Just standing on one leg is a fun challenge for any young child. It’s great for their balance and coordination, and here I show you how to turn a simple trick into a flexibility exercise.

To do this exercise, follow these steps:

1. Ask your child if she has seen flamingos at the zoo, and then ask if she remembers if the flamingos were standing on one leg or two. Explain that flamingos always stand, and to sleep they stand on one leg.
2. Invite your child to stand on one leg (with the other foot planted on the inside of the standing leg’s calf) and pretend to be sleeping flamingos.
3. Tell your kid to make snoring sounds as if she were sleeping, and hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds. Snoring promotes breathing in a fun way during the exercise, and it may take your child’s mind off trying to stay balanced.
4. Wake your little flamingo up and have her stand on her other leg and again be a sleeping, snoring flamingo, repeating Steps 1–3.

After a few intervals of being a flamingo, your child may be ready for more of a challenge. Have her hold on to a wall or sturdy chair with one hand while following the steps for the standing quad stretch in Figure 14-9. This stretch is a little more advanced than just balancing, and it also stretches the front of the thighs a little deeper.

A few do’s and don’ts for this exercise:

• Do focus on the fun and let your little ones giggle and wobble.
• Don’t let the child lift her knee so high behind her that it tilts the hip back, making balancing more difficult.
• Don’t let your child be a slouching flamingo — be a tall, proud flamingo!

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