Spring into action with Tatty Bumpkin’s Rabbit Pose – The Fun way to Progress Writing Skills

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

Progressing writing skills doesn't always mean doing more writng!
In fact paediatric occupational and physiotherapists will often suggest whole body activities to help a child refine their hand skills. See end of this post.

Tatty Bumpkin’s Rabbit Yoga Activity

Before you start 

• Find a clear space on the carpet or a mat. Make sure you both have a clear space around you so you are not likely to bump your heads! When young children does this pose they may look down at their feet and hands instead of straight ahead. 
• Take  off your shoes and socks to prevent slips and to help your child feel the mat with their feet and hands accurately. 
• Always seek advice if you are unsure about whether Rabbit pose is suitable for yourself.
• Rabbit pose is hard! If your child is younger (under 3 years) or clearly not enjoying the pose - don't persist. They just might not be quite ready to do the pose yet. 

Rabbit Pose

• Squat down on the mat or carpet with your child. Show them how they can balance on their feet with their hands down in front of them – so they can use their hands to balance as well.  

• Now the tricky bit! Guide your child to reach forward with their hands first - keeping their feet still. 

• With your hands out in front, slowly bring your weight forwards so you’re taking more weight through your shoulders, arms and hands. Encourage your child to copy.

• Now it's time to move your feet! With your weight on your hands, hop both your feet towards your hands, like a bouncing bunny. 

• Repeat your Tatty Bumpkin rabbit yoga pose a few times so your child has a chance to refine their hops.

• On their first attempts your child may tend to land on their knees as they hop – instead of their feet. If this is the case show your child the pose again – this time emphasizing how a bunny lands on his back paws!  

• Jumping over a river or grass! Your child will probably find rabbit pose easier to do if they have something to look at and jump over. 
• So, whilst you are both squatting down, place a narrow scarf, streamer or piece of ribbon on the floor in front of you both. 
• Show your child how they can place their hands over the streamer first and then hop their feet over it! 

Want to make Rabbit pose harder? See if you and your child can do rabbit pose backwards!

Why Rabbit Yoga Activity is ‘Good for Me’

To support writing skills 

1. As your child does rabbit pose, they activate their core muscles - their shoulder, tummy, back and hip muscles.  

Tatty Bumpkin's 'Apple Core Man' - Showing the core muscles! Copyright © 2015 Tatty Bumpkin ltd

If your child has strong, activated core muscles this will help them to: 

• Sit in a balanced, comfortable position instead of slumping too much.

• Use their shoulder muscles to support the weight of their arm.This will allow your child to free their delicate hand muscles for writing. If a child's shoulder muscles tend to be inactive or weak they may try to support their whole arm with their hand muscles and this can lead to a very tight pencil grip and hand ache.

2. As they do rabbit pose with the streamer your child will be organising huge amounts of different sensory information in their brain e.g. information from their visual, touch and movement (proprioceptive and vestibular) senses.
This sequence of:
Taking in sensations > Processing sensations in the brain >To do a specific activity

 is powerful way of developing sensory organisation! 

When a child is learning to write, good sensory organisation skills will help them to focus on relevant sensory information e.g. their  pencil grip and hand movements and to 'filter out’ irrelevant sensory information e.g. a sound outside, a picture hanging on the wall, the feel of their clothing. 

Core stability and sensory organisation develop naturally from birth up to at least 7 years of age. These processes are refined by whole body movement
or physical play! 

3. As your child takes weight through their hands they will be activating and gently stretching out their hand muscles, preparing them for writing and drawing activities. 



Love Tatty Bumpkin x 

A New Start with Tatty Bumpkin in 2016? 

Or, maybe, you are thinking of a new career for 2016, which gives you:

• The opportunity to work with kids
• A great sense of job satisfaction and
• Flexible working to fit around your own family

Find out how you could be trained to deliver Baby and Tatty Bumpkin classes in your area at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/business/index.html. 

Tatty Bumpkin’s Yoga Penguin Pose for Activating Little Feet and Improving Balance Skills!

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

It could be cold this week in the UK and Tatty Bumpkin is off exploring the Antarctic learning to how to do ‘penguin pose’ with her penguin friends!

Penguin pose is a fun way to bring activity into your child’s day. Ten minute movement breaks all add up! For other ideas the British Heart Foundation has some handy ideas see http://www.bhfactive.org.uk/userfiles/Documents/helpyourchildmove.pdf 

General Advice 

Try to do penguin pose with your child, or encourage brothers and sisters to join in. Research shows toddlers and young children bond with their parents and ‘key people’ not only through touch but also by moving with them. For further ideas on games to improve your relationship with your little one see http://pro.psychcentral.com/child-therapist/2014/08/5-attachment-based-activities-to-strengthen-parent-child-relationships/# 

Enjoy a Baby Bumpkin class with your child

"I tried to teach my child with books.
He gave me only puzzled looks.
I used clear words to discipline,But I never seemed to win.
Despairingly, I turned aside.“How shall I reach this child?” I cried.
Into my hand he put the key:“Come,” he said, “Play with me.”
Author unknown (adapted by Aletha Solter)

Tatty Bumpkin’s Penguin Yoga Activity

• Find a clear space on the carpet or a mat with your child. Make sure you both have a clear space around you so you are not likely to bump your heads! 

• Start by taking off your shoes and socks as your child will benefit from doing penguin pose barefoot. They will be able to move their feet and toes properly so receiving accurate sensory information through their feet. 

• Stand up tall with your child and show them how they can rock back on their heels so their toes and the balls of their feet are off the floor. 

• Now just balancing on your heels see if you and your child can shuffle forwards, backwards or even sideways! 

• Put your arms by your side then turn your hands up so they are like little penguin wings. 

• Want to make it harder? Carefully place a bean bag or a rolled up pair of socks on your feet, then move onto your heels as you did before seeing if you can keep the beanbag balanced on your feet – just like a penguin carrying its egg! 

Picking up your Penguin Eggs – with your feet!

Supervise your child closely during this game to prevent banged heads. 

After balancing your egg on your feet have a go at picking it up with your child, but not with your hands - with your feet! 

• Sit down with your child and your egg props (bean bags or rolled up socks are ideal) and a shallow tray or basket. 

• Guide your child to put their hands down on their mat by their sides so they can safely lift their feet off the ground whilst taking weight through their hands. 

• Then show your child how they can pick up the egg with their feet and put it in a container!  A shallow container will be easier than one which is deeper. 

Picking up apples with your feet!

• Encourage your child to watch you for a few goes to get the idea. You might have to help them though - place your ‘egg’ toy between your child’s feet and encourage them to wrap their feet round it so they are holding it between the soles of their feet. 

• The final step is for your child to lift their egg up with their feet and place it in the tray.

• Keep practising and then enjoy the look of triumph on your child’s face as they realise they can use their feet like their hands! 

Why Penguin Yoga Activity is ‘Good for Me’

Penguin pose will help your child to: 

1. Activate tummy muscles - As your child balances on their heels in penguin pose they will increase the activity in their tummy muscles. This will help their overall posture. 

2. Improve balance skills - When your child walks on their heels in penguin pose, they have less of their feet on the floor and as a result they will be improving their balance skills.

3. Calf muscle stretch - Penguin pose also provides your child with an excellent calf muscle stretch hence this pose is ideal, fun activity if your child has a tendency to walk on their tiptoes. 

3. Co-ordination skills - To improve their co-ordination skills, especially their eye foot co-ordination (for football), your child can practise standing and walking with a bean bag balanced on their feet – just like a penguin with an egg! 

4. Activate their foot muscles – As your child picks up their penguin eggs, they will be working their intrinsic foot muscles. These tiny muscles which support and control the foot are vital for balance and maintaining a good foot position.

Love Tatty Bumpkin x 

A New Start with Tatty Bumpkin in 2016? 

Or, maybe, you are thinking of a new career for 2016, which gives you:

• The opportunity to work with kids
• A great sense of job satisfaction and
• Flexible working to fit around your own family

Find out how you could be trained to deliver Baby and Tatty Bumpkin classes in your area at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/business/index.html.