WINDING DOWN WITH THE WIGGLES | In our house after dinner, the living room turns into a stage. We host dance parties every night before we start the bedtime routine. As soon as dinner is cleared and the table is wiped, Eleanor (4) races to request a song. Claire (2) grabs her tutu and is already bouncing before the music even starts!

Some nights we jump and spin. Other nights we act out silly lyrics or freeze when the music stops. There’s a lot of laughter, a little showing off, and plenty of movement. This small routine fits right into Explore Through Movement and Play. Our girls are using their bodies, learning through rhythm, and building coordination. They’re also connecting with us and each other, which is really what it’s all about!

Dance parties help ease the shift into bedtime. After getting the wiggles out, it feels easier to settle in for bath time, pajamas, and a book. Here are a few of our favorite dance party songs:

• The Goldfish by The Laurie Berkner Band
• Run Baby Run by Caspar Babypants
• Shake Your Sillies Out by The Learning Station

You don’t need a perfect playlist or a fancy speaker. Just press play and have fun! Whether you’re dancing, clapping along, or cheering from the couch, you’re connecting with your child while they Explore Through Movement and Play!

By: Lizzy Tahsuda

Summer Fun Friday

By Glasher and Ray Robinson

Velocity 360 Fun Zone is becoming a new favorite activity in the Robinson household. Logan and Lauren fell in love with the trampolines during our last outing. This visit there was a lot of time spent exploring the obstacle course. Lauren led the charge and Logan aimed to keep up. I strived to push Logan to try some things that, based on her facial expression, she was unsure about. With each word of encouragement, Logan began to climb higher and higher (also with the assistance of her big sister). When she finally made it to the top, there was a round of applause. Logan shouted “I did it”! A very proud moment.

Making it through the obstacle course once was enough for Logan, so they slowed down a bit and played in the ball pit. Logan then made her way to the Toddler Center where she flourished playing with toys that were targeted for her age group.

Up and Moving

By Renee Harvey

Ten months has certainly been exciting for Wesley…and a new adventure for mom and dad. Between mastering crawling and getting really close to walking, he is finally able to explore this great big world around him.

Last week, we brought his new walker to the backyard so he could really experience some independence. He’s always loved being outside and, like most kids, is fascinated by all the sounds and movement. It didn’t take him long to realize he could now go wherever he wanted, and he was thrilled! I let him take the lead and gave him words for the things he was touching or gesturing toward. He was able to experience opposites, colors and movement all for himself.

In the end, despite all the fun new things in the yard, his favorite thing to go after was his current best friend – our dog!

Getting Creative with Tummy Time

By Candace and Terry Martin

Tummy time was one of the first things we started when we brought Titus home. Starting at 1 to 5 minutes a day, now at 6 months he spends multiple times each day on his activity mat and it helps us get creative with tummy time!

The high contrast patterns, colors and textures help Titus with exploring through movement and play. He enjoys seeing his reflection in the mirror. When on his back, he loves reaching for toys that make noise! He loves to push up and just look at things from a different view (and be a little nosy!) 

Titus is very active – moving hands and kicking feet; we’re sure to have a crawler and walker on our hands soon and we’re excited!

Exploring Sports

By Ray and Glasher Robinson

Logan kicked off her athletic career this Spring playing soccer for the Hayes Taylor YMCA Sharks for 3-4 year olds. Bless her Coaches, The Bridges for their patience with Logan and her teammates. The Bridges learned pretty quickly after the first attempt at a drill that the key terms like “one at a time” and position words such as, “kick around your teammate” were not inferred and to be explicitly stated. When directions were not as specific as possible things became chaotic.

The coaches modeled dribbling (kicking the ball while running), how to stop the ball, passing, and then kicking the ball into the goal. Parents have assisted the coaches at practice with modeling how to do each of those items, too, because it’s two coaches and twelve 3-4 year olds. It’s been surprising to see the children even attempt to guide one another and act out skills for visual aid support.

I can honestly say we have seen a lot of progress from the team as a whole this season. With one more game left in the session, the Hayes Taylor Sharks are currently undefeated.

Peek-a-Boo and Teaching Object Permanence

By Jennifer Scotton

I didn’t realize how important a good game of peek-a-boo was until I became a parent. What appears to be a simple pastime is actually a valuable lesson for your child.

Our daughter now enjoys playing this entertaining game on her own. She’ll cover her eyes, and when she uncovers them, we’ll gleefully respond “peek-a-boo,” or “keet-a-boo,” as my three-year-old says. In response, she always giggles! We’re teaching her through simple play that when objects leave her sight, they don’t disappear forever. It is a significant milestone that will assist her in working through any potential separation anxiety she may experience in the later stages of infancy. Playing peek-a-boo is just one more tool we can use to help prepare our children for future success.

Spring Has Sprung

Written by Lizzy and Colin Tahsuda

As the weather gets warmer, we are enjoying many outdoor activities. The other day, we took Eleanor to the Greensboro Arboretum for a walk. She loved hearing the birds sing, feeling the warm sunshine, and looking at all the plants and flowers. We even passed by a few dogs, which she always finds exciting! We came across a small park close to the Arboretum and decided to try swinging. She had so much fun! During our visit, she noticed other children playing, enjoyed the breeze, and absorbed everything around her. The outdoors stimulates all of your senses in a way that we take for granted. It’s incredible to watch her learn and experience new things!

Discovering the “Real World”

By Shontia and Jayvon Johnson

Exploration is the highest form of discovery for PJ these days. Exposing him to the “real world” environments and occasions has offered him additional vocabulary and analytical thinking. A trip to the Memphis Children’s Museum allowed for him to turn items seen on television or during his learning time through flash cards, become life size!

The opportunity to touch and feel actual equipment, gadgets and items associated with fire trucks, airplanes and “big people” objects, has given Parker freedom to add great value to his young life and desire to know more! We watched as his eyes lit up in excitement and eagerness.

Playground Exploration

By Glasher Robinson

When the weather is nice, spending time outside in the Robinson household is a must. On a beautiful Sunday, Logan, Lauren, and I found ourselves at one of our local neighborhood parks. The playground is where I get to watch Lauren and Logan take turns leading, playing, and exploring. When we arrived, there was one other family there. Logan observed Lauren immediately having a conversation, introducing herself and asking if he wanted to play. Logan then introduced herself, too, before heading up the stairs towards the lower slide. During this visit, I witnessed Logan become more fearless in how she played. As she saw her big sister and new acquaintance use the higher slide, so did she. This time she asked to be pushed harder on the swing so she could go higher than she felt comfortable doing before.

Having older children around to observe how they played increased Logan’s confidence and encouraged her to be more fearless. There was a small window on the playground that Logan quickly transformed into a restaurant. We became her customers and served hotdogs. Their new acquaintance’s shoe fell off and she ran over to help him. I realized that Logan developed a greater sense of independence at three years old than I remember seeing on the playground during previous visits.

We’re on the Move!

By Jasmine Faison and Jonathan Linton

Hip Hip, Hooray, Jade has a birthday!

We are approaching Jade’s 1st Birthday with lots of excitement, as she finally started walking! A few steps here and there have quickly turned into full blown walking/trying to run in just a few short weeks.

We are overjoyed, as we have finally made it through all of The Basics for infants, and are now transitioning to the tips for our soon to be toddler!

Explore Through Movement and Play is currently helping most, as Jade navigates a new world that is higher up and more expansive than before 🙂 Following her lead, talking a walk, and using position words are supporting her new physical abilities. The sky is truly the limit for our April 1st baby. Enjoy the first year Moms and Dads, it goes by so fast!

Snowy Exploration

By Ray & Glasher Robinson

While mom and dad could care less if they woke up to a winter wonderland, Logan, on the other hand, made up a song about how she wished it would snow. This was not the first time it has snowed since Logan was born, but this was her first true exploration in it. As adults, we forget the joy snow brings now that we are more focused on shoveling it rather than playing in it. Step one to getting outside in the snow was layering up in preparation to deal with the cold temperature.

For our snowy adventure, Logan canvased our entire yard. Instead of telling Logan what to do, we simply followed behind her. We studied our footprints in the snow, chased after a squirrel, spoke to a bird and marched around the house playing follow the leader. As Logan observed us mimicking her, her confidence and volume increased. When she jumped so did we. When she ran, we had to try and keep up. Next time, we will have to conquer making a snow angel and snow cream!