ML Interest Tag: backward

47 Conversation Starters That’ll Get the Kids Talking

by Gabby Cullen

If you’ve ever asked your kids “How was your day?” and received what sounds like a grunt or the ever-popular “OK,” you’re not alone. Instead of letting family chats fall to the wayside, consider using conversation starters for kids during your next family dinner. Sure, gathering everyone for a meal might seem impossible, but it’s more important than ever; studies have shown that families that eat together often have healthier diets, increased communication, and overall emotional stability.

And, engaging your kids in conversation has other huge benefits. It helps them learn important social skills, boosts vocabulary, raises self-esteem (especially when you listen to their responses), and could lead to them opening up about things that might be bothering them. So, if you’ve come this far, congrats! The next step? Figuring out what to talk about at the table. That’s where our fun conversation starters for kids come in handy.

How to Use Conversation Starters

Time your questions.

If your kid is hungry, tired, or both, it might not be the best time to engage in elaborate table talk. Use conversation starters with kids when you aren’t rushing to get to practice, there isn’t homework to be finished, and everyone is in a good mood.

Listen to their answers.

So, their curiosity is piqued, and they’re thinking hard about what to say. You need to be present in the moment and listen. Kids’ self-esteem gets a boost when they know their parents are listening.

Don’t forget to ask open-ended questions.

Consider using conversation starters for kids that require more than yes or no answers. If kids (or anyone) have a chance to elaborate on their answers, that can open the door to more interesting conversations.

47 Conversation Starters for Kids

1. Can you guess the ingredients in the meal tonight?

2. What do you like better: waking up in the morning or going to bed at night?

3. Would you rather be a giant rodent or a tiny elephant?

4. What would you do if you had a million dollars?

5. If you had to eat a worm, how would you cook it?

6. What is a weird habit that you have?

7. If you had this week to do over again, what would you do differently?

8. Would you rather go without television or junk food for the rest of your life?

9. If a genie granted you three wishes, what would they be?

10. If money were no object, where would you like to go on vacation?

family laughing over conversation starters for kids during dinner
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11. Where is the most interesting place you have ever been to?

12. Would you rather swim with stingrays or explore the jungle?

13. If you could make any vegetable against the law, which would it be?

14. Would you rather not hear or not see?

15. Would you rather wrestle a lion or fight a shark?

16. If you were sent to live on a space station for three months and were only allowed to bring three personal items, what would they be?

17. If you had your human body but the head of an animal, what animal would you pick?

18. What is one favorite thing you do by yourself?

19. If you could read one person’s mind, whose would it be?

20. What two things do you consider yourself to be very good at?

family eating dinner at a restaurant
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21. Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on other planets?

22. What is your favorite smell? What memory does it remind you of?

23. What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?

24. If you could be one character from a book for a day, who would it be and why?

25. What's the last thing that made you laugh?

26. Tell me about something that made you happy today.

27. What does a perfect day look like to you?

28. If you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be?

29. If you could be in the movie of your choice, what movie would you choose and what character would you play?

30. Would you rather wear your pants backward or shoes on the wrong feet?

family sharing dinner and conversation starters for kids
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31. What did you do to help someone else today?

32. What makes our family special?

33. What three words would you use to describe yourself?

34. What is your favorite song?

35. Would you rather be able to talk to animals or know how to speak every language? 

36. If you could be a sound, what would it be? 

37. If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you pick? 

38. Who is your favorite movie character? 

39. If you had to make dinner tomorrow night, what would you make? 

40. If you were a parent, what rules would you have? Are they different from ours? 

41. What is your earliest memory? 

42. If you could only have three toys, which three would they be? 

43. If you could pick your name, what would it be? 

44. List three things you would do for a Yes Day. 

45. If you had to pick, would you live in the snow, near the beach, a city, or the country? 

46. What's something you always forget to do? 

47. If you could be a professional athlete, which sport would you pick? 

If you’re looking for real giggles, check out our favorite jokes for kids, and for other fun table talk questions, check out these would you rather questions for kids and would you rather questions for teens.

 

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14 Jumbo Lawn Games That’ll Ensure Your Kids Want to Play with You

by Kate Cartia

Looking to add some big fun to your backyard bash? Look no further than these giant lawn games! These larger-than-life versions of classic games are perfect for all ages and add a playful twist to any outdoor gathering. Whether you’re looking for a game to keep the kids entertained or a way to liven up your next BBQ, jumbo yard games are the way to go. From giant Jenga to oversized bowling, there are so many options to choose from. But where do you start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

We’re sharing our top picks for giant lawn games that you can purchase right now. In fact, most of them are from Amazon, so you can get them almost right now. It’s never too early to start planning your spring and summer get-togethers, and these are also perfect for spring break. Plus, we made sure to consider kiddos of all ages so no one gets left out. Get ready to supersize your next backyard game night!

Oversized Yardzee

giant wooden dice set lawn game
SWOOC

This oversized Yahtzee (Yardzee—get it?) game is so much fun for everyone! And this set isn't just limited to Yahtzee. Farkle, Bowling, Pig, and more (20+ games) are packed into this one, weather-resistant set. 

Oversized Yardzee ($39.99)—Buy Here!

Giant Yard Pong

giant yard pong lawn game
Juegoal

This jumbo yard pong game is perfect for all ages. This set includes 12 oversized red cups, four balls, and a carrying case so you can take easily bring the fun with you to the beach or your next family gathering. Available in red, black, or teal/glow in the dark options!

Giant Yard Pong ($39.99)—Buy Here!

28 Piece Large Wooden Dominoes

giant dominoes lawn game
Triumph Sports

Color-coded and varnish-finished, these giant dominoes are ideal for the the whole family!

28 Piece Large Wooden Dominoes ($44.63)—Buy Here!

2-in-1 Vintage Giant Checkers & Tic Tac Toe

giant checkers board
SWOOC

Did someone say 'washable'? The board—a durable and reversible canvas—can be machine-washed, so grass stains and drink spills are no problem at all. This set comes with everything you need for Checkers and Tic Tac Toe.

2-in-1 Vintage Giant Checkers & Tic Tac Toe ($39.99)—Buy Here!

Jumbo Ring Toss

Amazon

This giant ring toss game is simply a backyard must-have. A tried-and-true favorite activity through the spring, summer, and fall, ring toss has a way of bringing people (of all ages) together. This particular set has almost 12K glowing Amazon reviews, too, so they're clearly doing something right.

Jumbo Ring Toss ($24.99)—Buy Here!

GoSports Ladder Toss

set of two ladder toss games
GoSports

This ladder toss is a great game for all ages to play. Set up is easy and you'll be having a blast in no time.

GoSports Ladder Toss ($49.99)—Buy Here!

MegaChess

giant game of chess
MegaChess

Just as the name implies, this is indeed a mega game of chess. With a 25 in. tall king (should give you a good idea of the size we're talking about here), this is such a charming set for mega chess fans.

MegaChess ($450.00)—Buy Here!

Giant Playing Cards

hand holding giant playing cards for lawn games
Yuanhe

Who among us doesn't need a full (all 52 cards) deck of enormous playing cards?

Giant Playing Cards ($13.69)—Buy Here!

Kick Croquet Game Set

giant kick croquet game
Franklin Sports

Kids will have a ball with this fun, outdoor, giant kick croquet game! Kick Croquet combines the fun of running and kicking a ball with the extra added attraction of guiding it through a course of wickets. You can make the course as hard or easy as you want. We're talking soccer vibes in a huge croquet set.

Kick Croquet Game Set ($34.18)—Buy Here!

Giant Connect 4

giant connect 4 game and bag
Giantville

If this isn't the most fun game for families, we aren't sure what is. Set up this jumbo version of Connect Four in your backyard and the kids will be dueling it out all summer long (but, you know, like in a healthy, friendly competition way). Don't believe us? Read the reviews!

Giant Connect 4 ($208.21)—Buy Here!

Giant Jenga

jumbo jenga game
Jenga

Don't you just love this extra-huge version of Jenga? The kids might need your help setting it up every time they knock it over, but other than that this is certainly one of the best jumbo lawn games you can bring home.

Giant Jenga ($118.50)—Buy Here!

Giant Kick Darts

SWOOC

Sure, this huge inflatable game could go one of two ways depending on the kind of neighbors you have and the aim your family has, but it's still wildly fun.

Giant Kick Darts ($149.99)—Buy Here!

Giant Inflatable Dice 6-Pack

Amazon

This inflatable dice set comes with six dice so that you can teach the kids one of these fun games or even use them to make match concepts fun. We love that they are easy to transport so that you can bring them with you camping or on your next family vacation.

Giant Inflatable Dice 6-Pack ($17.29)—Buy Here!

Giant Inflatable Bowling Set

Etna

This is a super fun option for little ones since there's very little risk of them getting hurt. Have the kids kick the bowling ball or mix it up and have them kick it backward—there are tons of ways this can be a fun and active game.

Giant Inflatable Bowling Set ($24.99)—Buy Here!

All the products listed are independently & personally selected by our shopping editors.

If you buy something from the links in this article, we may earn affiliate commission or compensation. Prices and availability reflect the time of publication.

All images courtesy of retailers.

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Easy DIY Frankenstein Costume for Kids

by Amber Guetebier

This easy DIY monster costume comes together in minutes!

October 31st is coming up fast, and if you want a charming Halloween costume for kids on the quick that you don’t need to worry about getting ruined, then look no further than this DIY Frankenstein costume. If they don’t want to be a monster, check out our other favorite last-minute Halloween costume ideas here.

DIY Frankenstein Costume
Amber Guetebier

Frankenstein Costume Supplies

old pants: anything with blown-out knees, ripped pockets, stains, or just too short, all work

an old shirt, ideally a turtleneck if you want to try to add the bolts. Best in any lighter color, not black or navy blue.

a black Sharpie

Optional: plastic toy bolts; yarn to add stitches

A slightly oversized blazer

For the face paint: green face paint and a black eyeliner

How to Make a Frankenstein Costume

Step 1. Shred It
Just go ahead and cut holes in the pants here and there. If it's cold when you go trick-or-treating, you can always wear an extra layer underneath (green is ideal!).

Step 2. Stitchery
Draw simple stitches on your shirt and a few across the pants. If you want to add some yarn stitches you can do that too.

Step 3. Neck Bolts  

Basic: We used a turtleneck and a pair of plastic kid's bolts from a construction game. You essentially just cut small holes, slide the bolts in (backward), and put the nuts on to hold them in place. You could spray paint them silver if you want (we left ours black). The fabric of the turtleneck kept them from poking the neck or making it uncomfortable.

More advanced: You can also try making bolts using a headband to slide around the neck (this works well for older kids but little ones will probably lose track of this). We love this tutorial which is a little more involved but a bit comfier/less bulky.

Step 4. Face Paint

No need to go overboard with the green paint: you can make it a faint green that's relatively easy to wipe back off. Take black eyeliner and make stitch marks. Avoid putting marks over the eye or too near it as it makes it harder to wipe off later.

Don a blazer for the oh-so-Karloff look. Snowboots look great as clunky shoes, but sneakers will do the trick for your active tots.

Tip: This basic costume can be altered to become a zombie!

 

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How You Can Help Your Child Handle Disappointment

By Jamie Edelbrock

I get excited when I see social media posts in the United States about people gathering, friends hugging and going to the grocery store without wearing masks. My social media feeds are finally filling up with concerts, parties, and vacations. July 4th looked considerably different in 2021 versus 2020. 2020 was rough and consisted of lockdowns, endless bad news about COVID-19, limited celebrations, and few get-togethers. Thankfully 2021 featured an abundance of BBQs, parades, get-togethers, and exploding fireworks that matched the excitement in everyone’s hearts as they finally get back to normal.

While this is a reality for many of the world, it is not for many expatriates overseas. Where I live specifically, the COVID-19 numbers have been higher than they’ve ever been the past five days, and new restrictions, including a lockdown, have been mandated. It feels like a repeat of 2020 but with far worse statistics.

I had to explain to my daughters that for the next few weeks, and likely the remainder of their summer, they would be inside. No more pool, no more water parks, no more malls, no more restaurants—there were all closed. On top of that, we don’t know what school will look like in the fall, but we know it won’t be back to normal.

Oof. Talk about a heavy heart and major disappointment. While most of the world is taking steps forward, we are moving backward here in southeast Asia.

Life is full of disappointments, and those disappointments come in all shapes and sizes. It could be something as simple as not getting what they expected for their birthday or not being in the same class as one of their best friends. Or, in this case, likely not returning to in-person school and embarking on yet another year of virtual school. Learning how to navigate simple disappointments at a young age will help children build resiliency tools to handle the bigger disappointments in life.

So how do we teach children to handle disappointment well? Start with these simple tips.

1. Listen & Empathize

When you listen to understand, you are letting your child that you care. And it’s ok, to be honest with how you’re feeling too! This will let your child know that they are not alone in how they are feeling.

2. Guide Expectations

It’s tempting to sugarcoat the situation to minimize the sadness. However, that could lead to more disappointment. Instead, be your child’s mentor. Tell them what to expect next and then help guide them through whatever the situation may be.

3. Learn Self Calming Skills

When a child gets disappointed, they often get sad or angry. Learning breathing exercises and grounding techniques are great ways to center, calm down, and refocus. These are helpful for adults as well!

4. Remind Them of What They Can Control

Kids tend to feel out of control when they are disappointed, so it’s good to remind them that they won’t feel this way forever and that there are some things they can control. Attitude and mindsets are great places to start. Some other examples include:

  • They can’t see their friends in person, but they can still be social by connecting over facetime or zoom.
  • They can’t meet with their piano teacher, but they can still practice the piano.
  • Their favorite flavor of ice cream is out, but they can choose another flavor.

5. Practice Gratitude

There are many benefits to showing gratitude. Studies show that expressing gratitude positively affects your health, mindset, and relationships. Working with your child to make a list of things you’re both thankful for is an excellent way to practice gratitude.

Remember, big or small, experiencing disappointment at times in life is inevitable. So, the next time playdates are canceled, they don’t make the team, or their recipe didn’t turn out as they expected, remind your child of everything they’ve already overcome and help them through the disappointment they’re facing right now. Doing so will strengthen their mental and emotional health and prepare them for whatever life throws their way—it may even help you, too!

This post originally appeared on www.jamieedelbrock.com.
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Jamie is married to her high school sweetheart and has three beautiful daughters. Through years of experience working with children, and raising her own, she knows how difficult parenting can be. She is an advocate for children's mental health and is best known for her creativity, optimism, and kind heart.

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Love Carries Us Through

By Laura Costas

Sometimes you just have to love your way through.

My son is 16. He is semi-verbal on the autism spectrum. He was diagnosed as severe. Sometimes he can speak a little. Sometimes he can’t. Sometimes he has good days. Sometimes he does not. There are hopeful moments. Like this year he is starting to trace letters for the first time ever! A huge milestone. We celebrate those achievements.

Once in a while, I send him messages from my phone and he sends me a sweet word back. Other times there’s silence. We are grateful for the times he has some language.

Sometimes it’s hard, like really hard, the hardest of hards and it hurts my heart and makes it so heavy. I worry for the future when we’re gone. Who will take over? Who will love him as much as I do but be able to bear this all too? Sometimes it’s confusing. Like when he cries and we don’t know why. Is he in pain? Is he sick? Is he just sad? He can’t tell us. We just guess and love our way through it all.

Sometimes he seems so capable and we’re like, ‘We got this! It’s not so hard after all!’ Then he has regressions. We watch as he slowly loses a skill that he worked so incredibly hard at. It just slips away. Sometimes it comes back. Other times we have to start from square one.

We change bedding almost every day. Sometimes, we need to change clothes during the day too. Sixteen years in. You can’t really call it ‘potty training’ anymore can you? It’s not about the laundry. It’s the setbacks after working so hard to overcome obstacles and difficulties. It’s feeling like you finally made it out of the baby stages only to go back again. It’s the regressions without explanations or reasons. It’s the constant ‘why’ without answers. It’s the starting over again and again. It’s going backward when everyone else seems to be going forward. Sometimes it’s everything at once. Beautiful, heartbreaking, hard work, celebrations, hitting milestones, regressions, starting over. It’s a constant roller coaster of emotions. But the one constant that will never change is our enormous love. A love so strong it carries us through.

This post originally appeared on https://www.facebook.com/theautismride.
Feature image via iStock

Hi! My name is Laura and I'm a mom of two beautiful kids in Vancouver, Canada. I write a blog on Facebook called The Autism Ride, all about the ups and downs in life with our teenaged son on the spectrum.

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I Declare! Funny Household Laws to Make Your Kids Follow Today

by Amber Guetebier

Change up the rules of your day by laying down a few fun laws. Have each member of the family contribute 1 or 2 laws and then take turns enforcing them. For added bonus, make a list and post it in a prominent place (like the fridge) for all to see.

lego justice league judges for law day
photo: Maia Weinstock via flickr

1. The Rule of Fun
If at any time, any person is not having fun at their appointed task or role, all others in the vicinity need to stop and come to the aid of the not-having-funner. A joke must be told in order to create laughter. This must be repeated until each person is laughing in tandem. Here are a few cheesy jokes to help you out.

2. Eat Your Veggies
Any persons who have finished the vegetables on their plate in entirety may choose one all-in, after-meal activity. If more than one person finishes their veg, each person will take turns, starting with the first person done. All persons at table must participate in the after-meal activity and said activity should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete.

3. Dance ‘Til Yawn
During the course of the day each member of the household can randomly declare it dance time, crank the music, and require all members of the household to dance until the song is over.

4. Backward Behavior
At a time unknown to the younger members of the household, parent or guardian or appointed “adult” should leave the room and come back with one or more items of clothing on backward. Anyone who notices gets a thumbs up and a wink.

5. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
At dinnertime each member of the family shares their favorite happy moment of the day (the rose) and their least favorite moment (the thorn). No action is required, but discussion is encouraged. Parents are allowed to enact The Rule of Fun if an argument ensues.

Want a few more laughs? Read up on some real laws that are totally weird-but-true.

What kinds of laws do you have in your house? 

—Amber Guetebier

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From the Mom Who Doesn’t Have It All Together

By Allyson McCormley

Dear Diary (early September edition),

It is approximately day 184 of quarantine. I think we are holding it together. In fact, I was so full of thinking I “had it all together” that I completed two Zoom calls and recorded a birthday message for a good friend’s upcoming birthday last week. As I tucked my kids into bed, I gave myself a pat on the back, and I thought to myself, “look at you…. you have it all together.” I worked my day job, exercised, made three square meals a day for my family of four, scheduled my daughter’s math tutor, and facilitated “virtual learning” for my two school-aged kids.

Then I got ready for bed. I realized that, during my two Zoom calls and recorded birthday message, my shirt was on backward. Great! After deciding I should stick to my normal uniform of yoga pants or pajamas, I drifted off to sleep. We woke up two hours later to smelling smoke in our house, but we couldn’t determine where it was coming from. The fire department came and apparently our beloved, often ignored, turtle’s water filter was overheating and smoking. Even Donatello (ie beloved turtle) is looking for a way out of this house! Don’t worry, the turtle will end up in our will because he will live forever (footnote: we assume the turtle is a he. This has not been confirmed). Luckily, we caught the problem before it became an issue… kids didn’t even wake up with all the chaos. And turns out, I went to high school with one of the firefighters, who I haven’t seen in 20 plus years.

So, that was Wednesday. Highlights from Thursday include talking to a reality TV show producer and patiently waiting on hold for almost two hours with our refrigerator manufacturer. It’s been 6 weeks, and apparently, they are really pleased with my patience, and they will get back to me as soon as they can. Don’t hold your breath. It’s a breezy 114 here, so any chance we had to keep food cold was averted because said refrigerator isn’t working.

In the meantime, we got a new fridge because we couldn’t handle or afford to constantly eat out. Still waiting to see if the other fridge will get fixed (they tried five times) or finally just give us a refund. Also, we found out that August was the hottest month ever recorded in Phoenix, and the second hottest month ever recorded was July.  My kids will be online learning for the foreseeable future, and we are adding to my list of things I am unqualified for:

  • #1 not a 6th-grade teacher
  • #2 not a third-grade teacher

We are grateful for our health and safety, and I hope when I look back at this post a year from now, I can laugh as hard as my neighbor did when I told her this story.

Allyson is a mom of two and has more than a decade of experience working in both television news and public relations. From national television shows to top newspapers, Allyson has worked around the world including a travel magazine in London, England, Phoenix TV and local hospital and healthcare association.

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How a Lobster Can Teach Your Kids Social Distancing

By Meghan Fitzgerald

Most summers, the night we do a lobster dinner (it’s a whole thing) and the next-day lobster rolls are a highlight. This year, lobsters will be important in our family—and at Tinkergarten—all summer and beyond. Lobsters are going to teach our kids how to social distance. As you prepare for whatever you have on deck this summer, we hope lobsters can help your family too!

How Lobsters Became Our Teachers

As a parent, I needed to help my young kids learn to stay 6 feet from humans they love. As an educator, I needed to design lessons to help kids play and learn together while maintaining distance.

The design requirements in both cases were the same: Kids had to be together with people they love and with friends; kids had to learn to maintain distance, and kids had to feel great about it—not just be “unharmed” but great, in control, playful and joyful. Sounds like a tall order, but that is just the kind of design challenge I love.

The answer? I know that animals make powerful allies for children. So, the key was to find an animal that could help me teach kids to back up and keep their distance. It turns out, lobsters can move backward even faster than they move forward. As the Wild Kratts team would say, that is one super cool “creature power.”

How to Teach Kids to Lobster
Give them the right introduction, and lobsters can start helping right away:

1. Look at pictures of lobsters and/or watch some clips of lobsters in motion. If screens are active in your house, Watch a PBS Kids Wild Kratts episode about Lobsters or watch real like lobsters in St. Maarten here! In Tinkergarten class, each child gets a personalized note from a lobster!
2. Ask kids what they notice and what seems special about lobsters.
3. Share “I learned something about lobsters that I think is amazing; do you want to hear? Lobsters can move as fast backward as they can move forward! I know I can’t do that!”
4. Try it yourself! “Want to try to lobster walk?!” As you pretend to move like lobsters, it’s fun for kids who are really steady on their feet to feel how much harder it is to go fast backward as humans. Don’t forget to add in some pretend claws as you play!
5. Suggest another lobster walk a few times a day for a while—and stay silly with it.
6. Reinforce it. Eventually, you can say things like, “Hey, let’s take a little lobster walk…” or even just quietly make a pinching-claws motion with a wink, and kids will back right up.

See the lobster walk in action here!

Why Lobsters Make Such Great Teachers
First and foremost, we know little kids can learn this—coming to understand and respect others’ and our own personal space is a fundamental lesson of early childhood. And even very young kids can get behind the reason we are doing this: to keep ourselves and our friends safe. But, reason alone won’t do the trick, since the actions required to keep distance are opposite from what kids are used to. Plus, little kids are still learning impulse control. Kids need reminders and plenty of practice to get this down.

By learning to walk backward like lobsters, we give our kids a fun and imaginative way to practice backing up—just enough to make their bubbles a bit bigger. Kids can have a blast practicing lobster walks before they even get into a new social situation. Even more importantly, we have a way to give our kiddos the reminders they need once we are in a social situation—and a reminder that is kid-friendly, non-shaming, and super fun.

This summer, no matter what you do, put lobster on your menu of teaching tools—and just watch. Who knew that what could look like nagging could turn into joyful, creature-inspired play—and the chance for you to breathe a little while kiddo gets to be safe outdoors with friends and family again!

 

This post originally appeared on Tinkergarten.

After 18 years as an educator, curriculum developer and school leader, Meghan has her dream gig—an entrepreneur/educator/mom who helps families everywhere, including hers, learn outside. Today, Meghan serves as co-founder and Chief Learning Officer of Tinkergarten, the national leader in outdoor play-based learning. 

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Why Kids Need to Practice Fundamental Movement

By Janeth Harrison

We all know that our kids don’t stop moving, like, ever. It’s in their nature to move as much as possible, especially in their younger years. You see it every day when you tell them to go get their shoes (for the millionth time) and they decide to literally spin all the way to their room and back. No? Just my kid? Let’s move on then.

Whether your child is an active little jumping bean or a cuddly couch potato, movement is essential to their development. But even more important than just general movement is movement with intention! If you’ve been following our homeschool preschool journey, you know that we have been incorporating Fun-damental Movement Time into our school days (if you want to catch up, click here). All caught up? Awesome! Below are a few FAQs to help you gain a few nuggets of information on Fundamental Movement and how important it is for your little ones!

What is Fundamental Movement?

Fundamental movement covers a wide range of skills that contribute to the physical literacy of the child. What is physical literacy you may ask? Physical literacy is defined as the ability to move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.

So in other words, physical literacy is not only moving but moving well. Fundamental movements are the foundational blocks of physical literacy. These blocks generally begin their development around ages 3-5. Totally makes sense as to why these little friends are wiggle worms, no? While these terms may seem daunting, these movements are easily identifiable but not often practiced in your child’s day-to-day.

For example, during school, our kiddos have been practicing walking backward, something I honestly didn’t make my son intentionaly do before. I thought, “Well, he’ll just figure it out, I guess?” I hadn’t really given it much thought! As it turns out, walking backward works a child’s spatial awareness. Spatial awareness, in turn, contributes to more complex functions, such as navigating successfully through an environment (airports, concerts, theme parks) and driving. Even sooner than that, functions such as dressing also involve spatial awareness. That’s just one example of the many skills children have to work to develop. Other major fundamental movements include:

  • balancing
  • running
  • jumping
  • catching
  • hopping
  • throwing
  • galloping
  • skipping
  • leaping
  • kicking

Why is Fundamental Movement important?

Children who are physically literate will thrive. When children are confident in the way they move, that confidence is evident in other aspects of their life as well. They will be more willing to try new things or to make new friends all on their own. Fundamental Movement also promotes a healthy lifest‌yle. When children have developed fundamental movements, they excel in physical activity. It doesn’t seem a chore to have to move, on the contrary, it makes them feel good. The earlier children create healthy, active habits, the more likely they are to continue these positive habits into adulthood. It’s amazing how much the growth of a child involves movement. Success with fundamental movements directly contributes to the well-being of the “whole child.”

How can I get my child moving with intention?

As a parent, I’ve had to pay more attention to how my son moves and give opportunities to practice fundamental movements. We’re lucky to have Dustin of Phoenix Holistic, who is super knowledgeable, curating our Fun-damental Movement Time with our kiddos. Some of the skills we have been working on at school as well as at home are walking/hopping backward, jumping from a crouched position with hands overheads, and standing/hopping on one foot.

Model the Movement: Remember, these things don’t necessarily come naturally to children so you’re going to have to show them what it looks like to do any of these movements.

Provide Support: Quite literally, lend a hand to your little one. Chances are, if these movements are fairly new to your kiddo, they’re going to have a hard time starting out. It’s like learning how to workout with the correct form before adding any type of added resistance. They need to be able to feel comfortable in what they are telling their muscles to do and that may require a bit of hand-holding at the beginning.

Make it Fun: Our unofficial motto over here is “Learning Through Play.” Children learn so much better when they’re playing! I recently had the opportunity to take a million trips to the bathroom every day with my 3-year-old as we were potty training and we were both over it about 2 days into it. So we decided to bear crawl to the bathroom, and frog hop to the bathroom, and tiptoe to the bathroom, you get the idea. During school, the kiddos were pretending to be seeds and crouched down, and as they grew they popped up! Be on the lookout for any time your kid can practice these skills through play!

This post originally appeared on https://sonoranstylemama.wordpress.com/.

Janeth Harrison is a Mexican born Arizonan raised mother of a beautiful baby boy. She is a 3rd grade teacher and lives in the West Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area along with her husband, Daniel and two dogs, Axl and Hexum.

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Shooting Stars Will Light Up the Skies This Week

by Jennifer Swartvagher

The Lyrid meteor shower has been active every year from Apr. 16 to Apr. 25 for the past 2,700 years. It is predicted to put on a dazzling show this week. According to Earth Sky’s Meteor Showers Guide, the Lyrids will begin late Sun., Apr.19, probably peaking in the predawn hours on Wed., Apr. 22.

meteor shower

If you trace the paths of all the Lyrid meteors backward, they originate at the constellation Lyra the Harp, near the brilliant star Vega which rises in the northeast around 10 p.m. on evenings in April. If you look east in a dark clear sky you should be able to easily spot the shooting stars. 

Shooting stars are actually tiny dust particles that glow when they enter Earth’s atmosphere. The Lyrid meteor shower is caused by debris from Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. While the comet orbits the sun once every 415 years, its long trail of debris is responsible for causing the Lyrid meteor shower to light up the sky every April for the last two thousand years. This comet isn’t expected to return until the year 2276.

You won’t need any special equipment to see the meteor show. Find an area of the sky that is dark and away from artificial light. Set up a chair or blanket and enjoy the show.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Neale LaSalle from Pexels

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