Hello Redbud Families,

 

I really miss seeing you and your little ones each morning!  I am thinking about you all and hope you are well, safe, and coping with all the changes that have taken place over the past weeks.

 

As other teachers at CCS have noted, we are all dealing with unexpected and difficult circumstances right now.  Some families may find it helpful to have activity ideas while much of our regular routines are suspended, while others may have enough to focus on without taking on any more.  Please do whatever works best for yourself and your family. Personally, I am finding it helpful to still get to be in teacher mode some of the time right now, so thank you for letting me share ideas and reach out to the Redbuds over the internet – my gratitude and love to you all!

Laura, for the Redbud team

 

Teacher Message:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS1T4DMkFXw

In today’s video, I sing some calming songs and demonstrate different breathing exercises.  (Also wanted to give a shout out (Yay!) to former CCS teacher Kim Fleisher who wrote the first song, “Breathing In”, and wrote the music for the third song, our three “rules” at CCS.)

Activities:

1).  Mystery Box.  In today’s video, I introduce an object with a “Mystery Box”, something your Redbud is very familiar with from school.  Try putting an object in a cardboard box and shake it, encouraging your child to notice the sound and what clues the sound can give them about what is inside- does it sound hard?  Soft? Loud? Quiet? Does the object inside seem to slide? Roll? Bounce? If your child doesn’t guess themselves, you can model thinking aloud.

The Mystery Box is also a fun way to heighten interest – it could be a useful way to introduce what is happening next (especially if there are parts of the daily routine that are feeling a little stale to your kiddo).  “Wow! Rubber Ducky was in the Mystery Box! Now you get to bring Rubber Ducky to the bath with you!”

2). Movement Play.  I’m sure the children are really missing time on playgrounds right now.  In particular, slides, swings, climbing bars, etc. offer a variety of vestibular sensations that help kids feel calm and focused.  Here are some ideas you can try at home (many will need adult support):

If your kid loves swinging or bouncing, try:

  • Sit facing your child and holding hands, lean forward and back while you sing  “Row Your Boat” (this can sometimes work great with siblings, too). You can also have the child sit on your lap and rock side to side.

  • Rocking chairs or hammocks, if you have them

  • Let your toddler sit on a playground ball and bounce.  Need an extra challenge? Give them a bean bag (or rolled up sock) to throw in a basket as they bounce.

  • Jump like a frog or kangaroo or count 5 jumps.

If your kid likes to be upside down, try:

  • Downward Dog yoga pose

  • Do a mini-headstand or handstand, letting your child put their bare feet on the wall to balance.

  • Make a tunnel to crawl through out of sofa cushions.  Leave a “skylight” where they can turn and look up at the ceiling.

If your kid likes spinning, try:

  • Ring Around the Rosie (especially if there are siblings at home).

  • Log rolls on the carpet.

  • Dancing to ballet music.

  • Spinning Freeze Dance.  Many children love to spin but it can sometimes get too intense (feeling sick or crashing into things).  Teach your kiddo to stop and hold a pose when you say “freeze” or “statues!”, then put the music on and spin with frequent pauses.

If your kid likes to balance try:

  • Walking a tape line on the rug or a “pathway” of sturdy blocks.

  • Make a “pillow walk” for bare feet (or to crawl over).

  • Pretty much any yoga pose!

Tyler (they / them), Laura (she / her), Seth (he / him, they / them), Naima (she / her) | Redbud Teachers