'What's the time Mr Wolf?'

Lunch time!!

Today, whilst on an excursion to the zoo, we stumbled upon a beautiful bit of outdoor space in our search for a spot to sit for lunch. A patch of grass, dappled shade, trees, shrubs - just perfect for a game of 'What's the time Mr Wolf".

My Preschooler had a turn at being the Wolf first. Counting is a really big 'thing' right now. 13 was the call - so she only had a couple of calls before I was right upon her. When I was close enough, I snatched the hat and ran back to base (which was the stroller). Not bad since I had my toddler in my arms.

When it was my turn (with the toddler still in my arms) I included my toddler into the game by holding up his fingers to represent the time ie. number of steps to be taken. Since the numbers we chose were small, we had several calls to make. At the call of lunchtime, we chased the Preschooler back to base - safe to play another time.
 
 It does not take long for the enthusiastic to learn the strategy and rules of the game. The wolf lures the participants close enough to him so that he can call out 'lunchtime' and catch someone. The participants tries to get as close to the wolf as possible to steal his 'treasure' (in my case, it was the hat - but a ball or scarf tucked into the pants would be safer) and return to the safety of the 'base' - usually a line (or in my case, the stroller).

Lots of fun.

This game is so perfect for Preschoolers as it involves few rules, counting, singing, estimating space, strategic thinking, anticipation, developing reaction time, agility - gleefulness. Having a turn at being the Wolf also builds self esteem.

I usually play this game with larger groups but as I found out today, it worked with just the three of us.

And now, it is bed time.

In Praise of the Ikea Noje

Such a versatile item.

Hang them. Put them on the floor. Use them together or separate them.

As targets, they are ideal for little learners. Arranged in a cluster of three, it increases the chances of success to encourage early attempts at throwing. Arranged in a single file, each container has a different difficult rating - important for scaffolding, adding interest and for encouraging little ones.

They nest into each other - and they collapse....so they do not take up too much space.

Three cheers for the Noje.

It's About Time - ACHPER

What do you get when over a 1000 Phys Ed/Health/Sport teachers gather for a conference?

A whole lot of energy, enthusiasm, tracksuits and of course, opportunities to connect and reconnect.

I attended the 2010 Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation annual conference which took place over the past two days. And as always, I am filled with great new ideas, greater determination, and a more defined purpose.

Physical Education - whether it be at home/school/sporting club - is learning how to move, to do and to play. With knowledge comes confidence and with confidence comes participation.  

This year, the theme was 'It's About Time' - to take stock of the amount of time assigned to PE classes in busy crowded school curricula and about lobbying for more PE.

I also think it could be about making time to participate in physical activity with our children. As parents we can give our little ones a wide range of positive physical experiences - and our time.

So I have a few new topics and ideas to help do just that - and will share these ideas over the coming days.

Kindayoga

While on the topic of DVDs...there is one other we like to put on and follow along whilst still in our pyjamas.

KindaYoga.- Jungle Story Vol 1. Found here.

I have been attending Yoga classes - albeit inconsistently - over the past ten years and so have built up knowledge and experience of how it is best delivered to those new to and still discovering it.

It is very child friendly and introduces yoga in a very fun and appropriate way.

I particularly love the quiet breathing.

We can now do some of the poses without the DVD - and practise it together on the grass in the backyard. I have also borrowed the breathing technique when the need to bring the energy/anxiety level down a few notches arises.

So, Kindayoga is with us all the time.

Miss Vicky on holidays

With the Ballet concert over for the year, there are no more dance classes to attend. This morning, we had quite a leisurely Monday morning compared to the rush to get to dance lessons during the school term.

"Why is Ms Vicky on holidays? Why does she need a break?" inquired my Preshooler.

Fortunately, I was prepared for this moment and pulled out the Ballet conditioning DVD I bought at an opportunity shop.

We - my toddler, my preschooler and myself - all stood in front of the TV - in our pyjamas and barefoot (as recommended by Elise - the ballerina on the cover) and attempted some of the exercises. 

The pace was slow -  hence ideal for our purposes and I personally found it quite a good workout and enjoyed the ballet context of the exercises. I tried all the exercises and my Preschooler attempted the ones she had done in class with her teacher - as well as others I thought were safe and appropriate.

Our preschooler was impressed that the ballerina on TV was doing the same things as Ms Vicky; and the moves were performed nearly as well as her.

And my toddler loved attempting the arabesque.

So we may well be seeing Miss Elise on DVD every Monday morning.

The hidden treasures of Active Play

With warmth in the air and more consistent sunny weather, our little ones have spent a lot of time preoccupied with outside play.

Many turns of the garden collecting little jugs of water, mud and sand for the making of mud pies (Preschooler) and carting, transporting pebbles and relocating objects from the back yard to front yard (Toddler) have kept both very busy - leaving me with snatches of time to do some weeding here and there.

There have been moments - briefly - where all three of us are engrossed in our own little endeavour.

Randomly slotted in amongst all this mud pie making and carting are bouts of Active Play...spontaneous skipping, hula hooping, walking-stilt(ing), hopscotching, croqueting, Jumping Jacks....etc I am glad I have just allowed for them to be lead by their imaginations and inspirations.

I came across a website which outlines the benefits of such activities when it is self lead by little individuals - rather than directed by an adult.  the hidden treasures of active play.

I also like the tips and suggestion on Role modeling for children. It is a fantastic resource.

When John and Jane went out walking....

.....they were busy talk, talk, talking. (The Pear in the Pear Tree - Pamela Allen)

We do a lot of walking - to the shops, to the park, to the river to feed ducks, to the train station and then to the zoo, museum, friends when visiting.

And while sometimes, it is much easier to use the stroller for both my Pre-schooler and toddler, I am glad that the walking option usually wins.

Because, walking is often accompanied by talking...and the topics we cover and the depth of insights that come out never ceases to amaze me.

I came across this article by Sarah Wilson during my weekend newspaper reading that may explain when 'walking and talking' go so well together.

And I hope that all this walking will prepare us all for our first short hike this summer.

Review: YMCA Play Gym

There are several YMCA Recreation Centers in our city. They offer a range of fantastic programs.

One in particular is the Play Gym. For the cost of about $6 per child, toddlers and Preschoolers (with the assistance of a carer) have access to a fully equipped gymnastics gym - a real gymnastics gym - complete with foam pit into which they can tumble.

For 45minutes, little ones and carers move around the space and try their hand on the special apparatus.

As one can see from the pictures, we have not been a for a while because,  I could not see how I could spot and coach the Preschooler and still keep the toddler from injuring himself.

But I think the 'age and stage' of our two little ones is just right now.

Play Gym sessions being an indoor activity is not only a fantastic option for when the weather is cold; it is also ideal when the weather is too hot and sunny or for when the pollen count in the air is at the highest it has been for10 years.

The challenge for me will be to remember the visit is for the little ones, not for me to revisit my gymnastics skills.

Line Jumping

Using any line on the floor, this activity develops laterality, Left and Right Concepts, directionality, static and dynamic balance and creativity.

A masking tape could be used on the floor to mark the line.  The line could be anywhere from 1 m to 4 m. This could be done with one child or small groups.

Ask your little one to listen and look up at you when you are directing. Pause until you have their attention before you begin instructions.

The instructions are:
Jump over the line; forwards, backwards. Take off and land on two feet in a controlled manner.
Jump over the line and do a quarter turn whilst in the air, turn to the left/and or right.
Jump over the line by taking off on one foot and land on two feet.
With feet side by side, jump from one side to the other - forward and backwards.
Straddle with feet on either side of the line and jog with high knee raises along the length of the line

What combination of the above could be put together in a routine?
How else could the line be traversed? crossed?

Make up a little song or rap to help remember the routine.

Product Review: Go! Go! Sports Girls, Girls Sports Dolls

I found these dolls on the internet. 
 Go! Go! Girls!

My immediate reaction is positive - if not for my own Preschooler but as a teaching tool/cheering squad/demonstration aid?

I particularly like the Swimming and Gymnastics dolls.

But I am wondering if there are Go! Go! Sports Boys?

Swooped and Spooked

A few weekends ago while on a training ride for the Great Victorian Bike Ride, I was swooped by a bird - possibly a Grey ButcherBird.

Thankfully, I was riding along the heavily wooded bike path along a Freeway and not on the road with traffic flowing close by. It was quite a frightening experience with potentially disastrous results had I been in a busier location.

So last Sunday, keen to not let this incident put me off riding, I rode with a head(helmet)dress.

I turned a few heads, I got a few smiles and I may have looked silly - but I had PIECE OF MIND at least for one leg of my ride.

Because, on my return leg I looked down at my shadow and noticed with horror the absence of spikes on my helmet.

This post is to say farewell to my head(helmet)dress - you gave me confidence to ride through Magpie Swooping territory.

For more information on Swooping Birds click on here.

I am going to try googly eyes for my next ride.

Monkey Bar Magic

As a kid, I spent a great deal of time just hanging around the school monkey bars. Like most primary school girls at the time, I had callouses at the base of my fingers on my palms.

So today, I was quite pleased when my Preschooler showed me how she could hang and bring her legs up between her hands and hang. A fellow kinder had showed her how to it.

There were big smiles.

I was keen to show her other tricks but exercised restraint. Because I still clearly remember the many hours I spent under the bars, I do not underestimate power of the peer and the value of peer teaching on the monkey bars.

The photo above is an example of the set up at the kindergarten. There were two trestles like this one with a monkey ladder across them for hanging etc. I love the climbing wall.

This combination along with a set of parallel bars would be a perfect set up for any small backyard.

Sugar Plum Fairy

We have our first Ballet Concert this Sunday.

Hair bun nets, bobby pins, stage and lighting rehearsals - it is all new to us and very exciting.

But, I noticed a few weeks ago some reluctance from our preschooler to attend Ballet classes. After some probing, I discovered that while the majority of the lesson was appealing, the rehearsal of the dance routine to be performed at the concert was putting her off. Remembering it all was overwhelming.

So, thanks to a very understanding dance teacher and the 'record' button on our camera, we have overcome this obstacle.

With the routine recorded and downloaded onto the home laptop, we have been able to learn the dance in small bite sized sessions spread across the day. We first focused on just the feet movements, then the arm actions and then finally, listening to the music for the cues.

It has been fun embracing this event as a family. Our preschooler is looking forward to the concert with more confidence now, our toddler son runs around with a tutu on, I can do a tondu - and even dadda knows a few of the dance moves.

Indoor Bowling Alley

The most hectic part of our day is from 4.30pm to bed time. And it is usually during the making of dinner when both little ones seem to run out of puff for entertaining themselves.

So I set them up with an activity and/or task that keeps them busy for ten or so minutes at a time - long enough for me to complete the dinner process.

Today, I used a part of the kitchen as a Ten Pin Bowling Alley. I set them up with the bucket of soft indoor balls and a set of light plastic bowling pins. But instead of bowling, we practised our kicking.

I talk first about comfortable/stronger leg and foot - the dominant one, and the balance foot/leg - the non-dominant one. I demonstrate the process quite often so that they see the action - and I encourage their attempts to quickly follow the demonstration. This, I feel is important during the cognitive stage of learning.

See it and then quickly have a go at it.

The non-dominant foot is placed to the side and behind the ball while the dominant leg swings into the ball with the toe making contact with ball. Having a bucket of balls handy means there is less time wasted fielding the ball.

This task today was a confidence booster as the pins fell down easily.

Our kicking fairies got many strikes by foot today.

Good, Better, Best...

Never let it rest,
Until your good is better,
And your better is your best.

An ex-colleague - now friend - of mine used to teach this little chant to her students.

I love it - it is catchy, easy to remember and a good example of positive 'seft-talk' to teach little (and not so) ones.

Receiving feedback that is positive in wording, that provides the recipient with a comparison of how their performance has improved and lets them know you have paid attention to their efforts is highly valuable to little learners.

"That was the highest jump I have seen you do.."
"I noticed you remembered what I told you before your attempt"
"I can see you were trying your best.."
"That was a good/a better/your best attempt"

Happy chanting.

Musical Freeze!

If you have a gathering of little-ones this weekend the 'Freeze' game would be a fun activity to get everyone running around and working off the candy in their systems. You will need some music and each child will need their own bubble space to begin.

Musical Freeze - play some music and encourage the kiddos to dance. When the music stops - Freeze immediately and hold it.

Award prizes - candy/stickers/erasers etc. Declare out loud to group what the winner did well. This gives feedback to the rest of the group and cues the learner to how to improve their performance for the next round.

Happy Halloween for those who celebrate it!

Mirror Mirror

Children love to observe themselves in the mirror.....a whole lot of understandings and connections begin and continue to take place when then do.

Recently, we were at a shopping venue and saw our image on the security camera, and it was noted by the Preschooler that the image was "...not the same side".

So we have been playing 'Mirror Mirror' today to capitalize on the episode. It is a fun game and a good opportunity to talk about opposites, object, image, left and right.

Ask your Preschooler to pretend they are looking into the mirror - they are the object, you are the image and you copy their actions.

Swap over. When it is your turn model good posture and slow but interesting movements that increases their repertoire of actions. Enlist other Preschoolers to play with yours.

Bricoleurs in the house

My Preschooler has fully embraced the 'Bricolage' philosophy from her kindergarten.

We spent the afternoon playing the game she made up today.

Pretty simple really -  get the ball into the tub with the stick. Hit it as many times as you need.
Me: 6 hits to get it in
Preschooler: 3

The beauty in this was the thinking that went into this activity and how it evolved as she wandered around the backyard picking up and contemplating the usefulness of each item. When I was initially enlisted to play, it  was called 'The Running Game'.

How hard was it to allow for the free, but controlled, flow of ideas? Very.

Lucky to 'Throw like a girl'

Last night on National Television, an Anti-war activist threw his shoes at an ex-Prime Minister of Australia. He apparently missed by quite a bit but did cause some havoc and created a lot of attention.

He later admitted that he did not have a good throw and that he was mocked by people who knew him for 'throwing like a girl'. When interviewed he said "Quite a few people have said I throw like a girl, which I think is a bit of an insult because I’ve seen some pretty good shots from women".

Yes..it is an insult. Whatever point made with that stunt was at the expense of many girls.

Maybe he could do with some lessons from some girls I know.

Fast, Faster, Fastest

The ability to vary the intensity of effort is important - not only in a sporting setting but also as we go about our daily tasks and when at play.

Preschoolers can begin to use the language to convey, discuss and experience what it feels like to work at varying efforts.

We live quite close to an athletics track - modified for school children - and we use it for running whenever we can. At the finish line at the end of the straight, I often ask my Preschooler if she could have gone any faster...and her response is often "...yes..." 

I use opportunities like this to discuss 'effort' - how hard one works. These opportunities pop up often...when playing with balls, pushing the wagon around the backyard...jumping on the spot..etc

In many sports, games and activities being able to vary and accurately apply the correct and appropriate intensity to an action is essential.