This morning the actual activity didn't happen until late because I was playing superheroes with the kids. They had put on masks and had power bracelets over their arms, and Zephyr was trying to plasma blast me while Lyric (as Stripe Boy) was trying to put me in a set of toy handcuffs. Writing that sentence makes me so happy. I love the idea that I was able to play with my kids. That's what I want this blog to be about, teaching parents how to play with their kids.
Here was the situation: I was a powerful villain (the Juggernaut) and I would chase them, carrying their clothes for the day, threatening to take off their pajamas and dress them for real. And they ran around the house and screamed a lot. Like, a whole lot (Zephyr especially). I left my wrists open for Lyric to cuff me, but he got too scared a bunch of times and ran away. But eventually he got me and cuffed me to a chair. He was pretty proud of himself for doing that. I felt good that I gave him that moment of figuring something out.
In the spirit of radical honesty (ITSORH): I messed up. What I should have done was pivoted the playing to teach Zephyr and Lyric how to play together. Next time I'm going to try and be present enough in those moments to be able to push the situation towards something where they each need to activate some sort of a power with each other... a "nuclear submarine".
But anyway, Feats of Strength! This is where I challenge Zephyr and Lyric to lift something heavy and chant "Feats of Strength! Feats of Strength!" as they do it. Today we were trying: a stack of books!
You had to pick them all up from the bottom, stand up with them, and balance them. Zephyr dropped the books once, but got it the second time.
Lyric (still wearing his Stripe Boy mask) wanted to make it even heavier. I let him think I added some books. Mind you, as he's doing this I'm chanting "Feats of Strength! Feats of Strength!"
What I hope this gives them: a sense of confidence in their own strength, a situation in which they have to try harder, gross motor control.