Wallaby

Wallabies are really into jumping on and off anything they can find. Each hemisphere of the brain can now control the movements of each side of the body in coordination and, by 20 months, many can actually move their body parts on their own.

It is at this age that children begin to think that they have control over their bodies. At KindyROO all our mat time activities are therefore slowed so that children have time to move themselves. This is how they learn to perfect their body awareness and movement control. The ‘crocodile’ movement continues during the massage session due to its importance in body coordination and reflex inhibition.

Dances are sequential now in an endeavour to help children move and think – they can now move their body parts with ease and, hopefully, in rhythm.

Specific Sensory Perceptual Movement programme activities are introduced at this level and are essential for later fine motor control of a pencil (the pencil grip). If the large muscles of the body are strong, then the smaller muscles of the hands and fingers are more likely to be strong and more easily controlled to manipulate a pen or pencil for writing.

The ability to do one thing with the limb of one side of the body and another with the limb on the other side allows for the important stage of conscious cross pattern movements. These are the final attributes of nature to help the child’s growing brain work to the best of its ability.