It’s Monday! We hope you had a wonderful weekend and were able to make time for self-care. As teachers, we have been thinking, reading, and discussing mental health for adults and children while we are all under additional stress. One theme that keeps coming up is making sure adults take a moment (or more!) for self-care on a regular basis. Perhaps the messy art invitation will give you a moment to laugh and have an extra drink of water while your child explores.
Art Invitation: Messy Art! Take your art outside and make a mess. What does it look like when your child paints with their hands? What does it look like if you invite them to explore the paint with their toes?
Intent: This activity allows for total creative control from the middlers. Big body motor skills will be used and the middlers will have fun being able to use their fingers and toes to explore the paint.
Music and Movement Invitation: Toe-ga
For this invitation you will need something small like pompoms or cotton balls and a break-resistant cup. Scatter the pompoms on the floor and set the cup in the middle of them. Challenge your toddler to use their toes to pick up the pompoms and put them into the cup using their toes. This can be a whole family exercise!
This invitation builds balance and coordination as well as strengthening children’s feet. It requires concentration and focus to get the pompoms into the cup using toes.
Outdoor/Nature/Gross Motor Invitation: Have a picnic outside today! You can picnic in the yard, on a porch or balcony, or in the middle of the floor. Your child can help find a location and carry a blanket, dishes and food to it.
Intent: Get outside and enjoy the nice weather and beautiful spring scenery. We want to encourage the middlers to use all of their big body and fine motor muscles to enhance gross motor development.