXpHRqFVjPFdKo8b7T2-D0ASTjUAGww3H-2sUpPzVWyCqg_TpjQBewAhxo/s1600/Swimming+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSe7ZM1-TEHdsbOAunK4mvTHb5m3GdCTiKzUOyMwmDgK1mL3Jwf82m5lQyf6vwHDXNn-W3Ry3RDfoTc0MUVXpHRqFVjPFdKo8b7T2-D0ASTjUAGww3H-2sUpPzVWyCqg_TpjQBewAhxo/s400/Swimming+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">BREASTSTROKE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Mirrored movement -- both sides of the body doing the same thing at the same time</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> -- is the hallmark of the breaststroke. Here, the arms move simultaneously in a circular motion, beginning at the breast and moving forward and then out and away from the body. At the same time, the legs are doing a mirrored movement called the "frog kick" that builds up speed in the water.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Mirrored movement is actually the first type of movement babies achieve.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";"> In fact, you see it very early on. Have you ever noticed when young babies begin reaching out for things, they usually reach with both hands? And of course, we all applaud when baby learns to clap... the two hands meeting in the middle of the body, just like in the breaststroke.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Games that involve clapping are great for practicing mirrored movement. And try clapping like a seal too (clapping with the backs of your hands). And don't forget the legs. Bobbing and jumping like a frog is not only tons of fun, it builds leg strength too!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjFs15Vuvf7CaqsvBHCJCMeC9G5JYLML1nDZiBLeGz1nOeGdumAl4Qr1bdqFFFokdxfyeUD6dcJU1iukWYnzuacKj-4QNovqyL-R4THx0ZGPQDjPjxYF2mDC76LOpgJAEpxyKfoUytRM/s1600/Swimming4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRjFs15Vuvf7CaqsvBHCJCMeC9G5JYLML1nDZiBLeGz1nOeGdumAl4Qr1bdqFFFokdxfyeUD6dcJU1iukWYnzuacKj-4QNovqyL-R4THx0ZGPQDjPjxYF2mDC76LOpgJAEpxyKfoUytRM/s400/Swimming4.jpg" width="357" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">BUTTERFLY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The signature circular arm motion rising up out of the water looks like butterfly wings taking flight and is another example of mirrored movement. And the legs are use a fishtail or "dolphin kick" mirrored movement for this stroke. Yet this is quite different from the breast<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7726893531170058575&postID=8072219551182916654" name="_GoBack"></a>stroke, made more complex because with each arm stroke, the legs kick twice. And that takes a mighty amount of body rhythm.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Body rhythm is that internal sense of beat that helps regulate our movements and allowing the body to work as a single unit, or in this case, helping one part of our body move faster or slower than another part.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Young children have an innate sense of rhythm from nine months of listening to mommy's heartbeat in the womb. Then, out here on dry land, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Gothic';">young children are exposed to the natural rhythms of life... the rhythm of your voice, the beat of her favorite song, and a rousing round of patty-cake all contribute to her understanding of the rhythm and beat.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU84j1jseOaUcrbwNhX96yfz8CrIp6qcx_lY24NDsvbAWEYhxDQfVkN1nsNXMTKHiYOrY1jQrGVJnRa3UMBDD6exjV5TYpCdPDdb2PJSTk6tmwIVE4DlaJofksWhdbeA3fjYFZE-p4vAY/s1600/Racing+Boy+Tumbling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU84j1jseOaUcrbwNhX96yfz8CrIp6qcx_lY24NDsvbAWEYhxDQfVkN1nsNXMTKHiYOrY1jQrGVJnRa3UMBDD6exjV5TYpCdPDdb2PJSTk6tmwIVE4DlaJofksWhdbeA3fjYFZE-p4vAY/s400/Racing+Boy+Tumbling.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">BACKSTROKE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">The Backstroke requires <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">lateral movement -- when one side of the body is moving in opposition to the other, </b>such as the paddle-like movements of the arms and the kicking motion of the legs in the backstroke. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And then do all that without looking where you're going!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Here the body needs <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">equal strength and control</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">on both the right and left sides, and the head must be centered, straight, and still to keep from veering off course </b>-- the exact abilities that come on line with your child's first attempts at independent movement -- crawling, standing, walking.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Now, of course, mastering and refining these skills on dry land or in the water will take many years of natural, play-filled experiences. But for the not-looking-where-you're-going-part, all I can say is, "Welcome to parenthood."<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv37XbxnVa_ZVamHxE-QBMabhnBeiXETNOXb_DPm2h5Gv4HbSWPXOg_-8xStwlV0r5HwPwQUoaiGLdmFli_czkfdl6D2ccFxH50OOyjY_1uKeN0tUaxl-k9186GgGNbiK9vzeuDwb8RE/s1600/Swimming+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv37XbxnVa_ZVamHxE-QBMabhnBeiXETNOXb_DPm2h5Gv4HbSWPXOg_-8xStwlV0r5HwPwQUoaiGLdmFli_czkfdl6D2ccFxH50OOyjY_1uKeN0tUaxl-k9186GgGNbiK9vzeuDwb8RE/s400/Swimming+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">FREE STYLE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And finally there's Free Style... the most complex of the all the swimming strokes. Here the arms and legs are moving in rhythm and opposition at the same time, while the head moves to the breathing position once every few strokes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">This business about head movement might not seem like much, but in fact, it is a critical early years milestone that almost always goes unnoticed. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">You see, when babies are born, nature fits them with a series of primitive reflexes to help them navigate the birth canal and the early months/years of life. This includes the STNR (Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex) which synchronizes baby's arm and head movements. But in order to crawl, a baby must be able to position herself on all fours, raise her head, and move it from side to side in order to see where she's going. Until the STNR reflex is released, crawling and walking cannot begin, let alone jumping into the deep end of running, hopping, skipping, and yes... her first, big-kid swim lessons.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Enjoy the Olympics!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Go Team New Zealand<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4_Re56Mw32qNFGzzWp4mMLRLQCAc2whNl-MOkgWH3fp2BBW5FIPSW0sr1DzY6wsXij7VYx3cDFbcMcyaOnC7O54j754HJHZ1SVjlv-8JXExjgFBTO3DQBdv7FJAQHRZDbR7BBAHgWks/s1600/BLOG+2+PM+BANNER+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4_Re56Mw32qNFGzzWp4mMLRLQCAc2whNl-MOkgWH3fp2BBW5FIPSW0sr1DzY6wsXij7VYx3cDFbcMcyaOnC7O54j754HJHZ1SVjlv-8JXExjgFBTO3DQBdv7FJAQHRZDbR7BBAHgWks/s400/BLOG+2+PM+BANNER+1.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">SHOULDER SPEAK</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Shoulder strength and maneuverability are essential in swimming, so playing games that use the shoulders in different ways is a great way to help your child prepare for the water on dry land.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">But did you know, the shoulders have a secret language all their own?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">To play Shoulder Speak, explain to your child that for the next five minutes, we're only going to speak with our shoulders! For example...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Raise just your RIGHT SHOULDER = "Yes"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Raise just your LEFT SHOULDER = "No"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Shrug BOTH SHOULDERS = "I Don't Know"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Roll both SHOULDERS BACK = "I'm Happy"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Roll both SHOULDERS FORWARD = "I'm Sad"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Raise your shoulders LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT-RIGHT = "I Love You!"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">And once you've got the hang of it, what do you suppose the elbows have to say?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic";">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Cheryl McCarthyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05127029396015976581noreply@blogger.com1