Family Fun

  We have had our family here to stay since Saturday so have been busy with lots of game playing, Lego building, watching walking with dinosaurs and doctor who. We went to Woodgate Country Park for a lovely walk in the woods. The boys enjoyed feeding and stroking the horses and the Shetland ponies. They looked nice and cosy in their winter coats. The park there is lovely too and the urban farm looks fantastic but was unfortunately closed due to the weather.
  I have got a lot of reading done whilst the boys have been playing with their nanny and auntie. Just finishing reading 'Movement and balance in early childhood' which was very interesting and fairly informative. For me it did not give me anything particularly new to do with the boys though, as the boys have always spent a lot of time in active play outdoors and we do things like yoga at home. What it did do however, was explain the science behind why movement is so important for healthy development and learning. These days children often live such sedentary lifestyles that they don't get enough of the right kinds of movement for healthy development. They often have little opportunity for play in natural environments as opposed to rigid environments like play parks. Parents are worried about letting their children go out to play around the neighbourhood, and can you blame them when the media are often scaremongering them into thinking that the world is too dangerous a place for them to play. There are not enough green spaces for children to play in towns and cities so they miss out on this vital thing that impacts on their development and learning. Even when Hayden was spending a fair bit of time on the computer when we were unschooling, we still also spent a lot of time outdoors. I have always found that if the boys don't get lots of fresh air and exercise they become unbearable to be around.There are some movement exercises I will do at home with Artie which you do alongside a story. I have been meaning to get some knitting done but haven't got round to it as of yet. I am looking for a good pattern for a tunic/vest for Artie. If anyone has one I would be grateful for a copy of it.