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Stretching as child’s play

We meet Eric Slabbers and Rati van Syll in the T’ai Chi studio. Eric is director of the Stretching Holland Foundation (Stichting Stretching Holland) and Rati works for the foundation as secretary and publicity assistant. Together, Eric and Rati developed ‘Moving and Stretching’, a teaching package designed specially for children, introducing them – and their teachers – to stretching in a fun, accessible way. We talk to Eric and Rati about why they set up the project, how it works and who has taken it on board.

What made you decide to develop special material for children?

Eric: I started stretching when I was 34 and have been practicing it now for around 20 years. What attracted me most to stretching was that it could be practiced on your own and it was a perfect way of becoming, and remaining, physically fit. If I’d encountered stretch at an earlier age, I would have prevented a lot of health problems. As a child and young adult I had a lot of trouble with my back. So I know from my own experience how important it is to start early.”

Rati met Eric during a stretch course and became fascinated by his idea. Rati is not a long-practicing stretcher but comes from the Bhakti Yoga tradition: “These days children live their lives in a fast tempo. I believe it’s important that this they learn to balance this with enough rest, relaxation and play”.

So what does Moving and Stretching involve?

The package that Eric and Rati bring into the schools includes an introductory video, an instruction video, a poster and three cards depicting in total ten different stretch exercises. The introductory video introduces the background and principles behind stretching and includes clips of children and adults talking about their experiences with the exercises. The instruction video introduces the two central cartoon characters: Woody and Airbag, who demonstrate the ten animal exercises: the falcon, the giraffe, the parrot, the goose, the humming bird, the peacock, the flamingo, the dinosaur and two elephant exercises. The exercises are also depicted on the cards, which the children are allowed to take home after completing the course, by way of reward.

How did the project get off the ground?

We approached a school that we already knew and they agreed to let us try out our initial package. At first, we had weekly discussions with the teacher. These led to many improvements and adaptations. After this initial phase, we drafted out a subsidy application that we sent round to various organisations for help in financing the project. We also contacted other schools to carry out more extensive trials. We decided to select a variety of school types: a Christian school, a public school, a Montessori school and a school for special education. After giving demonstrations to those schools that responded positively, we handed round questionnaires to the teachers and adapted the project according to the feedback we received. A musician was able to help us with the animal sounds in the video.

What is the best way to use the teaching package?

We suggest that children start with two exercises a week at the beginning of the school year. After five weeks they should be able to carry out all ten exercises.

The exercises can be used to calm children down when they are overactive or to give them more energy. Different exercises can be practiced according to the children’s’ needs throughout the year. We’ve noticed that the children themselves ask for certain exercises at certain times. The exercises keep them flexible, improve their self-confidence and we have noticed less aggressive behaviour amongst those children who practice the exercises regularly. The exercise material indicates which exercise is most suitable for different parts of the body and the children seem to pick this up very easily. We suggest that all ten exercises are repeated at the end of the school year.

Approved users of Moving and Stretching can gain access to the instruction videos via our website (see below), using a password.

How has the project been received by children?

In the introductory video, the children talk about their experiences. Their reactions include this one from Bente: “if my neck hurts, I think, ‘Oh I’ll do the parrot, that’ll make it better’”. Anne: “I like the falcon exercise because if I’ve been working hard my shoulders often feel stiff and the falcon loosens them up again”. Yunus makes the comment that the class always seems to ‘come alive’ after they’ve done the exercises. Bente continues: “I just feel a lot happier – it’s like you’ve been running really fast, but you don’t feel tired”. It seems that the children do the exercises at home too.

What conditions are important for the successful introduction and application of the project in schools?

A lot depends of course on the attitude of the teacher. And it is important who our first point of contact is – the head teacher, the board of governors or an individual teacher. The main thing is that the school has an open mind when it comes to trying out the project. No previous experience of stretching is necessary.

We often hear the comment that Moving and Stretching should be part of the gym lessons but it has actually been designed to be carried out between lessons, to keep the children’s’ energy in balance. Woody and Airbag support the teachers in instructing the children in the individual exercises and in helping them with their breathing.

Stretching recalls those days when it was usual to incorporate similar exercises into one’s daily activities. Unfortunately this is no longer the norm; these days it’s uncommon to find children who are familiar with the practice of yoga; those who are, are quite unusual. If stretching becomes more widespread amongst children, it will no longer be so unusual and once again become part of normal life.

Schools can find additional information and tips on the website.

What are your hopes and expectations for the future?

We’re quite happy with the characters Woody and Airbag, they carry the message with plenty of humour. Technically, there is always room for improvement. If we manage to get enough subsidies to finance the project further, we could include such improvements in the next phase of development.

There are ideas in the pipeline introduce new exercises each year. Also to develop a special, related project for even younger children – there is a call for this already. In the near future we will be directing our attention towards widening the current distribution network. We’re thinking for example of physical education training programmes, training for primary school teachers (PABOs in the Netherlands), and, for example, health insurance companies (with regard to prevention).

The website hopes to become a platform for ‘stretching Holland’, with a forum where people can exchange ideas about stretching and related subjects.

Moving and Stretching comes highly recommended for all those working with children – in education, healthcare or in their free time.

It can be ordered from: Stichting Stretching Holland, Weteringschans 114 sous, 1017 XT Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Tel: +31.(0)20.6239696 / Fax: +31.(0)20.6207671.

For more information see the newly restyled website: www.stretching-holland.nl

The teaching package costs €99, and is subsidised by Fonds 1818 and the Foundation for Children’s Stamps (Stichting Kinderpostzegels).