As a teacher I always pondered on why children, including myself, had to fidget or draw or move while listening to a lecture. It wasn’t until I did my Waldorf Teacher training that I understood why! We have systems in our body that feed information to our brain, letting our brain know where our body is in space. If these systems are underdeveloped, our brain is actively seeking this information… and the fidgeting is feeding it to the brain. The more we can massage these systems, the more relaxed and calm our bodies and brain feel. This allows for more attention to be placed on the lecture, the reading, the whiteboard in front of us.
Certain movements help support the vestibular and proprioceptive systems. My movement circles are designed to stimulate these systems in a fun way because the more fun we have, the easier it is! And don’t be shy parents! Join in on the fun! You can never get too much of this great brain movement!
Here is a fun video of children from ages 1-4 enjoying these movements!
Those who want a little more information about the neuroplasticity and the neurogenesis of the brain you can read a great article here! In summary, repeated movements like brisk walking, jogging, creeping or crawling stimulate the areas of the brain that are responsible for generating new brain cells! So you are getting smarter, AND feeling more relaxed, centered and calm after these little circle times!
Hope you have lots of fun!
Little Acorn SD
Little Acorn Montessori Preschool 