Movement Winter Week 5

This week friends were really excited to explore the "transformation" of movements with two particular skills. We started off the week by talking about the force of momentum and how we use it to move our bodies. We started playing around with this new concept with some donkey kicks (friends place their hands on the ground and jump off the ground with their feet). Friends started talking about how this motion reminds them of a handstand. We decided to head to the block area to learn the steps of a somersault. While waiting their turn to do a tricky handstand with my help, others discovered a simpler way to do a handstand by just placing their hands on the ground and walking up the wall backwards. This was a clever way to strengthen the same muscles we use for handstands in a safe way.
We explored "momentum" through somersaults as well. Friends started by somersaulting over an exercise ball to become familiar with the movement and to work on using their leg muscles to push their bodies over the whole ball. Once we had this down, all were excited to try somersaults all on their own! Often friends are wanting to practice these skills more at home. We use a large foam pad for safety at school but couch cushions, pillows, or a soft carpet work just as well.