Another update from Bear Park, and this one is about Nate pushing his boundaries with some balance, co-ordination and strength play. We are so thrilled at how he responds to his teachers, he really is blossoming under their guidance. Here is an update from Hayley....
A New Game!
Nate and I had so much fun today! After some fun with the tadpoles we ventured outside to play in the fresh air. Immediately, Nate wanted to walk along the lowest plank so together that's just what we did! Nate held my hand and used a great deal of strength to climb up onto the plank. He then showed balance and control as he slowly inched his way along the plank to the low box on the other side. When he got there he let out a big laugh and clapped his hands, showing how proud he was of himself. We had a little celebration and then Nate climbed back down and went straight back to the start to try again. This time, Nate used more of his strength to climb up onto the plank as I did less of the work. He made his way across the plank and then climbed back down and ran back to the start! This repetition is so great for children as it helps them to solidify their learning.
On the fourth or fifth time, Nate took a break when he reached the low box. He then spotted some of the older children on the monkey bars and pointed them out to me. "Should we climb up?" I asked him. Nate seemed to like this idea but it also seemed to be a bit daunting as the plank to get to the high box is on a slant. Nate reached for my hand and I helped him make his way up to the high box. This took a bit more concentration and a few different muscle sets but Nate did really well to keep both feet on the plank and carefully walk to the top. Although he held my hand quite tightly, he didn't really need to! Nate has great gross motor skills and doesn't shy away from a challenge.
Once at the top of the box, Nate spent a few minutes watching the other children on the monkey bars until he was ready for a turn. This is where he showed how great he is at following instructions. I asked Nate to sit down on the box and used the sign to go along. Straight away, he sat down and dangled his legs off the edge. He was so excited! "Hang on!" I then said, and tapped the bar to show Nate where to put his hands. Next, I told him to reach one arm out to grab the first rung. I used my hands to show him what to do and he quickly followed my lead. Finally, I helped Nate lower his body from the box so that he was hanging from the rung with both hands! Nate held on really tightly and managed to hang for three seconds independently, and then dropped to the ground laughing hysterically. As soon as he landed, Nate ran straight back to the beginning of the low plank, wanting to go again.
Each time Nate made his way across the planks he picked up speed, showing how confident and excited he was! Often, when he reached the top of the high box and was ready for a turn on the monkey bars, he had to wait while some of his friends had a turn. I signed for him to wait and he quickly knew just what to do, and repeated the sign back to me. As soon as there was room, Nate was ready to go and shuffled his way to the front of the box, wiggling with excitement.
Each time Nate hung from the monkey bars he seemed to gain strength and held on for longer and longer! He was really testing the muscles in his arms! He was also becoming more confident and was remembering the steps needed to reach his goal. After about twenty turns, Nate needed very little help from me and couldn't stop laughing!
I loved spending this time with Nate and seeing him have the time of his life! I am sure that he will remember this game and will want to re-visit it often. I love the way that through all this play and adventure, Nate was learning an incredible amount of things. First, he was doing a brilliant job of communicating with me, especially as this was quite a tricky time to use the core board. He followed instructions as well as my non-verbal cues and picked up on the signs I was using. It was also really neat to see that as Nate had more and more turns hanging from the monkey bars, he continued to drop faster. I wonder if this was because he was so excited to start again, or if perhaps he was becoming tired. Finally, after about thirty turns (!!!) Nate decided at the last second that he didn't want to hang anymore. He reached out for me and then stood back up and jumped straight into my arms. I think this was Nate's way of looking after his own well-being and realising that his body had had enough.
Not long after this game, Nate had lunch and then quickly fell asleep at rest time. I am sure that the fun and concentration of this game really tuckered him out! I can't wait to see if Nate would like to play this game again tomorrow and I am sure that if he does, he will know exactly what to do. Nate has a great memory, especially for something fun and silly! I am so excited to see Nate's progression as he continues to test his body on the preschool equipment.
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