Round and Round the Garden
What you need
- your lap to sit on
How to do it
- Hold their hand palm up and trace slow circles on it: "Round and round the garden, like a teddy bear".
- Walk two fingers up their arm, "one step, two steps", and give a gentle tickle under the arm.
- Do it again, slower each time, and let them hold out the other hand.
Why it matters
Knowing the tickle is coming and waiting for it teaches them to hold a bit of excitement and then let it go, and the touch on their palm is calming.
What they're learning
- Waiting for it
- Holding still for the tickle they know is coming is early self-control.
- Body awareness
- Feeling a finger travel from palm to arm maps where their body is.
- Listening
- Learning the words so they know just when the tickle arrives.
What to look for
Watch for them giggling or tensing up before the tickle, which shows they know what comes next.
A tip
On a hard day leave the tickle out and keep the circles slow. It works as a settler as well as a game.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: skip the tickle and just trace the circles and the steps
Harder: pause before the tickle so they can say "tickle", or let them do it on your hand
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