A KINETIC CHRISTMAS: The Three-Headed Gingerbread Monster!
Day 11
The Three Headed Gingerbread Monster!
FROM HOPPING
TO SKIPPING (Approximately 4+ years)
TEAMWORK TAKES A TEAM
So much of early childhood is a journey of self
that begins with understanding "me" which unlocks the foundations for
understanding others. We call that the sense of "otherness." But with
so much developmental stuff on their plates already, "otherness"
doesn't come naturally to most kids at first.
Here's a really silly game that gets little
ones working together (so long as they don't fall over from laughing)! Like all
of our Kinetic Christmas activities, this can be done any time of the year, but
just so you know, folklore holds that it all began when Santa decided to meddle
in the kitchen...
BAKING UP TROUBLE
A few years back, Santa was inspecting the kitchen operations, and
discovered that Mrs. Claus had instructed the bakers to make each Gingerbread
Man one at a time. With a keen eye for efficiency, Santa exclaimed, "If we
can make one at a time, we can make three at a time!"
The elves tried to explain but... but... but... Santa was gone in a
flash.
The elves did as Santa asked, but... but... but...
It turns out, when you bake three Gingerbread Men at once, you get
something altogether unusual... a three-headed Gingerbread Monster!
What do you think that monster did?
THE MAKING OF A GINGERBREAD MONSTER
Use an old men's zippered jacket and put three
kids inside. Zip it up as far as you can so they stay close together.
(Alternatively, you can use a towel or any other soft material that keeps the
kids tucked in together.) And note, this can be one with two kids as well.
Be sure the kids are looking outward, away from
each other so they have to feel and react to the others' movements.
Now comes the fun!
GINGERBREAD GAMES
WARM UP. Begin by just having the kids circle
around. This gives them an intuitive sense of which movements are possible, and
which are restricted.
THREE-HEADED WALKING. Next, pick a spot in the
room about 5-10 feet away, and encourage them to walk to the spot. Stay with
them to keep them steady as they get the hang of it. (Remember, it's likely one
child will be walking forward, one to the side, and one backwards.)
GO FETCH. Once they get the hang of it, assign
them a simple task, such as can you please cross the room, pick up a pencil,
and bring it back to me. Be sure to give the kids plenty of room to move, and
plenty of time to figure out how they're going to work together as a team to
achieve their goal! Guide and support as needed.
MONSTER PLAY. Now it's their turn. Open up the
play to anything they want to try. Who knows, you might just discover that a
Three-Headed Gingerbread Monster can do!
Wishing you a happy, healthy, and active
holiday season!
A KINETIC CHRISTMAS
BLOG SERIES
24 DAYS OF ACTIVE HOLIDAY PLAY!
DAY 1: A KINETIC CHRISTMAS
DAY 5: CHRISTMAS CRAWL
DAY 6: ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE
DAY 7: WALRUS WORDS
DAY 8: CHIMNEY TRICKS!
DAY 9: CANDY CANE HOCKEY
DAY 10: JINGLE RINGS
DAY 11: THREE HEADED GINGERBREAD MONSTER
DAY 12: SANTA SAYS!
DAY 13: SANTA CLAUS WAY
DAY 14: INDOOR SNOW!
DAY 15: MAKE YOUR OWN BLIZZARD
DAY 16: FROSTY STACKS
DAY 17: REINDEER RELAY
DAY 18: LITTLE DRUMMER KIDS
DAY 20: JINGLE TAG
DAY 21: NUTCRACKER JIG
DAY 22: SANTA'S SACK
DAY 23: PASS THE PRESENTS
DAY 24: MAKING MAGIC
GLISTENING LISTENING
The very first Physicality on the Kinetic Scale
is the Senses -- the traditional five senses we learned in school. And of
particular importance to school (and life) is the sense of hearing.
For little ones just becoming accustomed to
their auditory landscape, it's important we help them build their hearing and
listening skills. Here's a simple holiday game I love to play with kids of all
ages.
And all you need is your own voice and a few
jingle bells...
FOR NEWBORNS/INFANTS
Singing is one of the most natural ways to bond
with infants. Sing Jingle Bells very softly and slowly to baby. Use only your
voice at first. Then, add a few jingle bell rings as you sing. Again, be sure
to keep this gentle and quiet. Let baby explore the bells and assist him to
ring the bells himself.
FOR TODDLERS
Give your child the jingle bells. Sit together.
As you sing the song, assist him to ring the bells to the beat of the music. As
simple as this sounds, finding and keeping the beat with you creates a powerful
connection between you, while giving him the sense that he's got the power to
participate in the play.
FOR PRESCHOOLERS
Now it's the kids' turn to sing. Start by
singing Jingle Bells all the way through. Next, have them play the song by
ringing their jingle bells to the rhythm of the music (no singing).
This helps them build up auditory memory for
the song, which will come in handy when they need to start applying what they
remember to what they need to predict. So let's add a game that requires both
memory and predictive skills...
JINGLE RING
Each time on the word "bell" ring
your bell as follows...
Jingle RING. Jingle RING.
Jingle all the way.
RING RING BELLS
Next, each time they reach the word
"jingle" in the song, instead of singing it, ring their bells as
follows...
RING RING bells. RING RING bells.
RING RING all the way.
DANCING ALL THE WAY
If they're up for more challenge, try dancing
the song. (Note: you may have to do the singing for the children. That's OK.
They'll eventually master the ability to do both, but for now, let the dancing
be their primary focus.)
Choose from any of these dance moves to add to
the song. I'd suggest starting with one. As they appear to master that move,
add one more. Take it slow to avoid any confusion or frustration. In fact, this
is the kind of activity I might do over a full week, adding one new move a day.
Dashing through the snow (RUN IN A CIRCLE)
In a one horse open sleigh (GALLOP IN A CIRCLE)
O'er the fields we go (JUMP OR LEAP)
Laughing all the way (add "HO HO HO" to the end of the lyric)
Bells on bobtail ring (RING JINGLE BELLS)
Making spirits bright (STRETCH YOUR ARMS HIGH IN THE AIR)
What fun it is to ride and sing (HOLD THE REINS & BOB UP AND DOWN)
A sleighing song tonight (STOMP on "tonight")
I
RING RING bells. RING RING bells.
RING RING all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride (HOLD THE REINS & BOB UP AND DOWN)
In a one horse open sleigh (GALLOP IN A CIRCLE)
RING RING bells. RING RING bells.
RING RING all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride (HOLD THE REINS & BOB UP AND DOWN)
In a one horse open sleigh (GALLOP IN A CIRCLE)
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