Category: Kids Movement & Brain Gym

Staying calm in the middle of a stressful moment with the kids is something I practise every day, and it is not always easy. What I have learnt is that calm starts with us. When we are calm, it is much easier to help a child who is having a hard time.

I’m Michele, a Brain Gym® Consultant and Primitive Reflex Integration Practitioner in Perth, and a mum of three. Here is what I come back to when everyone at home is on edge.

Nervous system regulation for kids, in plain terms

Our nervous system has two sides that work in opposite ways. The sympathetic side is “fight or flight”. The parasympathetic side is “rest and digest”. The vagus nerve, the longest nerve in the body, is a major part of the rest and digest side.

The nervous system plays an important role in how children process sensory information, respond to stress and regulate their emotions. When we help a child calm down, we are helping them move back towards rest and digest. It is much easier when we are there ourselves.

Start with the basics

I think of calm in layers. The outer layer is the easy stuff: enough sleep, food and water. It is the first thing to check when the whole house feels wound up.

Slow breathing, humming and singing

Slow, rhythmic, deep breathing, right down into the belly rather than shallow chest breathing, is one of the simplest ways to switch towards rest and digest. Belly breathing is one of the three quick calming exercises I use with my own family.

Speaking and humming help too, because the vagus nerve is connected to the vocal cords. Singing together counts. It is also a lovely way to get through the daily routine with little ones.

Move, and get outside

Exercise helps, both the vigorous kind and the calming kind like yoga or meditation. So does time doing things you enjoy, like being in nature. For children that might be the playground, animal walks in the backyard or a few movement breaks between homework tasks.

Notice what is triggering the stress

This is the gritty part that takes real thought. Am I frustrated at the kids for taking so long, or am I really feeling guilty because I haven’t prepared and still have things to do myself? Am I cross with a child acting out in a shop, or am I worried about what other people are thinking?

Being present matters too. When my number two says “Mum, look at my picture” and I am caught up in my own thoughts, she says it again and again until she is yelling, and then I snap. Being present and understanding what is triggering our stress responses are valuable tools in staying calm.

Repair when calm goes out the window

It will happen. What matters is coming back to it: “Sorry I yelled, I’ve realised how many things I still need to do.” When you realise what you are doing, it does get easier to get a grip on it.

How I help children calm their nervous system

I teach children how to use their breath to help calm and regulate their nervous system. Through breathing exercises and rhythmic movements, we support the connection between the brain and body, helping children develop greater awareness of their physical sensations and emotions.

As children become more aware of how their bodies feel when they are excited, frustrated or overwhelmed, they can begin to recognise these changes and learn strategies to help them feel calmer and more in control. Over time, these skills can help children respond more effectively to their environment and navigate everyday challenges.

When your child is often overwhelmed

When the Moro reflex, the startle reflex, is retained, children can be easily overwhelmed, anxious or sensitive to noise and light.

Brain Gym® is a series of simple body movements that assists to create new pathways for the situations that cause stress in the brain and body. It can help children, and it can help parents and people working with children to remain calm and think clearly under pressure. You can read more on my Brain Gym® page.

If you are worried about your child, please check in with your GP too. My work is movement based and sits alongside medical care, not instead of it. You are welcome to get in touch for a free phone chat about what you are noticing.

Is there research behind it? Yes. Primitive reflex integration exercises are researched for their effect on childhood motor and neurological patterns. See the research.

Animal walks are simple movement games where a child moves like an animal: a bear, a crab, a frog. They need no equipment, they use the whole body, and they help build the shoulder and core stability the hands rely on.

I’m Michele, a Primitive Reflex Integration Practitioner in Perth and a qualified primary school teacher. Here are eight fun animal walks to try. They are good to use for home play.

8 animal walks to try

1. Bear walk

Hands and feet on the floor, bottom up in the air, and walk forwards.

2. Crab walk

Sit on the floor, put the hands behind, lift the bottom and walk backwards or sideways.

3. Frog jumps

Squat down with hands on the floor, then jump forwards and land back in a squat.

4. Bunny hops

Feet together, small hops forwards. Try hopping along a line on the floor.

5. Snake slither

Lie on the tummy and wriggle forwards using the arms and legs.

6. Inchworm

From standing, walk the hands out along the floor, then walk the feet in to meet them.

7. Penguin walk

Walk on the heels with the toes lifted off the floor.

8. Flamingo

Stand on one leg and count how long you can balance. Then swap legs.

Why animal walks are good for children

• They use the whole body
• They use both sides of the body together
• Along with crawling games and climbing, they build the shoulder and core stability the hands rely on

Tips for making them fun

• Turn them into a game: races down the hallway, follow the leader, or an obstacle course
• Keep it short. A few minutes at a time is plenty
• Go barefoot, and try different surfaces: grass, sand, carpet
• Keep it playful, and stop if anything hurts

When to look a little further

Children all move differently, and some of these will be harder than others. If your child finds most of them very hard, and you are also noticing things like poor balance, toe walking, W sitting or messy handwriting, it can be worth looking at whether retained primitive reflexes are part of the picture.

You can read how I work on my services page, or get in touch for a free phone chat about what you are noticing in your child.

What parents say

★★★★★ 5.0 from 3 Google reviews.

“We visited Michele for our 4yo little girl who struggled to stay on task, sit still, lacked coordination and struggled with separation. … By week 3 we had visitors comment on the changes to our household. By week 12 we had a completely different little girl, shes relaxed. She still has her beautiful spark, amazing imagination and sense of humour, life is just slower now.”

Sarah Anderson, Google review

“From the very first session, she created such a calm, supportive, and understanding space … The strategies and tools we’ve learned have made a real impact on his ability to regulate, connect, and thrive both at home and school.”

Natasha Weir, Google review

“Michele identified some unintegrated reflexes and gave us some simple, easy to do at home exercises … From the first session we saw less reactivity; and from consistently doing the exercises at home my daughter can now remain calm in situations that would previously have caused a lot of distress.”

Analise Mongan, Google review

A movement break, often called a brain break, is a short burst of movement between stretches of sitting. For many children it works better than being told to sit still, because the body gets the movement it is asking for and can then settle again.

I’m Michele, a Primitive Reflex Integration Practitioner in Perth and a qualified primary school teacher. I suggest movement breaks during homework, rather than asking for long stretches of sitting still. Here are 12 simple ones to try at home.

Why brain breaks help

For some children, sitting still takes real effort. Their body is working hard just to stay upright and steady, and that effort has to come from somewhere. A few minutes of movement gives the body a reset, so there is more left over for listening, reading and writing.

12 brain breaks to try

Whole body

• Animal walks such as bear walks and crab walks
• Crawling through a tunnel, or under a row of chairs
• “Snow angels” on the carpet
• Rolling across the room and back

Both sides together

• Touching a hand to the opposite knee, ten times each side
• Marching on the spot to music
• Rolling or throwing a ball so your child has to reach across their body to get it

Balance

• Stepping stones made from cushions
• One-leg games: who can balance the longest?
• Heel walking across the room

Strong and steady

• Rocking gently forwards and backwards on hands and knees
• Lying on the tummy to read or draw for a few minutes

How to make movement breaks work

• Keep them short, and offer one before your child gets restless rather than after
• Let your child pick from two or three choices
• Keep it light. Nagging tends to make sitting a battle
• Finish with something calm, like a drink of water, before going back to the task

When a child still cannot settle

If your child finds it hard to sit still even with regular movement, and you are also noticing things like W sitting, slumped posture or messy handwriting, it can be worth looking at whether retained primitive reflexes are part of the picture. The STNR in particular is often linked with slumped posture and difficulty sitting still at a desk.

If sitting still is getting in the way at school, talk to your child’s teacher as well. You can read how I work on my services page, or get in touch for a free phone chat.

Play is how young children learn. For little ones, the process is far more important than the product: the exploring, the mess and the trying matter more than what they make at the end.

I’m Michele, a Primitive Reflex Integration Practitioner and Brain Gym® Consultant in Perth, a qualified primary school teacher and a mum of three. Here is why play matters so much in the early years, and some simple ways to make the most of it at home.

What is happening in the brain in the early years

The brain has two sides. The right side is the creative, imaginative side, where empathy and intuition are favoured. The left side looks after language, numeracy, literacy, analysis, logic, planning and time.

The two sides also develop at different times. Between 0 and 3 years, the right side is the lead, or dominant, side. Then from 3 to 6 years, the left side goes through a significant growth period, as described in this child development text on brain development.

Young children often do what feels good right there and then, and cannot always explain why. Movement plays an important role too, in developing postural control, coordination, balance and body awareness. Having integrated reflexes is the first step in a child’s overall development.

Learning through play: why the process matters more than the product

• Give them lots of play
• Allow time to explore
• Don’t focus on outcomes or long-term consequences

Movement play that builds the foundations

These are simple things to try at home:

• Crawling games: tunnels, obstacle courses and chasing on hands and knees
• Animal walks such as bear walks and crab walks
• Plenty of time at the playground: climbing, swinging, hanging and balancing
• Play that builds hand strength: playdough, pegs, tongs, threading and building blocks
• Lying on the tummy to read, draw or do puzzles
• Balance play: stepping stones, low beams and one-leg games

For older children doing homework, movement breaks work on the same idea.

Exercises from my sessions to keep going at home

Some of the exercises we practise together in my sessions are easy to keep going at home:

• Cross crawl, or lizard crawl
• Lazy 8 eye exercises
• Calming, rhythmic movements at bedtime

Name their feelings

Label and acknowledge your child’s feelings. Giving them the words builds pathways for the left side of the brain, the side that looks after language.

Sing it to them

Words are processed in the left side of the brain, while tune and melody are processed in the right. A rewarding time to use this is during routine activities. If you have asked them to put their shoes on two or three times and they are not listening, sing it to them. It helps them tune in, and it brings more joy to the moment for you too.

Signs it is worth a closer look

• Finding it hard to sit on the mat, or slumping and wriggling at a table
• W sitting, or tiring quickly when sitting
• A very tight or awkward pencil grip, or avoiding drawing and colouring
• Poor balance, tripping or seeming clumsy
• Being easily overwhelmed by noise or busy places

Seeing one or two of these does not mean something is wrong, and children develop at different rates. If several sound familiar, my school readiness and movement page explains what to look for, and an assessment can show whether retained primitive reflexes are part of the picture.

I work with babies from birth (preventative exercises up to 2.5 years) and children of all ages from 2.5 years. I also work with children under 5. Parents usually come to me once their child has started full-time school, as that is when the struggles become more apparent, but before 5 is ideal because it is more preventative and prepares children for school. You are welcome to get in touch for a free phone chat about what you are noticing in your child.

Is there research behind it? Yes. Primitive reflex integration exercises are researched for their effect on childhood motor and neurological patterns. See the research.