Gross Motor Movement Stations - AKA, Yesterday's Triumph!!
Yesterday was a day of cranky students. We had a combination of rainy weather and the full moon and October, and it led us all to being cranky. I decided to try something that I haven't tried in a long time.
I put up different gross motor cues - wall push-ups, sit-ups, twist, march - you know the kinds. I put on some familiar, preferred music for the specific clients that I had in front of me, and we started off. Everyone found a movement to start on. The music started, and they were asked to try the movement. We lasted about 30 seconds on each movement. I used a hotel bell to signal moving around the circle to the next movement. There were 9 stations total, and it took about a song and a half to get through all of the stations. We jumped and hopped and jumping jacked our way into better moods.
It was amazing. 100% of the kids who participated started off grumpy and disgruntled and ended up tired but in a more pleasant mood. The kids who didn't participate remained cranky and had continued difficulties.
I think the combination of the movement, the music selection, and the beat supported my end goal - less crankiness and more thinking about things.
Sometimes, the best thing for you and for a client is to move.
That's it for today. What interventions have you used with clients that are movement based?
I put up different gross motor cues - wall push-ups, sit-ups, twist, march - you know the kinds. I put on some familiar, preferred music for the specific clients that I had in front of me, and we started off. Everyone found a movement to start on. The music started, and they were asked to try the movement. We lasted about 30 seconds on each movement. I used a hotel bell to signal moving around the circle to the next movement. There were 9 stations total, and it took about a song and a half to get through all of the stations. We jumped and hopped and jumping jacked our way into better moods.
It was amazing. 100% of the kids who participated started off grumpy and disgruntled and ended up tired but in a more pleasant mood. The kids who didn't participate remained cranky and had continued difficulties.
I think the combination of the movement, the music selection, and the beat supported my end goal - less crankiness and more thinking about things.
Sometimes, the best thing for you and for a client is to move.
That's it for today. What interventions have you used with clients that are movement based?
Motion influences emotion!
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