Story Hour

Wiggle Your Toes

Written by Gene B. Williams

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August 6 is “Wiggle Your Toes Day” – although some say that it is August 5, and there are those who want it to be August 7. It doesn’t really matter because you can wiggle your toes any day of the year. (I like to wiggle mine in the mud!)
      Foot Facts
      The foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, more than a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments, and about 250,000 sweat glands. That’s why feet often get sweaty – and smelly.
      For many animals we call them paws (sometimes hooves, like for a horse). For humans and some primates (like monkeys) the front paws are called hands, and the back paws are called feet.
      You have fingernails and toenails. Look at other animals, like dogs and cats. Their nails have developed into claws. (And bird feet have talons.)
      Have you paid attention to how you walk? When you walk normally, the foot comes down on the heel. It then rolls toward the toes. A lot of things are going on inside your foot through all of this. Take a look at the drawing and x-rays of a foot.
      You may not notice it, but as this happens, your balance is changing. When a baby first learns to walk, it can be difficult, but soon the brain will learn to adjust the balance.

To learn more and to see some amazing things, visit these links.

http://www.free-online-health.com/foot-bones.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiq_xdooaSw
http://videosift.com/video/Armless-Busker#leavecomment

Footprint “Fossil”
      Cornstarch clay is fun to use, and even fun to make. It’s also inexpensive and easy – but it does require some cooking. The basic recipe from Argo is: 1 cup cornstarch 2 cups baking soda 1 1/4 cups water 1 tablespoon cooking oil
You can go here to get the recipe and even watch a video.
      Stir the ingredients in a pan over medium heat until it is like slightly dry mashed potatoes. Put on a plate and cover with a damp cloth until it is cool. Be careful to not overcook. Lightly flour a surface with corn starch and knead the dough/clay until it is smooth and consistent.
      The clay can be molded, rolled out, shaped – just about anything you wish. Let it dry overnight. You can speed up the drying by using the oven, but be very careful. If it dries too fast, it is likely to crack.
      After it is dry, it can be painted. You can also color the clay as it is being made, such as with food coloring.

      The idea for this issue of Nicker Stories is to make the clay, then roll it out to make a footprint.
      Art and crafts stores also have various kinds of clay that can be used. Some air dry. Some dry in an oven.
      Still another way is to use plaster, or even cement.
      And, of course, you can use paint or ink (WASHABLE!!!) to make a footprint on a piece of paper.

Toe-day and Toe-morrow
      Next, let’s have some fun with words. How many other words can you think of?
      Toe-day is Toes-day. Toe-gether we had eggs and toe-st from the toe-ster for breakfast. It got burned and was toe-rrible. For lunch we had toe-mato soup. Then the car broke down and we had to call the toe truck, and they toe-d it away. Toe-morrow we going to be toe-rists and see a toe-tem pole carved by a toe-mahawk. If there isn’t a toe-rnado we might ride a toe-baggon. We’ll go down the hill toe-tally to the bottom as fast as a toe-rpedo.

Toe Games


      There are lots of fun things to do with your feet and toes – and while you do them, not only do you have fun, you exercise and learn.

- Walk Barefoot
      This is easy, but be sure that the surface is safe. The idea is to have fun, not to hurt yourself. Almost everyone loves to wiggle their toes in the sand of a beach or in the mud. You might even have a “barefoot park” where you live.

- Tip-toe and Heel
      Walk on your tip-toes, then walk on your heels.

- Pass a Stick
      Pass a stick (a pencil will do) to a friend, and have the friend pass it back – using only your toes. Or, try to pass it from your left foot to your right foot.

- Ball Game
      Get a box, such as a shoe box, and cut some holes in the top. (Don’t forget to have some fun decorating the box.) A big hole can be worth 1 point. A small hole worth 5 points. Now use your toes to pick up marbles and try to earn points by dropping them into the holes.

- Tie a Rope
      Get a length of rope and try to tie a knot using only your toes and feet.

- Write or Draw
      This can be a real challenge for many. Hold a pencil, pen, crayon or marker with your toes. Now try to write your name. Make a drawing.

- Climb a Parent
      Many animals use their toes for climbing. So can you. This can be especially fun if you have a willing (and able) parent.

http://www.barfusspark.info/en/gymn.htm

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