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Early
Education Playgroups and Special Events provide a stimulating and
nurturing environment for children to learn and practice new skills
during play. Playgroups include developmentally appropriate free play,
fine motor table activities, circle time, gross motor activities and
snack time.
Tumble TOTS is provided at a local Gymnastics School facility.
We utilize a room with scaled down equipment for toddlers to explore
and play on and in. All activities are directed toward advancing
children’s skills in coordination, strength, balance, spatial awareness
and social interaction
We provide a group warm-up and stretch with hand motion songs to
encourage speech. Lead staff has education and experience in Physical
Education for young children and a DS license.
Background
This project started on July 26, 2007 as a team effort that included
Speech/Language Pathologist Lead, Family Therapist Lead, Quality
Assurance Coordinator, Area Lead Developmental Specialists and Program
Director coordinated by TOTS Motor Therapist Lead. Each member provided
their expertise in the benefits that an active and stimulating
environment composed by a group of TOTS children interacting with
typical developing peers can provide to young children.
Benefits
The benefits of movement in learning can be described in a quote from Carla Hannaford, PhD:
“The more closely we consider the elaborate interplay of brain and
body, the more clearly one compelling theme emerges: Movement is
essential to learning. Movement awakens and activates many of our
mental capacities.
Movement integrates and anchors new information and experience into our
neural networks. And movement is vital to all the actions by which we
embody and express our learning, our understanding and ourselves.”
Criteria for Participation
Tumble TOTS is open to any child in the TOTS program. A parent or
guardian has to be willing to follow and spot their child as they move
about in the Tumble room. Tumble TOTS has to support an outcome on the
child’s IFSP. Referrals by therapists are taken into consideration.