Movement in the Classroom Part 2

Many people have asked about the items that I started with when I began incorporating movement in my classroom.  Now that I am a counselor, I would love to begin stockpiling some of these things so that I had them available for teachers that were wanting to try something different! These items can make such a difference in regards to behavior and academics!  

The following are the items that I started with-

Ball Chair with legs, affectionately called "cow chairs", by my kinder kiddos! 

I will say that these did not last very long like this!  Even with them only at my teacher table, the kids had a hard time managing them, so we let out a lot of air and put them in milk crates.  This allowed the students to bounce, but kept the balls from rolling.

This is also a WAY cheaper option!  I know many upper grades use these with great success, but for the younger kiddos, I would go with cheap balls in the crates!  These are always easy to find and CHEAP at Walmart and you can get the balls there too!  I googled milk crate chairs and this amazing blog post came up from Miss V’s Kinder Kraziness!  Super cool and you should definately check it out!  And btw, the saving grace for ball chairs in kinder…ALWAYS KEEP BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR J!

Pure Fun Kid’s mini trampoline – to be utilized prior to beginning assignments, as well as, upon completion, to expel excess energy and to increase focus.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this trampoline (you can buy it here!!! It is the PURE FUN Kid's mini trampoline with handrail.  Now, I am not gonna lie, it was a bear to put together!  (Thank the Lord for a my strong hubbyJ)

I put this with the handle facing in a corner.  The rules were… 1) both hands on the bar, 2)  only one person touching on the mat a time (more on the mat below) & 3)  Chose one patterns in numbers to read out loud, then let someone else have a turn (on the wall in the corner I had number pattern anchor charts)

Balance Boards were utilized by anchor charts with high frequency words and/or phrases.  In order to make it easier for the kinder kiddos, one of my teammates had the brilliant idea to put a die-cut had on the counter and we taught them to place one hand on the counter for support, until they could balance!  This is the one that we used and it was perfect.  The picture makes it looks like it is for really young kiddos, but it was perfect, I might have even used it once or twice 😊.  This was another Amazon purchase (again, THANK YOU Toyota of Rockwall!)

Students read and balance, fun, coordination, strength and balance all rolled into one!  This is Win-Win!!!

Slant boards – were utilized on the floor as alternate seating.  Students would on their stomachs, developing core strength, and eye coordination as their eyes move up and down tracking print.  I had these available as a choice during word work   The Occupational Therapist on my campus said this was a MUST HAVE and I always listen to those that know more than me!

 Puzzle Play Mat was used underneath standing tables to provide support for feet and legs while standing on tile.  Being able to utilize another type of alternate work spaces in the classroom, allows for greater growth academically for students.

This was one of my favorite purchases because of its versatility.  I used some of it under the trampoline, some under the balance board, some under tables as stated above  It provided designated areas for our flex seating and added some fun colors in the processJ.

This is just the starting point!  It is so exciting for me to walk around my current building and see so many teachers embracing flexible seating!  I used to not be a beleiver, but after seeing it in action and the the academic and behavioral successess that it produced, I have had my mind forever changed inregards to the power of movement in the classroom!  Small changes can produce results, but those small changes have to begin with us 😊. 

I would love to hear some of the things that you have tried!