Sleepy Reindeer Stretch
What you need
- a soft rug or a mat
How to do it
- Lay out the rug or mat and tell your child you are both sleepy reindeer after a long day.
- Stand tall and stretch your antler hands high above your head, breathing in slowly.
- Bend down slowly and touch your hooves to the floor, breathing out.
- Kneel down and curl up small like a reindeer resting in the snow, head on your hands.
- Do a big slow yawn and a stretch, then lie still together for five slow breaths.
Why it matters
Slow stretches and long breaths help a busy body slow down, and being a reindeer makes it a game they want to play.
What they're learning
- Stretching
- Reaching high and bending low loosens a body that has been busy all day.
- Slow breathing
- Breathing in on the stretch and out on the bend slows everything down.
- Body awareness
- Noticing stretchy and floppy is them learning how their body feels.
What to look for
Watch for their movements getting slower and their breathing deeper by the last stretch.
A tip
Dim the lights and talk in a quiet voice. Play away from the tree, and keep it short.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: do just the stretch up and the curl up
Harder: let them make up a new reindeer stretch for you to copy
