Next week we will be exploring writing foundations and the importance of focusing on the body first! … but whilst Winter is in full swing here are some wonderful Winter themed motor activities from Teacher Julia….
“Our job as parents to get our kids moving can be a challenge! Especially on rainy rainy days. I notice that my child struggles to fall asleep when she has had a day with little physical activity. Doing some physical activities each day will go a long way in keeping them warm, fit, healthy and tired out for bed time 😉 “
This week we are enjoying some more winter themed fun and will also be exploring writing foundations and the importance of focusing on the body first!
We are so excited to share with you some wonderful guidance from Physiotherapist Julia Lee-Sylvester this week who is devoted to paediatrics as a special interest and passion.
“All learning begins with the body. It has to. It’s our point of reference – our own personal, portable true north, so to speak. And for children, it’s even more so because the body is the brain’s first teacher. And the lesson plan is movement.” – A Moving Child is a Learning Child (Gill Connell and Cheryl McCarthy)
Watering Whole understands the importance of free play and exploration as well as gross motor and fine motor work for each child’s physical development.
Did you know that before a child can learn to successfully write first they must acquire a number of pre-writing skills?
These pre-writng-skills have been so beautifully outlined in these wonderful graphics below created by Julia:
Little ones often find it easier and more fun to write, draw or paint on a vertical surface. Before they decide to draw on your precious walls, you can encourage activities like the one below or even drawing with washable markers on the sliding door.
I love this activity for toddlers but it even has benefits for school going children! ✔️ Writing on a vertical surface is great for wrist, elbow and shoulder strength, midline crossing, visual attention, hand-eye coordination and postural control. ✔️ Spray bottle: hand and finger strengthening and visual attention. ✔️ Cleaning vertical surface with scrunched up newspaper, sponge or cloth: hand, forearm and shoulder strengthening, proprioceptive input into the shoulder joint, midline crossing and hand-eye coordination.
These abilities are all needed later for fine motor skills like pencil grip, scissor cutting, sitting upright at a desk and even ball skills ⚽️ . .
For those of you looking for some “extra comfort” Winter baking fun this week, here is one our very special family recipes to try out @home!
(We usually double the recipie) Cream together: 1 Egg 250g Butter 1Tsp Vanilla ¾ cup brown sugar ¾ cup white sugar and then add: 1Tsp salt 1 Tsp baking powder 2 ½ cups flour Mix and then add Chocolate chips and nuts We like the chop up bars of whole nut chocolate and add this instead!
“Popcorn, popcorn Sizzle in a pan. Shake it up shake it up Bam bam bam! Popcorn Popcorn now it’s getting hot. Shake it up, shake it up Pop pop pop!”
Ingredients •¼ cup oil •2 tablespoons honey •1 tablespoons cane sugar •½ cup popcorn kernels •A pinch of salt •Cinnamon to taste
Directions: 1.Heat oil over medium-low heat with 3-4 kernels. When the oil and kernels begin to sizzle, add the remaining kernels and toss to coat. Once coated, sprinkle sugar on top and cover with a lid. 2.Every few seconds shake the pot back and forth so that no kernels burn (give it a good shake!) Continue to do this through the popping. 3.Once popping has slowed to hardly no sounds, remove from heat, sprinkle with sea salt, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, honey and extra sugar as desired. Give it a good shake to coat with cinnamon (but make sure you’re doing this while it’s still hot!)
