Each week we start off our Intellidance classes with a BrainDance. Developed by Anne Green Gilbert, BrainDance is comprised of eight developmental movement patterns that warm up the body and integrate the brain namely:

•Breath: Breath not only provides our brain and body with the oxygen it needs to fully function, but can also ease feelings of stress and anxiety.

•Tactile: Touch develops body awareness and sensory integration.

•Core-Distal: Body extension and contraction strengthens children’s connection with core muscles for proper body alignment.

•Head-Tail: Moving the head and pelvis develops awareness of the relationship to each other and increases spinal mobility.

•Upper/Lower: Young children need to organize upper and lower body independently before they can synchronize them together.

•Body Side: Moving body sides balances the body so that both right and left sides have equal strength and mobility.

•Cross Lateral: Cross-body movements help the left and right hemispheres of your child’s brain connect and co-ordinate which is important for developing full cognitive function.

•Vestibular: The vestibular system helps humans analyze the relationship between body parts and their movements in relation to each other, as well as the relationship between the body and the general space. This is important for developing body awareness and balance responses as well as processing sensory input.

This week we will be doing a bird themed BrainDance with Teaching Inger…..

BIRD THEMED BRAIN DANCE

Let’s get out our binoculars and explore all of the birds around us….

Breath – Can you hear that?….Let’s breathe in and hoot like an owl three times.
Tactile – I see a guinea fowl, with its beautiful spotted feathers….Can you pat and brush your feathers all over your body?
Core Distal – Can we make our bodies small like a tiny egg…oh look, the baby birds are hatching. Can you crack out of your egg and become a big baby bird?
Head-tail – Slowly turn your head from side to side like an owl, what about pecking your head up and down like a chicken? Can you wiggle your tail feathers?
Upper – Move your wings like an eagle flying.
Lower – Run around like an ostrich.
Body-Side – Let’s try balancing on one leg like a pink flamingo, now the other… Now waddle like a duck from side to side.
Cross lateral – Can you make some chicken wings with me? One wing at a time ….Show me your pointy elbow, lets tap tap tap our elbow wing, show me your other pointy elbow let’s tap tap tap the other side.
Vestibular – Can we whoosh our upper body flying and soaring up and down and side to side? Can you spin around like a bird feather twirling in the sky?