Developing Children's Intuition

"Just go with your gut," is a popular phrase that refers to the intuitive guidance provided by our bodies. "I had a gut feeling" is another. If you've ever picked up the phone and just known who was on the other end (without the benefit of caller id, that is) then you've made use of your intuitive skills. Humans have so much untapped brain power and intuition is just a tiny sliver of it. There are many ways to have fun while developing intuitive skills with kids. Guessing games are great for developing and enhancing intuition. Here is a game that is fun with groups of three or more kids. (best for ages 5-10)

1. Put a colored stone (marbles or decorator glass pebbles work great) inside a small bag.
2. Pass the bag around, encouraging the child to take their time while holding the bag to get a "sense" of what the color might be.
3. Have each child predict what color the stone is before passing the bag to the next player.
4. After everyone has had a chance, reveal the stone.

Variations: To avoid "copycatting", change the stone for each player. -or- instead of using stones, have one player visualize a color and the others write down (or use a crayon if they do not write yet) their guesses. Have players take turns visualizing.

This game stimulates brain activity and can also be played by guessing almost anything. For example:

How many pieces of mail are in the mailbox?
Who will be the next person to call or email?
What animal, number, letter, or object am I thinking of?

Developing intuition is all about trusting your instincts; that inner knowing. People often second-guess their first feelings about something, but it can be highly beneficial to attune to the signals of this guidance. In some cases, it even saves lives. There are dozens of stories about people who followed a hunch to not board a plane that later crashed. By playing guessing games and helping children learn to trust themselves, they will be that much more prepared for all the decisions and demands required of them as they grow.

Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?

Twinkle

Twinkle: verb (of a star or light, or a shiny object)* shine with a gleam that varies repeatedly between bright and faint
noun *a sparkle or gleam in a person's eyes
* a light that appears to continually grow fainter and brighter

Spanish: papadear (star, light) brillar (eyes)

Twinkle is my theme word for 2010. For the past three years, I have selected a word to focus on for the year. In 2008, it was "sparkle". In 2009, it was "bounce". I wanted to be more resilient. This year, I selected twinkle, mostly because it is a synonym for sparkle and I loved feeling sparkly all year. Looking for the glitter in life. I am looking for a balance between inner and outer focus, so twinkle seemed appropriate because it incorporates the brightness and the faint, quiet glow of each. What is your theme word for 2010?

Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?

Holiday Traditions

Whatever your faith or beliefs may be, the end of the year can be a great time for focusing in on family traditions. Whether the tradition is generations old or created today it can be a unifying source for the family. It doesn't need to be traditional. One family I know eschews the turkey, stuffing, and cranberries for burgers on the grill every Thanksgiving. The important thing is that it can be anticipated and enjoyed year after year. A few years ago when we got married, we decided that one family tradition would be to buy a Christmas book every year and open and read it on Christmas Eve. This year, with the birth of our son, we tweaked the idea a bit and decided to wrap up our collection and open one to read on each day leading up to Christmas Day. The newest book will be opened on Christmas Eve. Of course, at some point we will run out of days in December and will have to start a rotation, but that is years away. The fun will be rediscovering the stories year after year. What are your oldest and newest family traditions? They do not need to be holiday related; let's hear your great ideas!

Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?

Ahem

Ahem.
Dear readers,

Please excuse my three month hiatus from this blog. My excuse?



It is now Autumn, my dear son is nearly four months old, and I am bursting with ideas for this blog. To start, a potpourri of linky love for kids yoga, early childhood ideas, and green parenting! Enjoy~

Kids Yoga
ABC Yoga for Kids A delightful book introducing yoga in the form of an alphabet book


Children's Literature
Planet Esme



Early Childhood
Preschool Playbook blog by an experienced preschool teacher
No Time for Flashcards blog
Momtessori blog by a former Montessori teacher/current SAHM



Green Parenting

Inhabitots

Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?

Spanglish Baby Usborne Book Giveaway!

Check out this great Usborne book giveway over at Spanglish Baby! Good til tonight at midnight! Andale!

Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?

Itsy Bitsy Yoga

My son Owen Nathaniel was born 20 days ago on June 12, 2009 at 8:15 A.M.

We have been blissfully enjoying his presence and our new life with him.

This morning I started practicing yoga with him, using the Itsy Bitsy Yoga book by Helen Garabedian.
I will also be using Yoga Baby by DeAnsin Goodson Parker.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga is divided into sections by baby's age and development, and also offers 7 Magic poses that can calm fussy babies within one minute. Today Owen and I tried the Good Morning Newborn Series of four poses including the Scoop n' Hug pose which was his favorite. Check out the book today!








Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?

Yoga for kids linkies

From 2001 to 2005 I had a children's yoga business in South Florida. As a classroom teacher, I observed first hand the differences in children who had some breathwork and training to help regulate their energy levels during a busy day. Outside the classroom, I taught yoga at a local studio, in private home sessions, at community centers and to Girl Scout groups. I had one regular private group of 2-4 girls for over a year, and in that time we really developed the idea of self-reliance and management of stress, two issues which I believe kids today need desperately.

At the local studio, I taught one afterschool group of 5 first grade boys with LOTS of energy (3 of whom happened to be in my first grade class at the time) With them, we always started the class with some laughter and "log-rolling" to help get some excess energy out and set boundaries for the class. Since moving to the west coast in 2005, I no longer have the business, but I am still able to incorporate some breathing and stretching into my kindergarten classes.

Below are some fun kids yoga linkies (so many more than when I first started researching kids' yoga in 2000!) Enjoy!

Global Family Yoga Blog
Yoga 4 Kids
Radiant Child Yoga Program
Next Generation Yoga (where I did my training in July 2002)
Jodi Komitor from NGY preschool yoga video clips at Activity TV

Enjoy this post? Why not subscribe via RSS or email?