One of my favorite books to help kids learn about feelings is “My Many Colored Days” by Dr. Seuss.
Combine it with the amazing song “Colors” by Kira Willey, an assortment of music to correspond to each color, yoga poses for each animal in the book, colored scarves, a few printable craft activities & the CALM Picture relaxation script for a fun way to help kids explore feelings in a multi-sensory way.
Supply List:
- book – “My Many Colored Days” (Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Many-Colored-Days-Fancher-Seuss/dp/0679875972)
- colored scarves (Lakeshore: http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/product/productDet.jsp?productItemID=1%2C689%2C949%2C371%2C897%2C428&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181113&bmUID=1313878744293 )
- music for each color (my playlist on Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/omazing-kids-yoga/sets/my-many-colored-days/). Song 12: Mixed Up Day – Take Five by The Dave Brubeck Quartet & Song 13: Back To Me – La Valse D’Ame’lie by Yann Tiersen would not upload to Soundcloud for some reason…. You can listen to the music on Soundcloud to get a feel for the music but I purposefully disabled the “download” feature and encourage folks to purchase the mp3′s via Amazon or iTunes if they plan on using the songs in their kids yoga classes… because it’s the right thing to do
Inspired by a post from Maria’s Movers: http://mariasmovers.com/2011/03/dance-by-color-my-many-colored-days/.
- OR save some time and buy a complete kit from Arts Education IDEAS: http://store.aeideas.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=SCARF-MYMCD2&Category_Code=SCARF - as of 8/22/11 the kit is $29.99 and includes:
- The board book My Many Colored Days, by Dr. Seuss.
- 10 durable 27” square, washable nylon scarves – 1 of each of the following 10 colors: purple, royal blue, gray, black, orange, red, kelly green, brown, pink and yellow.
- IDEAS Colors Music CD with short sound/color segments, then entire pieces, all chosen for mood and movement.
- a set of kids – 1 for each color
My Many Colored Days – kid color cutouts template: My Many Colored Days – kid color cutouts template
- copies of the Coloring Sheet – My Many Colored Days – The color ____makes me feel____ (PDF)
- copies of the Bookmarks – My Many Colored Days (PDF)
- copies of the My Many Colored Days – coloring sheet with animals
- laminated bulletin board accents to use as props for the Color the Room Warm Up
- the CALM Picture Activity relaxation script – (included in the free Relax Kids 21 Day Plan http://www.relaxkids.com/21days/online/index.html - on day 21; also available as PDF: http://www.relaxkids.com/21days/ )
- plain white paper
- crayons, colored pencils or markers (keep each child’s unique fine motor & sensory needs in mind)
- picture cards for the song “Colors” by Kira Willey - Printable for “Colors” by Kira Willey
OMazing Kids Yoga StoryStretchers “My Many Colored Days” event in a Pre-K class at Roosevelt Elementary School in Norman, Oklahoma (YouTube videos):
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-kVgjYeDDA - owl pose
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWiLeleOm4o – modified fish pose
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_HydAugxnc – buzzing bee breath
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK9ysnsbHKo – dinosaur pose
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CTbPf3W-k8 – seal with a ball
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7D8zXsswKM – wolf (howling upward facing dog) pose
- Cool YouTube video of the book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lum83DLPXIw
- Yoga opportunities in this book: horse, bird, bear, buzzing bee breaths, owl, seal, fish, dinosaur, flamingo, wolf (up dog + howling), mixed up (make up a pose)
- Use colored scarves for kids to explore looking through them, moving with them and blowing on them.
- Different colors evoke different feelings in each person and may change depending on the context (a calm blue ocean, a happy blue bird chirping, a sad person singing the blues)… it is especially helpful for kids with Autism to explore multiple possibilities of meanings for each color. The meanings for each color vary in the song “Colors” by Kira Willey vs. what is depicted in the book “My Many Colored Days”.
- More ideas at the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) Book Nook: http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/booknook/many_colored_days.pdf
See how to do sign language with the story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdw6s_0ZIuw
Lots of pose ideas for the book from my friends at Kid Partners, Inc.: My Many Colored Days – pose ideas printable from Kid Partners, Inc. - http://www.kidpartners.net/programs/kid_partners_yoga (PDF: http://www.kidpartners.net/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/MCD_Pose_Ideas_per_Color_KPY.4784355.pdf)
What fun way to recycle-repurpose-resuse broken crayons! It would be fun to make these one week and then use them the next in a “My Many Colored Days” themed class. See this post from The Imagination Tree to see how to make them: http://www.theimaginationtree.com/2011/08/diy-rainbow-crayons.html
Tons of fun for kids of all abilities!
Stop by the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page for more fun ideas: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
Update 5/17/13: Looking for more ideas for a feelings-themed kids yoga class? Check out this great post on the Be Yoga Be Love blog: http://beyogabelove.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/everyone-has-feelings/
Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities
Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2
E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com
OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.
NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.
Posted by Melissa Scheichl Pearson on April 3, 2013 at 10:12 am
This is great! I am sharing this with a group of preschool teachers tomorrow for a kids yoga training I am doing. I purchased the song Colours by Kira Willey -love it! I wanted to share a suggestion for a pose for the flamingo page of the book -you can do the balancing pose (tree or a modified version of extended hand to big toe pose (utthita hasta padangusthasana) that I call “Karate kid” -taking knee out in front and then playing with extending leg or taking it out to side (bent or straight) -have fun!
Posted by OMazing Kids on April 3, 2013 at 10:29 am
Cool! Look forward to hearing how your training goes
Depending on kids abilities we usually either just balance on 1 leg for flamingo or sometimes do Dancer Pose. I’ve never tried of the utthita hasta padangusthasana pose…. sounds fun to try! Do you have a kids yoga FB fan page that I can “like” or a kids yoga blog or website that I can check out?
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Posted by jen on March 6, 2012 at 4:23 pm
This is an amazing resource. Thank you so much for posting it. I currently work in a high school but hope to make it to the elementary level. If I ever do, I will using these resources and activity first! Thanks again!
Jen
Posted by Linda Thele on March 3, 2012 at 11:46 am
One more thing I didn’t know about for kiddos…. thanks for the fantastic resources
Posted by Lorie on February 29, 2012 at 9:53 pm
What great resources! I love this book!
Thanks for linking it up to the Suess Link Party!
Posted by OMazing Kids Yoga on February 29, 2012 at 10:05 pm
Thanks
Posted by Jackie Higgins on February 29, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Wow! That’s a lot of resources! I love this book too. I really like your color the room activity. That sound like such a great way to use imagination as well as getting the body moving! Thanks for linking it up on the Seuss linky party.
Posted by OMazing Kids Yoga on February 29, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Thanks Jackie! I had used this book for many years in my work as a SLP to help kids learn emotions & color….. but when I started doing kids yoga it took on a whole new life. It’s such an amazing multisensory way for kids to have fun, learn, be active and learn self-regulation & calming
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Posted by Nicola @ Twisty Noodle on October 21, 2011 at 11:37 am
My Many Colored Days is my favorite Dr. Seuss book! I can’t wait to check out the music for each color. Thx for the great resources.
Nicola
Posted by OMazing Kids Yoga on November 14, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Thanks Nicola! I love the Twisty Noodle coloring pages
I also share quite a few things over on my OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page & YouTube Channel….
Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma
Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Blog: http://omazingkidsyoga.wordpress.com
Posted by Maria on August 26, 2011 at 11:59 pm
wow great post! Thanks so much for sharing my link!
Posted by OMazing Kids Yoga on August 27, 2011 at 8:44 am
Thanks! I love this book and the playlist in your post was great