Space Exploration with Toddlers
The space element is the most abstract of the five elements in Ayurveda, but just as important as the others. Space is the great void from which all creative acts are born. It’s the most subtle and least perceptible element, a necessary container for the other elements to express themselves. We certainly appreciate space when we do not have enough of it, whether it be lung capacity, phone memory, traffic or a stuffed closet. We need space to move and breathe. Without it, a pot could not be stirred, the lungs would not be able to breathe, the birds would not be able to fly. Space is also the carrier of sound vibrations. Without our ears, we would not be able to hear sound. Therefore it is associated with the sense of hearing. These are simple ways to understand space, without getting into the wonder that all matter is made up of mostly empty space, and all biological functions require it. Wellness results when the space element in our body is properly nourished and maintained.
9 Activities for Exploring the Space Element:
The body. List the different places in the body that have spaces. For a toddler, this might involve the nose, mouth, ears, maybe the eye sockets which hold the eyes.
The home. Like the body, the home can be explored as a container full of containers. It has rooms with closets and dressers with drawers; kitchens with sinks and pots, pans, jars, cups, and bowls; bathrooms with toilets and tubs and sinks and cupboards. Space is everywhere. Describe the different spaces. Are they clean or messy, full or empty, hot or cold, etc? What is the purpose of each space?
Outside. If you have a yard or neighborhood park, you can explore how space is necessary for the plants and animals. Is there space between branches on trees or plants? Are there nests? Are there spaces in the sidewalk where ants come through. Take a walk in the yard or around the block to explore different spaces.
Your town. List spaces in your town such as mailboxes and trashcans, lending library kiosks, etc. Discuss the different functions of different cars and buildings, and don’t forget open spaces!
Skygazing, day or night, offers an endless source of space discovery. Stargazing gives the most profound experience of space.
Baking or mud pies. The act of mixing and measuring is all about filling and emptying spaces, even if that space is the cupped palm of the hand.
Eating. Filling the mouth fills the belly. It’s important to learn to notice when the stomach is full. This can also lead to discussion of how the body is made from what is put into the stomach.
Sounding. Space is an incredible ingredient for making sound. Whether that space is the oral cavity, or a paper towel tube or the hollow of a guitar or drum. Create instruments with found tubes and containers. Look for spaces where the sound changes, such as hallways, showers, tunnels, parking structures, narrow passages, or ampitheaters.
Movement. Celebrate the space around you by first noticing how you are feeling with yourself, and how you are feeling in the space. Extend your arms and move your legs, expand your lungs with deep breaths, maybe even make some sounds. Explore movements that range taking up very little space to taking up as much space as you can. What do you discover?