With a cheshire cat smile, a third grade girl held up both hands and said, “I have dirty hands!” Her friend chimed in, “That’s part of gardening-getting dirty!” Temperatures may still hover in the uncomfortable 40 degree (F) range with a biting cold wind, but the garden cries out for food and care, so the […]
Pockets of snow are still tucked here and there around the northeast (and maybe the south?!?) but the calendar marches on. That means seed planting time has arrived. The Children’s Garden kicks off the year with an enthusiastic discussion about seeds. We learned that popcorn (a seed) pops because it has a lot of […]
Big, colorful exercise balls are a staple of gyms and therapeutic settings. Because of the dynamic nature of balls (they roll), more core work is required to stay on the ball. The muscles necessary for balancing get into the act. That’s why trainers and therapist have used them for years. Children like them because they […]
We know that the best way to get children 0-7 years old strong is to go outside and PLAY PLAY PLAY. And if the weather makes this impossible (Are we remembering this winter???) then drag out blankets, pillows and your imagination and PLAY PLAY PLAY. But once kids reach “Intro to Formal Sports” age (7-8 […]
After posting “Positioning for Strength” last week, questions arose about how to get the baby from square one to five…or something like that. In short, delving into positioning a little further might be helpful. Everyone looks forward to the time that baby can sit up alone, so I thought I’d start with sitting strategies. […]
A nice way to get students re-energized, have fun and build critical foundation skills all at the same time is by introducing a simple balloon. Before you roll your eyes and click to a new site, consider what can happen with this inexpensive object when structured the right way. Benefits: Visual attention and visual tracking […]
A hundred years ago when I worked in hospitals I trudged around corridors hauling a large orange exercise ball. White lab coat and a giant ball. Keep in mind this was pre Pilates. The word “core” referred to apples, not human anatomy. So you, readers, are way ahead of my colleagues accustomed to seeing spectacles, […]
Back in prehistoric times (that is before electronic devices…) I spent large swaths of my summer vacation figuring out how to spend my time. When I had early morning trips to the park and the purchase power to buy “GIMP,” I’d spend the afternoon covering wire hangers decoratively with the plastic laces or making perfectly […]
Several years ago I read an article that noted the decline in children’s ability to crawl. In the report, pediatricians said perhaps they had overstated the importance of crawling, and it was a developmental milestone that could be jettisoned from the books. NOOOOOOOOO!!!! Crawling is really important. When physical therapists and I sat at child […]
When my oldest was six and the twins were two we traveled to Europe for my husband’s sebbatical. At this point one might think-what were we thinking?! We were given a lovely home in the country with a garden, so the children could run around. One hitch- there were no electronic devises in the house-no […]
Here are a few common experiences that attempt to convey the discomfort someone with tactile defensiveness live with daily: Finger nails scratching across a chalk board. The lingering sensation of touching a slug; struggling to get the slime off. When the panty hose are twisted but you didn’t have time to straighten them before rushing […]
