KIDS THAT GO BUMP

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! 

We call those “bump ‘n hugs” and in our view, they’re the best part of the day. 

But did you ever wonder why they do it?

WHY KIDS GO BUMP

The technical term for it is proprioception - our internal GPS system. You see, 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.

But it’s not as simple as introducing your child to the ottoman and they’re good to go. Their body is always growing which means their spatial relationships are constantly changing. And that’s why they go bump. As we describe it in A Moving Child is a Learning Child...

“It’s not a question adults have to think about. But it’s a big idea for little ones. Will I fit? And that likely explains why kids love to climb in, on, around, under, over, and through things. It’s their way of exploring their place in our world.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Sit back and watch and you’ll see your child is working on this all the time. 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.

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. 

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. 

And most important of all, the next time you get a bump ‘n hug, be sure to hug back extra tight so they know you are where they always fit.

HOW SLOW CAN YOU GO?

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!

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! 

Fun, but phew!

And that got me thinking about the importance of speed in a young child’s life.

Why Kids Love Fast!

It seems that just minutes after their first steps, little ones are off and running. Not walking. Running! I love that stage, watching them relish the freedom of their own two feet.

And certainly, going fast feels good and is a large part of why “fast” is a young child’s default speed. But it’s not the only reason.

You see “fast” is actually easier than “slow” for young children. 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.

As we’ve written about before, children aren’t born with a sense of balance. Balance is developed in the early years through the natural process of movement. 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!

Why Slow Matters

Now, going fast is perfectly natural and great for kids. But it’s important to try to slow them down too... at least sometimes. 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. 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!

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...

Ready? Set. Slow!

1. THE GO-SLOW CHALLENGE! 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!”

2. CHANGE IT UP! 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.

3. TURTLE! TIGER! TREE! 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.

4. CAREFUL! CAREFUL! 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.

5. GIANT STEPS. 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!

6. TWO BY TWO. 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.

7. THE SLOW ZOO 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!

8. SLOW TALK. 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!

9. SLOW TALK & WALK. 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.”

10. IT’S SLOW TIME! 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!


WANT TO KNOW MORE?
If you're interested in learning more ways to help children develop balance and control, you might enjoy these posts...

DEVELOPING BALANCE: THE SPIN CYCLE
SMART STEPS: LET 'EM ROLL