Let the Wiggles Out

After a stretch of handwriting, NoNut will ask if he can get up and do some jumping jacks.  I was floored the first time he asked me if he could exercise in between school subjects.  Seriously, a child asking to exercise?!?!  So, NoNut will do ten jumping jacks.  When I see how much fun he's having, I usually add to it and make game out of it.  He will twirl a few times and then end with somersaults across the living room back to his desk.  NoNut will then sit down without any complaining and finish his handwriting or move on to math, another "desk subject".

There is just something about that those brief minutes of physical activity that help get the wiggles out and activate the brain for more learning.  Moments like that remind me of the benefits of homeschooling and letting your child be a child--wiggles and all. 

Last year, I saw the Thumball at a local school supply store but couldn't justify the price.  However, this weekend, it was on sale big time and we purchased the "Move Your Body" Thumball to incorporate into our Language Arts and Math. I couldn't wait to surprise NoNut with it today! 

He was soooo excited when I explained the Thumball and let him play with it.  Thumball was perfect for those much-needed energy breaks between Explode the Code, Handwriting Without Tears and his copywork (it's a lot of writing for one sitting and we're still playing around to find our groove).  And, I even had fun joining in with NoNut because he wasn't sure how to act out some of the exercises.  It didn't take long for him to catch on and come up with his own ideas. 

While the Thumball is great, you can make something similar with balls you have around your house.  Use a Sharpie and write out little exercises for your child to do.  Tie it in with math and write addition or subtraction problems for your child to solve.  Make an A, B, C ball and have your child tell you the letter that his thumb landed on.  You can even do the same thing by writing exercises on slips of paper and having your child pull several of them out of a jar or envelope. 

However, there is just something special about a boy and a ball!  Make it a Thumball and laughter and creativity are sure to abound!

(You can find Thumball at teacher supply stores, Amazon or at http://thumball.com/)