A gentle physical activation sequence before any demand is made. Starting from the toes and moving upward, the child wakes each part of their body in sequence. By the time they reach the shoulders, the body is genuinely more awake, and resistance to getting up has dropped significantly.

How to do it

1Before any demand: 'Let's wake up your body first.'
2Start at the toes — wiggle, then ankles, then knees, then keep going up.
3Work all the way to the face, then one full stretch.
4By the shoulders, the resistance usually drops. 'Body's awake. Time to get up.'

Variations

If they stay curled up and won't join in: start wiggling your own toes and narrating it out loud anyway — 'My toes are waking up first' — most kids can't resist correcting or copying you within a few seconds.
How it ends: the final full-body stretch is the natural close — stretch big, say 'Body's awake,' and walk straight into getting up rather than announcing the scan is over.

💡 Parent tip

Do it alongside them. An adult stretching and wiggling is more convincing than an adult standing over a child issuing instructions.

What your child develops

Physiological activation — sequential movement raises heart rate and core temperature naturally
Transition framing — waking the body is a neutral task, not a compliance demand
Body awareness — progressive attention to physical sensation builds interoceptive skill