Those tiny little feet and toes just fascinate me, and surprise surprise, it’s the science that interests me the most! Babies are born with 22 little cartilage parts that form into 26 bones in each little foot which start very flat (before the arch forms). Attention to those peripheral extremities at the end of little human legs are interesting to me in every class I teach:

• In baby massage we pay attention to the tiny toes and their reflexology pressure points (sinuses, teething relief), provide brain stimulation through sensory touch to help identify the peripheral connection – and also identify one of 75 primitive reflexes, the plantar reflex.
• In TummyTime classes, I encourage all babies to be barefoot and we watch how those little feet kick, explore and are used to anchor down when on their tummy, providing grip, body awareness and develop coordination. If you watch a young baby on their tummy, their big toes often turn and are used to push along. So important and fascinating!
• Explorers sees those little feet 👣 helping move the whole body in all directions, shuffling along, pivoting in circles and gripping to surfaces to bring the knees up. The feet have roughly 200,000 thousand sensory receptors (nerve endings) that help build the brain and activities we do in all classes to cross the midline helps to build those important neural pathways.
• Once baby is walking, our outdoor class stimulates the feet again, through barefoot play on the grass, grounding ourselves – as I encourage parents to brave barefoot too! Being barefoot allows the muscles, ligaments and arches to develop naturally.

Summer offers an easy way to go sock free, stimulate those sensory points and help them grow and develop advanced brain functions.

Recipe this month: Banoffee Blondies