Uu is for upside-down

This week we are doing things upside down and listening for the sound of Uu.  Being upside down can be great for kids, research shows it can calm and center kids who are upset - This piece of advice comes from the website- "the inspired treehouse" informing why kids need upside down play-

Has your little one ever peered at you from between her legs as she takes in the world from an upside down point of view?  Funny and cute, right?

Well, it turns out that experimenting with being upside down (beginning around the age of two) is more than just cute!  As kids grow, they have the ability to contort their bodies into all kinds of crazy positions to get the sensory input they need to regulate their bodies and behavior and to lay the foundation for the development of important motor skills.  

We may be too old or too proud to hang our heads over the side of the bed or off of the edge of the couch, but some of us like to get adventurous with crazy yoga poses that provide us the experience of being upside down.  The benefits of this gravity-defying feat include better posture, improved circulation, improved mood, better flexibility, better balance, improved upper body and core strength and more!

When you see your little one hanging upside down, don’t redirect her!  Instead, supervise and encourage as she gives her vestibular, proprioceptive, visual, and tactile systems the input she needs to get in sync!

We won't be doing all our play upside down, but here are some of the activities we will be doing-

Table time includes stacking with upside down cups, putting rubber bands on upside down chair legs, drawing on an upside down table, dumping things upside down in water play, coloring upside down, putting orbeez on upside down bath grippers and sticky upside down play.

Small group activities include coloring upside down, making an upside down picture of ourselves, and an upside down journal entry.

Our KDI for the week is Body Awareness- Children know about their bodies and how to navigate them in space. Being upside down and seeing things from a different perspective helps us figure out how our bodies work!

Jesus Time- This week we hear about the boy Jesus in the temple. When Jesus was 13 years old, he went with his family for the first time to worship in the temple in Jerusalem. This was a huge celebration time and Mary and Joseph and Jesus traveled with a large group of family and friends to Jerusalem. There were huge crowds there to celebrate as well. They spent 7 days going and worshiping and celebrating at the temple. Each evening getting together to share a meal and sleep. Mary and Joseph prepared to leave to return to Nazareth, but Jesus wasn't with them. They assumed he was with family or friends, but when evening came and they were a day's journey away from Jerusalem, he wasn't there. Worried, they searched among their fellow travelers. When he could not be found, they returned to Jerusalem. They searched the city for 3 days. When they returned to the temple, they heard a familiar voice talking with the teachers and scribes. They had found Jesus! He was questioning and learning with the most learned men in the temple. They were amazed at his wisdom and knowledge. Mary and Joseph were upset that he had not told them where he was. He gently reminded them who he was, not just their son, but the son of God. He had work to do here on earth, this was part of it. He went obediently with them back to Nazareth where he grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man. 

Books of the week- "Stellaluna" by Janell Cannon, "Silly Sally" by Audrey Wood and "Round Trip" by Ann Jonas.

More information on our January field trip should be coming soon!

Have a super week!