Mindful Monday: Butterfly Stretching
Spring is in full bloom and we are excited to see all of the new life around us. One of our favorite signs of spring are the beautiful butterflies around our Grand Center neighborhood. We haven't seen any butterflies yet this year, so in the meantime we are practicing our Butterfly Stretches from our Out of the Box educator guide. Try out this relaxing routine, and let us know how you feel afterward. Or if you happen to spot a butterfly outside, take a picture and send it to us at community@metroplays.org.
Try the relaxation exercise below to explore the butterfly life cycle with your little butterfly!
1. Ask your child to make the shape of an egg with their bodies low to the ground.
2. Encourage your child to hatch slowly from the egg, stretching their bodies to become caterpillars. Invite your caterpillar to lay on their back and stretch their arms and legs out to relax.
3. Next have them tense all of their muscles by pulling their arms and legs towards their tummy and hold that pose. Go back and forth between tense and relaxed.
4. Create a cocoon by having your caterpillar stretch out, close their eyes and hug their bodies with their arms. Count out ten deep breaths together.
5. The caterpillar is ready to break out of their cocoon! First one butterfly wing emerges and then the other. The newly hatched butterfly can try fluttering their wings slowly until they land next to you.
BONUS QUESTION: Ask your butterfly to tell you about their wings. What color or colors are they? What size are they?