Monthly Archives: September 2012

Review: YoDaGaMo: Activities for Focused and Playful Motion!

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YoDaGaMo: Activities for Focused and Playful Motion!

Product Description

This 10 card set of 4×6  cards plus 2 “helpful hint” cards is perfect for the classroom teacher, dance teacher, kids yoga teacher, parent, camp  counselor…anyone who spends time with moving children!!  These activities are ideal for the 3-10 year old set and can be easily adapted and customized for your group.  They even include recommended music. The cards were developed by Alexandra “Zan” Langstaff at the Hullabaloo Danceshop in Vermont.

Pose cards include:

  • boat
  • cobra
  • dog
  • eagle
  • magic carpet (savasana)
  • mountain
  • resting rock (child’s pose)
  • star
  • tree
  • warrior

The front of each card has a colorful illustration & the back contains ideas for yoga (including the Sanskrit name, a rhyme & creative names for the pose), dance (including music suggestions), games (including prop suggestions) & more (ways to connect the poses with each other). There are also “Helpful Hints” cards with additional ideas and tips for yoga, dance & games.

What I LOVE about this card set:

  • the 4″ x 6″ size is large enough for kids to see in a group setting
  • colorful & fun illustrations
  • printed on sturdy cardstock that will hold up well
  • organized in alphabetical order on a binder ring makes it easy to find and turn to the card you want. The binder ring can be opened if you want to remove a specific card (this makes it easier to hold up the front of the card towards the kids & then the teacher can see the back of the card)
  • full of fun, creative & unique ideas!

I have already used these cards for inspiration to try some new games in the Therapeutic Yoga Group for our inpatients at the JD McCarty Center. Many of the kids we have in that group right now are more difficult to engage and have some challenging behaviors so adding a new splash of “YoDaGaMo” has definitely helped 🙂 The cards have also given me ideas to build upon for class themes for our Inclusive OMazing Kids Yoga Classes.

Available for purchase on their website (w/PayPal):  http://www.hullabaloodanceshop.com/yodagamo-cards.html

Price at the time of this post: $16.00

I found out about these fun cards via a post on the Maria’s Movers  blog: http://mariasmovers.com/2012/08/06/yodagamo-cards-yoga-dance-games-and-more/

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product to facilitate my review.  Opinions expressed are my own.

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the wavy divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

Apple Farmer Annie: Seed to Farmers’ Market Kids Yoga Lesson Plan

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Apple-Farmer-Annie

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“Apple Farmer Annie” by Monica Wellington is a new addition to my OMazing Kids collection of “Fall Faves”.

The vivid fall colors, cute illustrations & large text make this a fun read. In the fall, Annie picks her apples, and sorts and organizes them. Some she turns into applesauce, apple muffins, apple pie, apple cake, and cider. The best she saves to sell at the market. Happily, she sells everything and returns home to rest, read, and, of course, eat an apple. I bought my copy on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Farmer-Annie-Monica-Wellington/dp/0142401242

 

The book has the following opportunities for yoga poses & breathing:

  • sun breath & stretch (http://wp.me/p1t7TU-1T, includes link to a video clip & free sun printables)
  • seed (child’s pose)
  • apple tree
  • orchard of trees partner pose
  • apple blossoms (flower pose)
  • buzzing bee breath
  • apple picking stretch (crescent moon, ask kids what color apples they want to pick)
  • basket ( cobbler’s pose)
  • sort the apples (toe-ga game with red, green & yellow pom-poms. pick up with toes & sort into small baskets – for more about “toe-ga” see this great post on Yoga in My School: http://yogainmyschool.com/2012/09/04/toe-ga-kids-yoga-sorting-game/
  • slice the apples (woodchopper pose)
  • pour the apple cider (triangle pose)
  • stir-the-pot
  • cookbook (cobbler’s pose, then open & close legs like turning pages in a cookbook)
  • roll out the pie dough (lay on belly & kids choose if they want their arms, legs or back rolled out with a pool noodle “rolling pin” or a real rolling pin – be mindful of kid’s sensory needs and always ask their permission before touching. Some kids may prefer to roll out their own arms or legs with the pool noodle)
  • pie (seated angle pose)
  • oven (seated forward fold, legs are the oven rack & lean forward towards toes as you “close the oven door”)
  • tick-tock-toes timer (point-flex feet while saying “tick tock” as the pie “cooks” on your oven)
  • smell & “mmm” breath
  • load the truck (seated twist to pass the apple basket)
  • drive the truck (use pool noodle “steering wheel” for added fun – see pic in this Facebook album: http://tinyurl.com/9897x7h
  • bridge
  • boat
  • table (have an empty aluminum pie tin to place on the kids “table” for added fun & to encourage holding the pose steady)
  • crescent moon
  • yawn & stretch
  • reclined belly breathing with small apple basket on belly
  • star savasana

See some pics from our Inclusive Kids Yoga Class in this album on the OMazing KidsFacebook page:

Playlist: Please be mindful of kids individual sensory needs when using music in a group setting (http://omazingkidsyoga.com/music/) 🙂

Update 9/16/13: check out this fun Apple Tree action song from The George Center for Music Therapy, Inc.: http://youtu.be/U2ztJjUcqSA

Update 9/16/13: Add a mindful tasting activity with the awesome book “No Ordinary Apple: A Story About Eating Mindfully” by Sara Marlowe (Note: it’s important to know about any food allergies or dietary restrictions before using food in kids yoga).

See book trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqxrEoLi2xY

It would also be fun to incorporate a mindfulness activity with my vintage Fisher Price Happy Apple chime toy! One idea would be shake it and listen for the chime to stop (similar to the chime bar activity). If I have a group of kids that are pretty calm and I feel I can trust not to throw it, I may even do a walking mindfulness walking activity (walking carefully with the intent of not making it chime). Even just as an apple “story prop”, my beloved Happy Apple is definitely coming along when I read this book (it makes me smile just to look at it & the chime sound is beautiful…… wish they still made this toy 🙂 ). If you are curious about what is inside a “Happy Apple”, check out this post: http://carolynkephart.blogspot.com/2011/09/at-core-of-happy-apple.html

http://soundcloud.com/omazing-kids-yoga/happy-apple-vintage-fisher

Free printable Apple Farmer Annie: Seed to Farmers’ Market Kids Yoga Sequence (5 poses with small pics to color for each):

Apple Farmer Annie – seed to farmers market kids yoga sequence by OMazing Kids– 1 page PDF.

(The cute stick figure yoga pose pics are available on: http://media.freeola.com/other/6271/freeyogaasanastickfigures.pdf

See the entire book on this Youtube video from ChildcareLand: ht

This SLP website has a great free adapted Apple Farmer Annie interactive book that includes symbols, an adapted picture recipe, apple bingo game boards & more: http://www.4gaslps.com/AppleAnnie.doc

Looking for more fall activities & ideas? Check out this updated blog post. I have added several new things for 2012: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2011/09/24/happy-fall-fun-fall-books-activities/

Join in on a discussion about fun fall kids yoga ideas on the OMazing Kids Facebook page:

Extend the apple theme with “10 Apples Up on Top” by Dr. Seuss. See this blog for free printable story props:

http://chapelhillsnippets.blogspot.com/2012/08/10-apples-up-on-top-printables.html

Even more apple stuff on this website: http://web.archive.org/web/20050113090219/http://home.att.net/~elteach/appleseed.html

A cool apple tree life cycle animation video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chNwmpqSa78

UPDATE – 9/3/13: Fun construction paper apple craft: http://hubpages.com/hub/Fall-Preschool-Apple-Craft-Ideas#PhotoSwipe137780056

Love how each child’s apple ended up being unique! (from our Inpatient Adapted Yoga Class at the JD McCarty Center on 9/3/13)

UPDATE 9/16/13: Fun apple fingerplay action songs (see page 1 of this PDF: http://www.ylpl.lib.ca.us/teach/fingerplays.pdf

apples fingerplays

8/11/22 Updated contact info:

Have questions? The best way to reach me with any questions is via messaging on the OMazing Kids Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the wavy divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

New: Research Roundup on the OMazing Kids Blog

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Announcing a new feature on the OMazing Kids Blog: “Research Roundup”.

https://omazingkidsllc.com/research-roundup/

This page is dedicated to sharing research & articles relating to kids wellness, including yoga, with a focus on Autism and other special needs.

Articles are listed in order of publication dates with most recent publications listed first.

When available, I am sharing links to full research articles rather than just the “abstract”.  Advocates and practitioners are cautioned to read more that just an “abstract” in order to understand research study results because abstracts rarely mention any limitations to the study, they report only key findings, and the brevity of the paragraph (typically 120 words) may tend to provide an overly optimistic read of the study and what was found. For more info about reading & understanding research articles: http://www.uky.edu/CRVAW/files/Understanding%20Scientific%20Journal%20Articles.pdf & http://www.womenshealthapta.org/pdfs/HowToResearchArticle.pdf

It includes a full PDF of the latest research on yoga for kids with Autism:

Efficacy of the Get Ready to Learn Yoga Program Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design

By Kristie Patten Koenig, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Anne Buckley-Reen, OTR/L, RYT & Satvika Garg, MS, OTR/L, Published in The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, September/October 2012, Volume 66, Number 5

Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22917120

Full PDF: https://omazingkidsllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/efficacy-of-the-get-ready-to-learn-yoga-program-among-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorders-a-pretest-posttest-control-group-design-am-j-occup-ther-2012-sep665538-46.pdf

Feel free to e-mail me at amoorad1@juno.com if you would like to share an article to be posted :)

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist at the JD McCarty Center in Norman, Oklahoma (http://www.jdmc.org/)

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the wavy divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

Moosely Marvelous – OMazing Kids Lesson Plan, Printables, Music & More….

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My favorite animal is the Moose….. I literally have hundreds of moose items (plush, books, games, socks, T’s, PJ’s, art, figurines, dishes, quilts, music ….. the list goes on & on). The Moose “high interest/passion” started when I was a kid watching Bullwinkle.

My favorite moose book to use in kids yoga is “Agate: What Good Is A Moose?” by Joy Morgan Dey

Agate the Moose suffers from low self-esteem, always comparing himself to his sparkling friends, named for birthstones. In the end, they help Agate to see that he, too, is a beautiful gem, a secret jewel. I love, love, LOVE this book! It has wonderful illustrations, descriptive vocabulary, is full of animals that fit with yoga poses/activities, shows the power of kind words & friends, etc…

Here are the opportunities for yoga poses in the book: alligator, elephant, penguin (mountain – then waddle), giraffe, lion, monkey (chest taps), bear (bear crawl, waltzing to 1-2-3 beat, sleeping bear – child’s pose), porcupine (padma/lotus mudra – http://www.yogacheryl.com/images/m_padma_mudra.jpg), hippo (happy baby & rock-n-roll), racoon (gyan mudra at eyes – like the mask on a racoon – http://im.rediff.com/getahead/2009/may/29slide5-yoga.jpg), eagle, and bat (lay on back, legs up and crossed, arms crossed).

Depending on the class size & specific kids in the class, I either do coloring for relaxation and/or do belly breathing with small river rocks or polished stones. See free printable coloring sheets & mandala below. I found polished agate gemstone rocks at the Museum of Natural History gift shop and have also gotten some in gift shops in mountain towns on vacation.

I have lots of “moose music” and develop my playlist based on the sensory needs of the kids in the class. See Soundcloud playlist below.

I tie in affirmation mantras based on the meanings for the birthstones (see free printable below) & include a discussion about the beauty inside each of us and the power of positive words & friends.

A great short video from the author & illustrator:

I bought the book at: http://www.amazon.com/Agate-Moose-Joy-Morgan-Dey/dp/0942235738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330195047&sr=8-1

Author’s Websites: http://www.agatethemoose.com/ & http://joymorgandey.com/ – lots of fun free stuff for the book. Buy the poster at: http://www.lakesuperiormagazine.com/cat/agate.html

    

 click on each pic to open coloring page & puzzle PDF’s

Printables I made to use as story props with the book: click each pic to open up that PDF

Larger Animal Story Props:

Agate Whate Good Is A Moose – Large Animal Story Props – 8-page PDF

New: More Precious than Jewels affirmation coloring activity

I made this to use as an affirmation coloring activity for Camp ClapHans. After doing yoga along with the book, each child drew or wrote things that they were good at or liked about themselves in the middle of each gem. For kids that are not able to do that, this activity could be adapted by having small pictures or symbols that the child could choose from and glue onto each gem.

Playlist: Please be mindful of kids individual sensory needs when using music in a group setting (http://omazingkidsyoga.com/music/)  🙂

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014HUCMO/ref=docs-os-doi_0,

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00346ALR4/ref=dm_dp_trk13?ie=UTF8&qid=1330196121&sr=1-21,

http://www.amazon.com/Land-of-the-Silver-Birch/dp/B0012AQEAW/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1330195492&sr=1-10,

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QPQCTM/ref=dm_dp_trk11?ie=UTF8&qid=1330195915&sr=1-1

More free printables to go with this amazing book!

Moose & Birch Leaves Mandala – source: http://www.donteatthepaste.com/2011/09/birch-leaves-mandala.html – I just added the moose clip art border

New Moose Mandala from http://www.donteatthepaste.com/2013/05/moose-mandala-to-color.html

moose_mandala_lg

Moose Tracks Printable – source: Karma Wilson’s author website: http://karmawilson.com/teachers.htm#moose

Cool Moose Tree Pose Coloring Sheet (by Cyn Narcisi – amazing illustrator: http://www.cynnarcisi.com/hire.htm & http://cynnarcisi.blogspot.com/)

Love this Moose Craft printable from LearnCreateLove.com! (http://learncreatelove.com/?p=2632)

Moose Craft 2

 

Moose Doodle Coloring Page: http://www.doodle-art-alley.com/moose-coloring-pages.html

Moose Zendoodle: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=594055140645495&set=a.344153432302335.95762.174264525957894&type=3&theater

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UPDATE – New 2/3/16:

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{Coloring Page Giveaway} Get a FREE copy of this awesome new detailed moose coloring page from PlayKites Designs. Here’s how to get your copy…. easy as 1-2-3:

1. “Like” their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/PlayKites
2. Leave a comment on this post: https://www.facebook.com/PlayKites/posts/205575433126666
3. Send a message to me at OMazing Kids mentioning “Playkites Moose” and that you liked and commented. Facebook Messaging for OMazing Kids: https://www.facebook.com/messages/17426452595789. *Note: If you encounter any difficulty in sending a private FB message, please try another means of getting on Facebook (FB app, getting on FB via Safari on an iPad or getting on Facebook via a computer.)

Then I will reply with a link to where you can download the free PDF printable 🙂

leaves1.gif - 9.9 K

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist at the JD McCarty Center in Norman, Oklahoma (http://www.jdmc.org/)

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amoorad

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the wavy divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.