OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

There Was a Speech Teacher Who Swallowed Some Dice – free 3-page PDF printable made by OMazing Kids

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 wavy blue divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here. I have attempted to remove the CouponDropDown but no luck so far…. DO NOT click on any hyperlinks unless you hover above them first to insure they are valid. Ones I included should appear in blue font.

Book Review & Free Printable Story Props: There Was a Speech Teacher Who Swallowed Some Dice

Posted on August 6, 2014 by OMazing Kids

I am a huge fan of all the books loosely based on the story “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”…. I actually prefer them over the original. So imagine my delight to see there is now one with a SLP theme!

For folks who might get cranky over the term “speech teacher”….. get over it. That’s what kids usually call you if you work in a school and the full term “speech-language pathologist” doesn’t really flow well in the context of this type of book title or repeated readings in the story.

Any speechie who has ever done school-based therapy will get a kick out of this book. I laughed out loud several times! I love that the author included info about the items mentioned in the book. This book would be a fun way to introduce new students to some things they might see in speech therapy. She also includes a scavenger hunt check list.

I bought my copy of the book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/There-Speech-Teacher-Swallowed-Some/dp/1500214949. See more about the author on her websites: http://www.patmervine.com/home.html & http://www.speakingofspeech.com/.

I always make story props to go with these types of books and had fun finding pics online for the 17 items she swallows in the book. Here is the link to the free printable:

See the OMazing Kids printables “terms of use” here: https://omazingkidsllc.com/printables-terms-of-use/

This printable is being provided free in gratitude for the countless free items that I have used from the Speaking of Speech website and just because that’s how this speechie rolls 🙂

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

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/12/14/even-more-snowy-faves-two-guided-relaxation-stories-great-for-kids-yoga/

App Reviews on The Appy Ladies: http://theappyladies.com/?s=Moorad

Posting Apps & Special Needs Resources on The Appy Ladies on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAppyLadies

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here. I have attempted to remove the CouponDropDown but no luck so far…. DO NOT click on any hyperlinks unless you hover above them first to insure they are valid. Ones I included should appear in blue font.

crayons divider

2 New Snowy Faves: One-Dog Sleigh & Ladybug Girl and the Big Snow

Posted on December 16, 2013 by OMazing Kids

Here are two new fun additions to my winter-themed book collection for 2013…..

Ladybug Girl and the Big Snow

This new book in the Ladybug Girl series has a great message of “perseverance” and “looking on the bright side”. The book has the following opportunities for kids yoga: reach-stretch to put on warm clothing (long johns, snow pants, boots, puffy jacket, mittens & earmuffs), up dog (for her companion Bingo), sun breath & stretch, cross-crawl hike through the snow, penguin (mountain + waddle), tree with snow on “branches”, blowing snow (blowing cotton balls), bell mindful walking activity, standing forward fold to dig in snow, rock-and-roll snowballs, flying winter dragon (Warrior III), mountain, snow animals (bear, dear, bunny, rhino, gorilla, lion, hippo, unicorn), hot cocoa by the fire (palming), snowflakes (standing star with wiggling fingers). The book ends with the sky turning a deep blue with snowflakes….. would make for a nice transition into Savasana with one of these snowy guided relaxations: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/12/14/even-more-snowy-faves-two-guided-relaxation-stories-great-for-kids-yoga/

Free Ladybug Girl activities & printables: http://www.ladybuggirl.com/printables.html

elaborate snowflake

One-Dog Sleigh

This book reminds me of the book “The Mitten” with lots of animals squeezing into a sleigh. I love the rhyming cumulative verses and repeated lines. The book has the following opportunities for kids yoga: horse, sleigh, up dog, squirrel, sleigh bells, owl, lynx (cat), deer, bear, tree, blowing snow (blowing cotton balls), mouse, standing star with twinkling fingers, barn (rooftop partners).

elaborate snowflake

Free “My Snow Globe” printable: My Snow Globe

elaborate snowflake

A snowman-themed glitter calming jar from In Lieu of Preschool: http://www.inlieuofpreschool.com/snowman-hush-bottles/

1489288_660011230716552_630934659_n

elaborate snowflake

Links to other Winter & Christmas-themed posts…..

Snowy Guided Relaxation:

See More Snowy Faves: “A Perfect Day” by Carin Berger, kids yoga ideas and a snowy playlist:

https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/12/10/more-snowy-faves-a-perfect-day-by-carin-berger-kids-yoga-ideas-and-a-snowy-playlist/

See the rest of my “Snowy Faves” in this post:

https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/12/08/five-snowy-faves-kids-picture-book-gems/

Want even more ideas for Christmas & Winter-themed kids activities? Check out these three posts:

https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/12/01/12-days-of-christmas-kids-yoga/

https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/11/28/the-yoga-of-dr-seuss-inspired-by-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-free-printable/

https://omazingkidsllc.com/2011/12/03/christmas-winter-themed-kids-yoga-ideas/

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

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Colors for Zena kids yoga sequence from OMazing Kids

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

Book Review & Giveaway: Colors for Zena, Apple Farmer Annie & Color and Cook Healthy Snacks by Monica Wellington

Posted on October 31, 2013 by OMazing Kids

Want fun books that promote early learning & healthy choices for kids? You’ll love Monica Wellington’s books as much as I do! Check out her newest book “Colors for Zena”…..

Product Description:

Colors for Zena: Zena’s world lacks color, so she sets out to find some. On her walk, she first finds one primary color, then another. But red, blue, and yellow aren’t enough—Zena wants more colors! Out pops an orange lion, a green frog, and a purple dragon, a combination of the colors she has seen. Zena and her friends then do some color mixing themselves, creating more colors and a bright painting using them all. Vibrant illustrations and simple text make Monica Wellington’s latest book a perfect pick for budding young artists.

A peek inside the book:

zena

zena 2

zena 3

zena 4

Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Dial (Penguin Publishing) (July 11, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803737432
ISBN-13: 978-0803737433
Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches

Also included in this giveaway are Color & Cook HEALTHY SNACKS (Dover Coloring Books): It’s summertime, and Molly and Jack have stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables from the Farmer’s Market. Now it’s time to whip up some yummy treats — and sell them to their friends in the neighborhood! This tasty coloring book will show children how to eat right with a variety of healthy, hearty snacks.

coloring page healthy snacks

coloring page healthy snacks 2

coloring page healthy snacks 4

Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Dover Publications (December 17, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0486474496
ISBN-13: 978-0486474496
Product Dimensions: 0.2 x 8.1 x 10.8 inches

& Apple Farmer Annie: Annie and I have been BFF’s since 2012. See this blog post for a review, kids yoga lesson plan, printable, playlist, apple-themed crafts & more: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/09/15/apple-farmer-annie-seed-to-farmers-market-kids-yoga-lesson-plan/. My enthusiastic love of this book is what caused the author to e-mail me about doing a review for her newest book, Colors for Zena. I still get “star struck” when a well-known author contacts me via e-mail or social media!!

Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Puffin (Penguin Publishing); Reprint edition (August 19, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0142401242
ISBN-13: 978-0142401248
Product Dimensions: 0.2 x 9.2 x 7.7 inches

Thanks to Penguin Publishing for donating several extra copies of Colors for Zena & Apple Farmer Annie. They are getting great use in the speech-language therapy department and elementary classroom at the JD McCarty Center. Our kids said “Thanks”!

bar - green

Here’s what I love about these books:

Colors for Zena

Each 2-page spread is devoted to a color. I love that there are different shades of each color and that the book introduces the concept of mixing colors to make a new one.
Simple text on each page allows the focus to be on the large vivid illustrations.
Lots of opportunity for vocabulary development by talking about things that are in the background on each page.
It’s fun to look for one of the girl’s hidden animals on many of the pages. One of my 4 year old patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders LOVES to look for the animals. This book has been a great way to work on colors and using them in utterances. Many of the pages also depict groups of items so it’s been fun to work on plural word endings.
The last page has a color wheel, simple info about primary and secondary colors and suggestions for color exploration activities for kids.
The book has several opportunities for kids yoga (dog, frog, lion, dinosaur, cat, bird, fish, butterfly, book, bed, flower, tree, flowering vines, stream, sun, clouds, rainbow, bus, fire truck, airplane, castle, tower, painting)

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

Color & Cook HEALTHY SNACKS coloring book

Depicts Jack & Molly playing outside and then looking for healthy snacks. They walk to the local farmers market with their mom where they buy lots of fruits and vegetables. Love how the book promotes healthy choices in a fun way!
This book would be fun to use as part of a theme on healthy eating or as activities for therapists to use in feeding therapy sessions.
The kids go through several steps to make each healthy snack (vegetable salsa salad, fruit chunk popsicles, baked veggie chips, coated pretzel wands, fruit smoothies)
Fun 2-page spread of an alphabet of healthy foods.
Shows kids with an entrepreneurial spirit as they set up a Healthy Snack Stand in their front yard.
Recipes are included at the end of the book.
The last page shows the kids going back to the farmers market…… where this time they meet Apple Farmer Annie (not named in the book but I’d recognize my BFF anywhere!)

The author generously sent me five of her other coloring books to use with the kids at the J.D McCarty Center:

Color & Cook Activity Book – includes seek-and-find, dot-to-dot, matching, word scrambles, mazes, hidden pictures, crosswords, word searches, what doesn’t belong, patterning, spot-what’s-different and following directions activity pages, 30 stickers & more. Answer keys for the activity pages are provided in the back of the book. This will be fun to use with some of the older kids at JDMC!
Color & Cook Cupcakes – This time Molly & Jack decide to bake cupcakes. Similar to the Healthy Snacks coloring book. Lots of opportunity to work on sequencing & following directions. Fun ideas for 12 seasonal & holiday cupcake decorating. Recipes for four types of cupcakes & frostings are included.
Color & Cook Pizza – Molly & Jack continue their cooking adventures….. this time with homemade pizza. Love that they pick fresh vegetables from their grandparents’ garden for pizza toppings! Then they head to the supermarket for more ingredients and the houseware store for a big pizza pan, pizza cutter and other supplies. Love the details about making dough (ex: sugar helping yeast grow more quickly) and lots of great vocabulary (sticky, stretchy, push, pull, punch, pound, roll, cut, etc.). Recipes are included. This will be awesome to use with the author’s book “Pizza at Sally’s” or as part of my ever growing lesson plan for Pete’s a Pizza!
Color & Garden Vegetables – Lucy & Sam go through several steps to plant a vegetable garden, care for it and pick the harvest. Lots of examples of different types of gardens are given.
Color & Garden Flowers – This time Lucy & Sam plant a flower garden. Flowers that grow during different seasons are depicted. Love the “Language of Flowers” pages that give meanings attributed to each flower (ex: pink lotus = wise purity, buttercup = heart of gold, etc….). The “flower power” 2-page spread reminds me of mandala patterns. Both of these Color & Garden books will be fun to add to my lesson plan on seeds & gardens: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2013/05/04/seeds-garden-themed-books-music-activities-for-kids-yoga/.

Monica’s books & coloring books are available for purchase on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Monica-Wellington/e/B001IQWLT8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1. Books are also available on Penguin Publishing: http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Search/QuickSearchProc/1,,Author_1000017543,00.html.

The coloring books are also available on the Dover Publishing website: http://doverpublications.ecomm-search.com/search?keywords=monica%20wellington.

For product updates, be sure to check out her website: http://www.monicawellington.com/, blog: http://monicawellington.blogspot.com/

& publishers’ social media sites:

https://www.facebook.com/penguinkidsbooks,

https://twitter.com/penguinkids,

https://www.facebook.com/dovercoloring,

.———————-

Celebrating November as Picture Book Month

picture book month

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product to facilitate my review. Opinions expressed are my own. Starting in 2013, a new component of reviews & giveaways hosted on OMazing Kids is that a review will be added on Amazon.com (for products sold on that site). See my Amazon profile at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1JKVLELLSX7FD?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_aya_bb_pdp.

giveaway

Easy Entry Form:

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

International entries allowed for this giveaway.

Only entries with all required information will be valid. The info comes to me directly via e-mail & is ONLY used for the purposes of selecting winners and distributing prizes.

Helpful Info & Tips: Folks had requested a simpler entry option. I tried Rafflecopter but most folks did not enter an address so now I’m trying this online contact form instead. I will be hand selecting winners to insure products end up in the hands of folks who will put them to the best use. Briefly tell me how winning this would help you & the kids. I take the time to read each entry so details count. It doesn’t have to be lengthy…. just heart-felt.
If you experience any problems with the entry form in this blog post, please e-mail me specific details so I can attempt to fix it. E-mail to: amoorad1@juno.com . The entry deadline may be extended at the sole discretion of OMazing Kids in the event of prolonged entry problems.

Each “giveaway” is handled separately on OMazing Kids. So there are no rules prohibiting previous winners from entering this or future giveaways. I really do read every entry in every giveaway carefully to insure that the products end up in the best hands to impact kids lives.

Entry Deadline: 11:59pm CST on November 5, 2013.

Rules of Participation:

Must be 18 years or older with a valid e-mail address.
One entry per person.
International entries are allowed for this particular giveaway.
Employees or family members of OMazing Kids, LLC or the product’s company are not eligible.
No purchase required.
Comments submitted via entries may be copied & pasted into the blog post.
Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.
Only entries with all required information will be valid.
The winner will be chosen from valid entries on November 6, 2013.

3 winners will each receive the following book bundle:

1 copy of Colors for Zena (hardcover book) – from Penguin Publishing / the author
1 copy of Apple Farmer Annie (paperback book) – from Penguin Publishing / the author
1 copy of Color & Cook HEALTHY SNACKS coloring book – from Dover Publishing / the author

The winner will be notified via e-mail, will be posted on the blog post & will be posted on the OMazing Kids Facebook page. The company offering the prize may also post the winner’s name on their website, blog, Facebook page and/or other social media sites at their discretion.
The winner’s address will be forwarded to the company and they will be mailing the prizes directly to the winners. After I e-mail the winner’s info to the company, it is their responsibility to mail out prizes. Please contact them first if you are concerned about not receiving a prize. If that does not resolve the problem, then feel free to e-mail me and I will glad to assist in whatever way I can.
Prize Value: $27.97 per book bundle.

Other Legal Stuff: I know they’re just kids books but just to be safe here is all the legal stuff…

grass-green-divider-bar

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

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

A Little Bit of Oomph activity sheets

crayons divider

I Love Sock Monkey!

Posted on October 5, 2013 by OMazing Kids

I love sock monkey post

Sock Monkeys have added a fun twist to my OMazing Kids yoga classes & speech-language therapy sessions. Admit it….. you know you can’t help but smile when you see a Sock Monkey!

Here are a few pics from the last yoga class at Camp ClapHans this summer. After doing several rounds of “pirates” & “monkey mind pirates”, I was feeling a little sad that Monkey was getting his feelings hurt. You know it’s not Monkey’s fault that he has a “monkey mind”. He just needed a little yoga 😉

We used “I Love Monkey” by Suzanne Kaufman (from Live Inspired)

book-photo2

Live Inspired sent me the fabulous “I Love Monkey Discovery Kit” (book, plush & storage box). The kids at Camp ClapHans were fascinated by the Monkey. I had several other sock monkeys but this was the “fave” Just like the story, it doesn’t matter that Monkey looks a little different (check out the tiny feet & really big arms), “You are a star just the way you are!”

I-Love-Monkey-by-Suzanne-Kaufman-4492-09

A peek inside the book:

i love monkey 1 i love monkey 2 i love monkey 3 i love monkey 4

Opportunities for Kids Yoga poses & breathing in this book: mountain, Hmm? breath and shoulder shrug, rabbit, bunny breaths, floppy rag-doll forward fold, elephant, tense/relax wrinkly face, squirrel toe-ga, sitali cool as a cucumber breath, bird, chicken dance, sushi mat roll-up, roll arms, big robot steps (Warrior I & Warrior II), monster (standing star with “claw” fingers curled + “Grrrr” breath), penguin freeze/melt, buzzing bee breath, seated owl twist + Whoooo breath, corny sequence (Mountain with arms up – squat to cut the corn off the cob – hold as we get ready to “pop” – 5,4,3,2,1 – jump up to “pop”), sun stretch & breath, mantra: “I love being me!”.

More on their website: http://www.live-inspired.com/ilovemonkeybook/index.html

A plethora of props. Didn’t end up using them all. The nature of doing a 1 x class with a group of kids at camp is that you have to be REALLY flexible & adapt in the moment. For example, I had planned to do “Toe-Ga” as part of the classes today. But when arrived, I quickly noticed one child was wearing full length leg braces & several others had sensory issues and would have lost it over taking shoes off. So we did a standing forward fold to pick up the pom-poms instead.

–

Another view of the plethora of props. All in view here for the “photo opp” but then hidden out of site until each was needed. For most of the kids I work with, having this many props visible would be a sure road to chaos. As you can see I now collect Sock Monkeys (still love Moose more….. but Sock Monkey is coming in a close 2nd). As a side note, notice the pattern of the blue monkey & pink monkey….. all the “rage” this season. One question though….. when did “zig-zag” become “chevron”? When I was a kid it was “zig-zag”…. anyone else old enough to remember that? lol!

DSCN0234

I’ve added a couple more sock monkey props to my collection since camp….. Sock Monkey says kids yoga is a ball!

The Where is Sock Monkey? game is a fun way to work on descriptive language & spatial concepts….

Found these cute mini sock monkey bendable figures at Mardel…..

Mardel also had a lot of cool colorful sock monkey supplies….. won’t have an issue with any coworkers walking off with these….

music_scale

Playlist:

Monkeys – Movement Songs Children Love by Susan Marcus
Monkey See, Monkey Do – Musical Yoga Adventures: World Yoga Journey by Linda Lara
Crazy Monkeys – Namaste ‘n Play by Kidding Around Yoga
What I Am – Sesame Street & Will.i.am

Busy Mind by Sara Marlowe (http://www.mindfulfamilies.ca/index.php/mindful-kids-download-songs)

We did an affirmation craft at the end. As we learned in the story “I Love Monkey”, you are the best at being “you” and “You are a star just the way you are”. Each child drew or wrote what they liked or are good at in each star. We then embellished it by outlining portions of the pic with glitter glue and a light sprinkling of fine neon glitter. They came out great! After that, each child got a star stone to keep as a reminder of the “sparkle” inside them.

1069848_586171161433893_1490067284_n

Get this free printable + several other sock monkey coloring pages in this 6-page PDF: Sock Monkey Coloring Sheets

.
I had eye pillow covers made out of this Monkey Yoga fabric: http://www.kikiquilts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68_199_380_855&products_id=1264

Image (2)

Yippee! It appears that another Monkey Book may be in the works! From the author’s blog: http://suzannekaufman.blogspot.com/2012/03/look-and-feel-for-new-monkey-book.html

look_and_feel_monkey_has_a_dream_blog

“Monkey Mind” is a term frequently used in yoga to describe when your mind runs from thought to thought and is unsettled or restless. So if a monkey practices kids yoga & mindfulness, what happens to his mind? lol!

. 64605_583328768384799_2080239544_n

Get updates as I add to my Sock Monkey collection by following this album on the OMazing Kids Facebook page:

Click here if you are looking for the Monkey Mind Pirates in OMazing Kids pirate-themed yoga.

See more ideas for calming the “Monkey Mind” on this post from Betty at Be Yoga Be Love: http://beyogabelove.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/taming-the-monkey-mind/

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities
Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

Home 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/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741
Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad
Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

crayons divider

Inspiring Kids to Add “A Little Bit of Oomph”

Posted on September 22, 2013 by OMazing Kids

A little bit of Oomph

A Little Bit of Oomph! is the amazing new book from Barney Saltzberg, author of Beautiful Oops! It teaches the valuable lesson of throwing your heart into whatever you’re doing and trying just a little bit harder— because with a little extra effort and a little bit of oomph, you can make anything beautiful. The book is filled with flaps, pop-ups, spinning circles, pull tabs, etc… that are fun to explore. I love books like this that can lead to rich discussions. Inspire creativity & greatness. Get kids to think beyond the ordinary & beyond themselves. Kids are bombarded with self-absorbed & materialistic messages on TV, in music & on social media. It’s up to responsible adults in their lives to provide opportunities for them to see a bigger picture & a bigger purpose in life. A reason to go that extra mile. A reason to add a little “oomph”!

I didn’t find any activity sheets online for the book yet so I made these using a picture from the author’s Pinterest board:

Inspire kids to go that extra mile through involvement in service projects. See An Awesome Way to Make Kids Less Self-Absorbed on Greater Good Science Center, 35 Service Projects for Kids & Yes Kidz Can! for a few ideas.

I am always inspired by the service projects I see on the Alluem Kids blog 🙂

Watch this fun book trailer: http://youtu.be/WqYJ-SreCmk

The following items featured in the book would provide fun opportunities for kids yoga, dance or creative movement: alligator, star, seed (child’s pose), rain, flower, fish, ocean, whale, dog, book pages (easy pose – open/close legs like turning pages in a book), sing, dance (yoga freeze dance), twist & turn (poses that twist: seated twist, washing machine, helicopter, triangle, etc…), bunny, dragon, bird, elephant, heart (heart opening poses, heart mudra, etc…), oomph (invent poses with “oomph”, discuss ways to go the extra mile and add “oomph” through service projects).

Inspirational Sayings for Preschool: A Child with a Smile will go the Extra Mile

More ideas for Inspiring Kids Creativity with Books, Art & Movement.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities
Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

Home E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

crayons divider

Inspiring Kids Creativity with Books, Art & Movement

Posted on July 6, 2013 by OMazing Kids

I love combining books, art & movement to inspire creativity in kids! Here are my “five faves” for this:

Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg [Hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery. A spill doesn’t ruin a drawing—not when it becomes the shape of a goofy animal. And an accidental tear in your paper? Don’t be upset about it when you can turn it into the roaring mouth of an alligator. A singular work of imagination, creativity, and paper engineering, Beautiful Oops! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, tears, holes, overlays, bends, smudges, and even an accordion “telescope”—each demonstrating the magical transformation from blunder to wonder. Opportunities for kids yoga or creative movement: alligator, dog, duck, elephant, penguin, pig, car, bunny, fish, worm, frog, gyan mudra looking glasses, flower. Plus lots of opportunity for discussion about the power of creating something beautiful out of what appears to be an “oops”; Ideas for open-ended art exploration: torn paper collage, ink or paint blots, origami, newspaper creations, fingerprint pictures, stamping with paper towel rolls, hole punching, crumpled paper creations. More ideas in this free event kit (5-page PDF).]

beautiful oops guide

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds [Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw – she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. “There!” she says. That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. Opportunities for kids yoga or creative movement: chair, polar bear, jabbing with the marker (woodchopper), Hmmm? breath, writing name (air writing, back writing partner activity, doing poses that start with the letter of each child’s first name), swirls (lazy 8’s from Brain Gym), “paint the room” activity with props, grow bigger (child’s pose – kneeling – mountain – standing star); Plus lots of opportunity for discussion about the power of one person’s encouragement, starting with what we “can” do and growing it into something bigger & “paying it forward”. Lots of fun art & extension activity ideas in this free classroom guide for The Dot & Ish from the publisher (8-page PDF). Need more inspiration? Pinterest is full of ideas for open-ended art exploration for The Dot!]

The Dot easel

the dot frame

Ish by Peter H. Reynolds [Follow the little boy inspired by Vashti in the book “The Dot”. Drawing is what Ramon does. It’s what makes him happy. But in one split second, all that changes. A single reckless remark by Ramon’s older brother turns his carefree sketches into joyless struggles. Luckily his little sister, Marisol, sees the world differently. She opens his eyes to something a lot more valuable than getting things just “right.” The power of “-ish”. Opportunities for kids yoga or creative movement: lay on tummy, bed, “Ewww” breath (painting by trash cans), chair, flower, tense/relax fists (like crumpling paper), stomping feet (I’m done!), standing forward fold (as Marisol picks up a crumpled drawing), Toe-ga (to pick up small crumped balls of paper), stretch up & side to side as Marisol tapes the drawing in the gallery on her wall, gyan mudra looking glasses, ish-poses (make up “ish” variations on poses: tree, house, boat, fish & sun and the poses that make them “feel” peace-ish, silly-ish & excited-ish …. if time allows keep the creative ish-pose process going. Kids could work in pairs – one creates a pose, the other draws it (and of course signs it like in The Dot) & then trade roles. Their art could be copied so the whole group could have a set of yoga-ish pose cards), poem / journaling, mindfulness activities to experience savoring the moment; plus lots of opportunity for discussion of the power of our words to discourage or encourage others.]

ish ideas

Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds [The third book in the Creatrilogy series. Marisol, the little sister from the book “Ish”, loves to paint. So when her teacher asks her to help make a mural for the school library, she can’t wait to begin! But how can Marisol make a sky without blue paint? After gazing out the bus window and watching from her porch as day turns into night, she closes her eyes and starts to dream. Opportunities for kids yoga or creative movement: cat, fruit picking stretch, flower, fish, palming or mudras (for the handprint painting), whale, bumpy bus ride, mindfully noticing colors in the sky, moon, stars, bed, guided “Colors” relaxation; plus lots of opportunity for discussion about thinking outside the box & mindfully experiencing things. Lots of fun art & extension activity ideas in this free classroom guide from the publisher (6-page PDF)]

sky color

Sky Color - I feel colorful

Update 8/4/13: A great “Paint the Sky” guided relaxation from A Seedling’s Nightstand.

(Looking for more ways to explore feelings through color? Check out the My Many Colored Days post)

The Museum by Susan Verde, with art by Peter H. Reynolds (it’s cool that Susan was an elementary school teacher and is now a certified kid’s yoga instructor!) [As a little girl tours and twirls through the halls of an art museum, she finds herself on an exciting adventure. Each piece of art evokes something new inside of her: silliness, curiosity, joy and ultimately inspiration. When faced with an empty white canvas, she is energized to create and express herself. “When I see a work of art, something happens in my heart”. Opportunities for kids yoga or creative movement: mountain w/ Namaste hands at heart, Warrior I, Warrior II, dancer, crescent moon, standing star, standing forward fold (looking through legs at world upside down), chair, sitting down (a variety of seated poses – lotus, half-lotus, easy pose, seated twist, etc…), seated apple picking stretch, flower (incorporate real flowers into the class – inspired by this post from Carolyn at Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids), make up silly poses, laughter yoga, blank canvas mindfulness activity; Also lots of opportunity for discussion about our lives being a “blank canvas” and being empowered to “paint/create” your own future. Any open-ended art exploration activities would be fun to incorporate (remember it should be about the “process” of exploring & having fun with arts/crafts & not the end “product”. Also put thought into kid’s special needs & sensory sensitivities when selecting activities. There are lots of great ways to adapt art to make it accessible to all! http://www.zotartz.com/, http://www.kinderart.com/special/). Fun printables on the author’s website (curriculum guide coming soon!). For more ideas, see this great post Book to Boogie: Dance Inspired by Art by Kerry Aradhya at Picture Books & Pirouettes]

museum frame

more museum activity printables

UPDATE 9/27/13: Fabulous new activity guide for The Museum: http://www.fablevisionlearning.com/pdfs/fablevision_museum_educators_guide.pdf

bar - green

Adding art & movement with books taps into the power of multiple intelligences!

For more book suggestions, see the “Childrens Books that Inspire Creativity” post by A Childhood List.

Be watching for an update to this post this fall. A Little Bit of Oomph!, the sequel to Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg, is scheduled to release in September 2013 (I’ve already pre-ordered a copy through Amazon!).

UPDATE 9/27/13: I love “A Little Bit of Oomph!”. See this post for details: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2013/09/22/inspiring-kids-to-add-a-little-bit-of-oomph/

I’d love to hear your ideas for inspiring creativity! Feel free to leave a comment below or on the OMazing Kids Facebook page

BrightIdeas

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

Speech-Language Pathologist at the JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities (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

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

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.

crayons divider

Pout-Pout Fish Lesson Plan plus Summer Themed Books, Music & Activities for Kids Yoga & Speech-Language

Posted on July 3, 2013 by OMazing Kids

The Pout-Pout Fish books are a wonderful way to infuse lessons about the power of your attitude, words & friendship into kids yoga & speech-language therapy sessions!

Here are some ideas for each book:

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen (kids yoga pose opportunities: pout-pout fish, oyster with pearl, jellyfish, squid, octopus, shimmer fish, sea turtle, sea horse, worm, starfish, urchin, crab, seaweed, puffer fish breath with Hoberman Sphere; lots of descriptive vocabulary for emotions & facial expressions: glum, gloomy, pout, dreary, weary, grin, frown, scowl, grimace, mope, joy, hope, sulking, cheery; kids LOVE the humorous repeated line: “I’m a pout-pout fish with a pout-pout face, so I spread the dreary-wearies all over the place…. Blub…. Bluuub… Bluuuuuuub”)
The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark by Deborah Diesen (kids yoga pose opportunities: fish, oyster with pearl, yawning breath, seaweed, sea snake, clam, starfish, anemone (flower), urchin, rocks on bottom of ocean floor, sailfish (triangle), shark, dolphin, dark (cover eyes), search looking through Gyan Mudra looking goggles, coral (tree), boat, worm, lantern fish (eye yoga with flashlights), Namaste ball game (roll ball back and forth while saying something positive about the person you are rolling it to); lots of unique vocabulary: yawn, whoosh, weep, promise, swoop, swish, mucky, deeper, dimmer, grimmer, slope, trench, braver; kids LOVE the repeated line: “I’m fast as a sailfish, I’m strong as a shark, I’m smart as a dolphin…. But I’m scared of the dark”. I LOVE how the story ends: “The ocean is wide, and the ocean is deep, but friends help friends – that’s a promise we keep”. For older kids, this can lead to wonderful discussions about obstacles in life & the power of encouraging words (“You can do it”) and having friends with you (“Two are faster than a sailfish, two are stronger than a shark, two are smarter than a dolphin, two are bigger than the dark”).

I use the plush fish & octopus as props. They can ride the waves of a child’s breath when relaxing in Savasana, passed in a seated twist around the circle, describe how they are “alike” & “different”, etc…. I also have used a ball or beach ball to play a game of “pass the pearl” with our feet around the circle when we find Ms. Clam’s missing pearl at the end of The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark.

The Pout-Pout Fish Rap:

The Pout-Pout Fish Song:

Watch a video of the book being read:

Coloring Sheets: Pout Pout Fish Coloring & Activites

The author’s website is full of other ideas & links to printables: http://deborahdiesen.com/books/pout-pout.html

Kohl’s Cares had both books, several plush & a tote for $5.00 each. A great deal + helps a great cause! They just launched a different campaign yesterday so these are now on clearance on their website. They also may be available in the toy clearance section in Kohl’s stores.

Looking for ideas for more summer themed ideas?

General Summer Theme

Alaska’s 12 Days of Summer by Pat Chamberlin-Calamar (A fun twist on the familiar 12 Days of Christmas except this time it’s summer with the following opportunities for kids yoga on an Alaska adventure: black bear, spruce tree, moose, bald eagle, wood frog, swan, grizzlies splashing, mosquito buzzing breath, salmon, caribou, wolf, dall sheep)
Bear’s New Friend by Karma Wilson (Fun rhyming text & repeated line. Opportunities for kids yoga: bear, cross crawl hike, tree, mouse, buzzing bee breath, flower, butterfly, bunny hops, bunny breaths, badger/gopher/mole (digging), wren/raven (bird), owl)
Elephants Swim by Linda Capus Riley (Fun book about how different animals “swim”. See an elephant, kangaroo, platypus, armadillo, tiger, jaguar, sea otter, squid, hippo, wildebeest, pelican, caribou, polar bear, sea turtle, walrus & whale)
I See Summer by Charles Ghigna (Fun simple rhyming text about things you see on a summer day: sun, sailboat, seagull, flower, butterfly, bird, snail, ladybug, seesaw, lemonade, ocean, seashell, fish, tree, dog, ice cream, picnic, firefly)
Splish, Splash and Blue by Christianne C. Jones (Fun book with rhyming text featuring the color “blue” at a water park)
Summer by Alice Low (great simple rhyming text about the joys of summer. Opportunities for kids yoga: watermelon (rock and roll on back), sun stretch and breath, palming for heat, ice cream scoops (child’s pose), bike pedaling, swing (ragdoll with arms on top of each other as a swing seat), bird, tree, butterfly, flower, water hose, fish, seagull, starfish, ocean breath, campfire, fireworks breath from Namaste Kid)
Summer Beat by Betsy Franco (The sounds of summer are celebrated with rhyming text & great descriptive language as two friends enjoy a summer day: skateboard, dog, sprinkler, hammock, tree, bee, frog, rain, sizzling burgers, table, chair, corn on the cob, watermelon seeds, three-legged-race, water balloon, sparklers, bikes, parade, fireworks, treehouse, sleeping bags, crickets, moon, stars)
Summer Days and Nights by Wong Herbert Lee (opportunities for kids yoga: “paint the room” warm up, sun stretch & breath, cat. cross-crawl hike, flower, tree, lemonade (sitting in cobblers pose, tense & relax fists like squeezing lemons, reach to get the sugar, stir-the-pot to mix it up, triangle to pour it out, tense & relax face “ooh” it’s sour), buzzing bee breath, seesaw partner pose, slide, sandwiches (sit with legs out, what kind of sandwiches should we make for our picnic?, spread ingredients on legs, seated forward fold to put top bread on), ants (Warrior I), mouse, owl, fireflies, crescent moon, frog, forest of trees group pose, gate, bed, dream of summer nights savasana)
Fun Dog, Sun Dog by Deborah Heiligman (lots of rhyming & adjectives in this fun book)
The Twelve Days of Summer by Jan Andrews (A fun twist on the familiar 12 Days of Christmas except this time it’s summer with the following opportunities for kids yoga on an garden adventure: sun stretch & breath, nest (easy pose), eggs (child’s pose), dandelion seed (blowing cotton balls), grouse (seated angle pose), garter snake, buzzing bee, hawk (eagle), mole digging (standing forward fold to scoop dirt), toad (frog), daisy (flower), crow, swallow (Warrior III), butterfly)
The “Explore the Outdoors” card from the green section of the Yoga 4 Classrooms card deck has a fun Green Group Mandala activity.

An album of summer mandalas & coloring sheets on the OMazing Kids Facebook page (new ones added frequently)

Ocean / Beach Theme

10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle (opportunities for kids yoga: choo-choo breath (for the rubber duck machine), seated forward fold (to reach to paint the duck eyes & bills…. legs are the conveyor belt & our toes were the ducks eyes & bills), seated twist (to deliver the box of rubber ducks to the truck), bumpy truck ride, boat, ocean breath, duck, dolphin, seal, polar bear, flamingo, pelican (standing forward fold to scoop the fish), turtle, octopus (4 kids sat back-to-back to make an 8-legged octopus & felt each others backs breathing), seagull, whale, sun stretch & breath, palming (to make it “dark”), swim ducky swim breath & savasana)
Beach Day by Karen Roosa (Fun rhyming text with lots of descriptive language. Opportunities for kids yoga: ocean breath, cross crawl hike, up dog, down dog, seagull, water skier (Warrior II), buzzing insect breath, beach umbrella (triangle), digging in sand, lighthouse, pass the beach ball with feet game, crab, happy baby, sailboat)
Deep Sea Dive by Salina Yoon (Fun rhyming text under the flap for each animal. The goggles cutout on the front of this board book is fun to look through. Animals in this book: sea star, sea turtle, octopus, crab, shark, jellyfish, lobster, puffer fish, seahorse, sea urchin & oyster. Plus coral & seaweed.)
I Spy Under the Ocean by Edward Gibbs (His whole series of books is fabulous to work on part-to-whole, inferencing & descriptive language. I love the circular cut out that gives you a peek at what is on the next page. This one has the following animals: clownfish, sea horse, crab, sword fish, octopus, dolphin, shark)
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff (kids yoga opportunities: baking cupcakes – easy pose legs as bowl, shake in flour, sugar & other ingredients, mix (stir the pot & do “washing machine” for mixer), forward seated with legs being oven rack & stretch arms to close the oven door, tick-tock-toes timer, “mmm” breath as we smell it cooking, spread on icing & shake on spinkles; table, sand castle (triangle), sea shell (forward seated fold), ocean breath, surfing (Warrior II), sunglasses (gyan mudra), pass the beachball with feet game, cross-crawl hike, boat, whale, dinosaur stomps, pterodactyl (bird), monkey. You could even add a mindful tasting activity (of course be mindful of any food sensitivities, allergies, etc….). Printables for the book: http://www.mousecookiebooks.com/activities/pdfs/cupcake_activities.pdf)
I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry (hilarious book to work on the concept of “big-bigger-biggest” and inferencing. See these free storyprops from Kizclub for the sea creatures featured in the book: I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean story props (color version) & I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean story props (black & white version))
Ladybug Girl at the Beach by David Soman. (Follow Lulu (aka. Ladybug Girl) on a beach adventure where she overcomes her fears. Opportunities for kids yoga: bumpy car ride w/ pool noodle steering wheel, stretch, down dog, up dog, cross crawl hike, ocean breath, standing forward fold to dig in the sand, gyan mudra binoculars, kite, ice cream scoops (child’s pose), draw in the sand (lazy 8’s from Brain Gym), seagull (Warrior III), crab, seaweed (ragdoll), shells (seated forward fold), Ladybug Girl saves the bucket (Warrior II then Warrior I), affirmation (“I’m brave – I’m not afraid of anything!), starfish savasana)
Luke’s Beach Day by Giselle Shardlow (this new addition to the Kids Yoga Stories series features Luke and his classmates on a field trip to the beach. A picture for the pose is included on each 1-2 page spread. Be watching for a review/giveaway for this fun book soon!)
Octopus Alone by Divya Srinivasan (A touching tale about a shy octopus who goes on an adventure in search of some “alone” time and then joyfully returns to her friends. Opportunities for kids yoga: octopus, shrimp, squid, sea turtle, sea horse, sea snake, anemone, urchin, sea slug, lobster, clam, jellyfish, starfish, crab, eel, whale, coral & lots of types of fish)
Once Upon a Tide by Tony Mitton (Fun rhyming text with the following opportunities for kids yoga: spyglass (gyan mudra at eyes), hammer (woodchopper), thread the needle, sewing (lazy 8’s from Brain Gym), biscuits (sit with legs out & pretend to spread butter on, forward fold to put the top on the biscuit), up dog, down dog, seagull (balance on 1 leg), compass (standing star & then balance on 1 side), map (roll/unroll in yoga mat), boat, ocean breath, whale, sail (triangle), coconut palm tree, snake, bug, monkey, dig (standing forward fold & the back up as you “dig”), pirate “arrgh” breath, crab, flower, ragdoll, starfish savasana)
Over in the Ocean In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes (Great repeated & predictable text. Love the “eye-popping” photographs of reliefs sculpted from polymer clay! Free teacher’s guide, Over in the Ocean Audio Files (Singing), Over in the Ocean Audio Files (Reading), Over in the Ocean Bookmarks

Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone (This book has the following animals & sea life: anemone, angelfish, barracuda, clown fish, coral, crab, giant clam, hermit crab, jellyfish, lion fish, lobster, octopus, oyster, parrotfish, sea slug, sea turtle, sea urchin, seaweed, shark, starfish, stingray, swordfish. Kids love looking for the hidden seahorse on each page!)
Somewhere in the Ocean by Jennifer Ward (A fun twist on the familiar “Over in the Meadow” rhyming text, counting & repeated line. Animals in the book: manatee, orca whale, clown fish, hermit crab, sea otter, tiger shark, sea horse, sea turtle, octopus. Free printables: Tools for Teachers PDF, Reader’s Theater Lesson Plan)
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell by Lucille Colandro (see the free printable There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell story props for what she swallows in the book. Additional ideas for poses based on things in the background: sailboat, palm tree, starfish, clouds, clam, snail, dog, shark, lighthouse, bugs, spider)

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell story props

We’re Sailing to Galapagos: A Week in the Pacific by Laurie Krebs (Great rhyming text & repeated lines. Opportunities for kids yoga: sailboat, ocean breath, tortoise, albatross (Warrior III), iguana (plank), crab, fish, sea lions, red pouched frigate birds (belly breathing w/ hoberman sphere))
The Yoga 4 Classrooms card deck has an “Ocean Breath” card in the blue section & great “At the Beach” guided relaxation card in the purple section.
The Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids book has “A Day at the Beach” & “Under the Sea” relaxation stories

Make Calming Ocean Glitter Bottles (free ocean glitter bottles labels printable)

Cool Beach in a Bottle sensory craft:

Kids Yoga Stories has a free beach-themed lesson plan: http://www.kidsyogastories.com/free-resources/.

Summer yoga ideas from Kami at Elahi Yoga in the Parenting Special Needs Magazine – go to page 58 http://magazine.parentingspecialneeds.org/publication/?i=111307&l&m&p=58&id=5779

Cute Sea Animal Memory Game printable from LearnCreateLove.com: http://learncreatelove.com/?p=4050.

Fabulous sea creature printables from Picklebums: http://nurturestore.co.uk/printable-sea-creatures-ocean-play-dough

sea-creatures-ocean-play-dough

Beach & Ocean playdoh: http://pinterest.com/pin/225813368788645551/

Looking for the Pirate-Themed Yoga? See this post:

Camping / Lake / River Theme:

Curious George Goes Camping by Margret & H.A. Rey (Curious George saves the day in this camping adventure. Opportunities for kids yoga: monkey, drive the car w/ pool noodle steering wheel, pitching a tent, up dog, water pump, bucket, campfire, deer, forest of trees, lizard, squirrel, cat, skunk, washing off in creek)
Into the Outdoors by Susan Gal (a great book to go with a “camping” theme and a fun way to work on prepositions. This book has the following opportunities for yoga poses/activities: car ride (seated forward fold to close the car door & drive w/ pool noodle steering wheel), mountain, bridge, trees, tent (partner rooftops to pitch… the tent), cross-crawl hike (from Brain Gym), going across the stream (could be big steps around the yoga mats or yoga blocks… or maybe we need a canoe), boulders (child’s pose), eagle, waterfall, moon, woodchopper to chop firewood, campfire (palming to warm hands), stars. There are lots of animals in the book as well so we may add poses for those: bear, fox, deer, moose, porcupine (lotus mudra), turtle, frog, dragonfly, raccoon (gyan mudra at eyes for mask), woodpecker & owl. Want more ideas for this book? Check out these great posts by Picture Books & Pirouettes: http://kerryaradhya.blogspot.com/2012/09/into-outdoors-plethora-of-prepositions.html & Maria’s Movers: http://mariasmovers.com/2012/09/04/into-the-outdoors-camping-dance/
Ladybug Girl and Bingo by David Soman (Follow Lulu (aka. Ladybug Girl) on a camping adventure. Opportunities for kids yoga: cross crawl hike, forest of trees group pose, up dog, down dog, bird, turtle, butterfly, canoe, quiet mindful listening, mermaid (pigeon), fish, picnic lunch sequence (open the picnic basket – seated forward fold, decide what kind of sandwiches to make for the picnic, spread out the blanket, seated twist to pass the picnic basket), unicorn, tiger, rocket, boulder, helicopter, pitching a tent (triangle pose), campfire (palming), star, firefly, roll up in sleeping bag (rolling up in yoga mat)
Little Bear’s Little Boat by Eve Bunting (opportunities for kids yoga: boat, fish, tree, beaver (woodchopper), otter, blue heron (balance on 1 leg). Wonderful messages in the book about growing up, destiny & sharing)
Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root (lots of fun descriptive language, sounds & repeated line)
When We Go Camping by Margriet Ruurs (Gorgeous painted illustrations depict a camping adventure. The back of the book contains hints for finding animals hidden in each painting. Opportunities for kids yoga: tent, sleeping bag, moose, bird, squirrel, canoe, sun stretch & breath, mountain, fish, woodchopper, campfire, bear, skunk, elk, forest of trees, cross crawl hike, butterfly, worm, water bugs, frog, berry picking, owl, eagle, cricket. More if you can find the animals hidden in each picture)
The Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids book has “The Night Sky” & “Making Friends with a Tree” relaxation stories

A free kids yoga lesson plan that I wrote for Your True Nature inspired by “Advice from a River” – https://omazingkidsllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/kids-yoga-lesson-plan-inspired-by-advice-from-a-river-your-true-nature.pdf. It is also available on the Your True Nature website, along with other lesson plans, at http://www.yourtruenature.com/yoga (http://www.yourtruenature.com/library/images/Teacher%20Curriculum/Omazing%20Kid%20Yoga.pdf)

Want lots of fun ideas for a “camping” themed kids yoga class? Check out the post on the Little Yoga Stars blog – http://littleyogastars.blogspot.com/2012/03/camping-lesson-plan.html)

Here’s a great camping coloring sheet: http://www.seeyosemite.com/support-files/camping-page1.pdf.

Another coloring sheet: http://funcoloringsheets.blogspot.com/2011/08/camping-in-moonlight.html.

Lots of fun free camping-themed printables & craft ideas: http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2011/09/camping-preschool-unit-preschool-corner/

Camping Bingo free printable: http://www.nwf.org/Kids/Family-Fun/outdoor-activities/Camping-Bingo.aspx

Father’s Day Theme

Daddy Hug by Tim Wares
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle
My Dad by Anthony Browne
My Daddy is a Pretzel by Baron Baptiste
Papa, Please get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle

(see kids yoga ideas shared during this brainstorming session on OMazing Kids: http://tinyurl.com/kxfyf3a)

4th of July Theme

Two great books with lots of opportunities for kids yoga: Red, White and Boom! by Lee Wardlaw & “Carl’s Summer Vacation” by Alexandra Day (doesn’t specifically mention the 4th of July but could easily fit that theme since it ends with them watching fireworks). Here’s a free teacher’s guide for Red, White and Boom!:http://www.leewardlaw.com/PDF/redwhiteboomguide.pdf.
Namaste Kid has a fun Firework Breath video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGlcD9DNpVc.
Yogainmyschool.com has this fun sequence: http://yogainmyschool.com/fourth-of-july-kids-yoga-sequence/
Kids Yoga Stories has a new lesson plan inspired by the book “M is for Majestic: A National Parks Alphabet by David Domeniconi: http://www.kidsyogastories.com/free-resources/

* Free printable pinwheels from Spoonful: http://spoonful.com/printables/mickey-donalds-patriotic-pinwheel (great for breathwork)

* Love this idea from Pink and Green Mama Blog for a patriotic “Eye Spy Bottle”: http://pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com/2011/07/smart-summer-challenge-week-2_07.html?m=1

I’d love to hear your ideas for more summer-themed kids yoga! Feel free to leave a comment below or on the OMazing Kids Facebook page

BrightIdeas

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

Speech-Language Pathologist at the JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities (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

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

Monkey Mind Pirates wanted posters

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.

crayons divider

Arrgh Matey…. Pirate-Themed Kids Yoga Lesson Plan Ideas & Adapted Yoga

Posted on June 29, 2013 by OMazing Kids

Arrgh Matey…. looking for activities to keep the Monkey Mind Pirates off your ship this summer? Activities that can be adapted for a wide range of ages, needs & abilities? Follow this OMazing Kids treasure map to find the Isle of Calm and a summer filled with pirate-themed yoga, affirmations, relaxation, crafts & more!

Week 1 of Camp ClapHans at the JD McCarty Center primarily had kids with ADHD. After reading through the campers registration forms, I knew that my usual “storybook” approach to yoga would not be the best choice for the older group of boys at camp that week. So I jumped out of my comfort zone & planned some freestyle yoga storytelling with a little structure based on the Monkey Mind Pirates workbook & CD. As I was setting up, I overheard the boys commenting “yoga is for girls”, “I don’t like yoga”, “Do we have to?”. Fearing a mutiny, I calmed & centered myself with yoga breathing & listening to a few tunes from my playlist as I continued setting up. When I set out the Hoberman Sphere & the Vibratone, two of the boys were drawn like moths to a flame. {Ahhhh….. the magic of yoga props!}. Before I knew it, the rest of the boys were seated on mats intrigued by what we were going to do.

To set the stage for our yoga adventure, I played “Welcome Aboard” by Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate and read this script from the Monkey Mind Pirates in my best “piratey” voice:

We went over the “rules of the ship” with this visual support….. we didn’t want anyone to fall out of the ship or have to walk the plank….. Arrgh!

I also used a visual support to show the kids that we would be breathing through our noses (like smelling a flower) and blowing our breath out through our mouth (like blowing out a candle).

We rolled up our treasure maps…… the key to making this a pleasant experience is to ALWAYS ask permission first. Ask who wants to be rolled up. Most kids love this & it is very calming to them. But some kids are fearful of trying it. In this class, I had two boys who were hesitant to try it. One ended up asking to do it after he saw the others enjoying it. One sat and watched. He kept a look out for Monkey Mind Pirates as the rest rolled up in the maps. By honoring his choice to not be “rolled”, it opened up the door for him to feel comfortable participating in most of the activities later in the class.

The kids were in charge of how long they wanted to stay rolled up & if they wanted to repeat the activity.

Doing a breathing activity from Monkey Mind Pirates…..

This boy initially insisted he was NOT going to do yoga! He didn’t even want to sit on a mat……. but after a few minutes of watching from afar look who got on the pirate ship and ended up LOVING yoga. In fact, staff reported that later in the week he was one of the ones using the 3 strategies we learned to ward off Monkey Mind Pirates as a means to self-regulate. A great example of how yoga is so much more than just having fun in that moment…… it’s also about helping kids discover tools they can use to feel calm and empowered every day 🙂

Activities & poses on our Monkey Mind Pirates adventure: rolled up treasure maps, Gyan Mudra spyglass, seated twist to look for Monkey Mind Pirates (Sir Winston, Ansel the Antsy & Lady Bronte. I made a “wanted” poster for each Monkey Mind Pirate so they would know what we were looking for. The Monkey Mind Pirates CD comes with some trading card sized pictures but these were too small to see in a group setting. One of the campers asked if the Monkey Mind Pirates were puppets….. gotta love a child with Aspergers Syndrome’s ability to immediately infer that from the wanted poster pictures! I explained that the real Monkey Mind Pirate puppets were sailing elsewhere but we never knew when they might appear. Fortunately he bought my story… or at least humored me and we kept going with our adventure), raise the sail (triangle pose), pirate flag waving in the ocean breeze (crescent moon), setting sail on our pirate ship in search of the treasure in the “Waters of Calm” (boat), sun shining down (breathing activity pictured above), laugher yoga (the tip for taming Winston), breathing (the tip for taming Ansel the Antsy. I added the Hoberman Sphere), 1-2-3 counting breath + mindful listening (the tip for taming Lady Bronte) {we practiced each of the 3 taming tips several times as we sailed. They knew to look out for a Monkey Mind Pirate when I sounded the Vibratone & held up one of the wanted posters. Made my heart smile to see how quickly they remembered & did the tip for each one}, X marks the spot (star), digging for treasure (woodchopper), treasure chest (seated forward fold), gyan mudra gold doubloons, guided relaxation (using the Relaxing on the Beach mp3 from Relax Kids). At first the boys were a little wiggly but they quickly calmed and a couple almost fell asleep. Remember, this was a group of boys with ADHD who rarely experience that level of “calm”. The calmness was so noticeable that the Camp ClapHans assistants asked if I could come do yoga with the boys every night! I reassured them that they had learned the 3 tips for taming Monkey Mind Pirates along with the boys and that they could use the strategies with them throughout the day & night 🙂 Ahhhh…. yes mateys that is the true treasure found in the “Waters of Calm”.

The girls group in Week 1 went on a beach-themed yoga adventure with “Ladybug Girl at the Beach”. I chose NOT to do a “pirate” class with this group since I knew one of the participants very well after having worked with her in outpatient speech-language therapy. This particular child has a VERY difficult time distinguishing between reality and imagination and would often assume alternate personalities. So I was pretty sure the pirate theme might trigger some swashbuckling aggressive behaviors in her. I also did NOT pass any props (Hoberman Sphere & Vibratone) in this class since this particular child has a history of damaging things. Of course the girls group had no idea that I had chosen a different theme for that reason and LOVED the adventures of Ladybug Girl. (I’ll be including yoga ideas for that book in a summer-themed post soon). The reason I share this is to remind folks that knowing info about kids before doing lesson planning will help guide you in making good choices in customizing a class to best match those kids’ needs.

Ladybug Girl looking out at the big waves in the ocean through the Gyan Mudra binoculars (FYI…. this is not the child I was describing above. She was one of the other campers. It made my heart smile to see how well she already knew how to do yoga! When she saw the seagull in the book she spontaneously went into Pigeon Pose….. one that I have a difficult time getting into myself.)

Week 2 of Camp ClapHans primarily had kids with physical disabilities. Because I had reviewed camp registration forms & knew several of the kids from seeing them as outpatients as JDMC, I chose a book that would lend itself well to these kids developmental levels, interests & physical needs. I played “The Porpoises and the Pirate Ship” by Brent Holmes & “Welcome Aboard” by Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate as I set up for the group to set the scene. We still did a pirate theme. But this time it was all with seated poses with the book “There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish” by Jennifer Ward. The kids chose whether they wanted to stay in their wheelchair or get down on a mat with a camp assistant to support them.

{Note for SLP’s: The repeated & cumulative lines, big vivid illustrations & humorous descriptive vocabulary has made “There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish” a new “fave” to use in speech-language therapy! I scanned the pirate & cut out his lower teeth to make room to “feed” him & made story props for each item he swallows in the story. These are also great to use for receptive & expressive language, sequencing & story retelling. For kids yoga, I wrote pose ideas on the back of each one with a fine-tipped permanent marker after I laminated them. The prop on the far right is for the repeated line “Yo Ho Ho! Watch his belly grow!”. It’s great to attach to a BigMack or other single message voice output communication aide (VOCA) for kids with minimal verbal skills to be able to participate in “reading” the repeating line. Get the free printable story props in this PDF: There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish story props}

{Update: 7/4/13: The illustrator, Steve Gray, generously posted a couple of illustrations on my Facebook page to use as coloring sheets after the author contacted him: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151554767913845&set=o.174264525957894&type=1&theater& https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151554766543845&set=o.174264525957894&type=1&theater

There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish – coloring sheets

Ok on to what we did in yoga…. This child is doing the pose for the pirate ship mast (a seated version of mountain pose with hands up and together for a tall, straight mast). It made my heart smile to see him using his iPad to tell his outpatient PT at JDMC that he wanted to go back to camp this week 🙂

It’s fine to take a rest on the pirate ship…….

Blimey but that fish was slimey!

Adapted activities & poses specifically chosen for this group of kids (all were done while kids were seated in whatever position was comfortable for them): ocean breath, gyan mudra spyglass, pirate (“Arrgh” breath + moving fist across midline on each side), fish (clasped hands together at midline & wiggled them in a modified sign for “fish”), blimey that fish was slimey (palming to wipe off the fish slime), “yo ho ho watch his belly grow” belly breathing w/ Hoberman Sphere (this is a repeated line at the end of each page), bird (stretch arms behind like wings), treasure map (roll arms around each other forwards & then back), gyan mudra gold doubloons, treasure chest (seated forward fold), plank (seated cross crawl, foot stomping or patting on legs as “footsteps” depending on that child’s ability to move their lower extremities), sail (seated side bends as a modified version of triangle), mast (a seated version of mountain pose with hands up and together for a tall, straight mast), pirate ship (boat with lots of support from that child’s camp assistant. The two boys in wheelchairs had a recline feature on their chair so they were able to participate). Because all the poses were done seated, they flowed easily as we repeated them through the cumulative story. I paused at key times to see what the kids would remember……. so fun the see their delight at remembering the word + pose. At the end of the book we sank to the bottom of the deep blue sea like the pirate in the book with a guided relaxation (using the Under the Sea story from the Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids book with the Pirate Ship sound from the Relaxing Sounds Of Nature Lite free app (gentle sounds of a pirate ship creaking, waves & seagulls) and a weighted fish toy to ride on the waves of each child’s breath). After relaxation we listened to the song “Seven C’s” by Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate and talked about the “courage” it took for them to come to camp and try so many new things (if you haven’t heard this song yet you should….. a really cool way to incorporate some yamas/niyamas into a pirate themed class! “there’s COURTESY, COMPASSION and a bit of COURAGE too. With CLEANLINESS and CLEVENESS they’re good for me and you. Plus CHEERFULNESS and CHARITY now that makes Seven C’s.…”). We used a gold doubloon & treasure chest prop to talk about treasures inside each of us. As each child said or signed what they were good at or liked about themselves, they added a gold doubloon to the treasure chest. I left an “I’m more precious than gold coin affirmation” page with the camp assistants to offer to the kids during their journaling time later that day so they could write or draw additional things about themselves and their new camp friends.

These were just 30-minute classes so we didn’t have time to do a pirate-themed craft. But I found several online that would be fun to do. See this printable for the coins & treasure chest we used plus more fun ideas: Pirate coin affirmation printables, crafts, activities & coloring pages

Piratey Playlist:

Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate CD
Monkey Mind Pirates CD
Sea Tunes for Kids CD by Brent Holmes
Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Swashbuckling Sea Songs CD
Disney’s Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me) Instrumental by George Bruns
Rockin’ & Rollin’ On the Ocean by John Archambault & David Plummer
A Yogi Went to Sea by Kidding Around Yoga
Reiki Whale Song CD by Kamal (lots of great songs featuring whale sounds for relaxation)
Pirate Ship sound from the Relaxing Sounds Of Nature Lite free app
Plus I have lots of songs about individual ocean animals to use if needed

Please remember to keep kids individual sensory needs, developmental level, interests, etc… in mind when choosing particular music to use in a class.

I purposefully did not bring any pirate swords or hooks since those would naturally lead to kids wanting to have swashbuckling sword fights.

I’d love to hear your ideas for more “pirate yoga”! Feel free to leave a comment below or on the OMazing Kids Facebook page 🙂

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

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad

http://beyogabelove.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/plant-your-own-garden/

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.

Seeds & Garden Themed Books, Music & Activities for Kids Yoga

Posted on May 4, 2013 by OMazing Kids

Looking for ideas for planting, seeds or garden themed activities?

I love using a “planting seeds” theme both when I am helping kids learn how the actions they take impact themselves and others & for literal gardening activities intended to inspire care for our environment and healthy food choices. This post was inspired by this recent experience of gratitude, loss & blessing.

seeds & garden themed books

Books:

Big Yellow Sunflower by Frances Barry (kids yoga ideas)

How Groundhog’s Garden Grew by Lynne Cherry (kids yoga ideas)

If You Hold a Seed by Elly MacKay (kids yoga ideas)

Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole (free activity guide, kids yoga ideas)

Miss Maple’s Seeds by Eliza Wheeler (free activity/coloring sheets, kids yoga ideas)

Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward (kids yoga ideas)

Planting Seeds by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (free activity guide, OMazing Kids yoga ideas)

Rose’s Garden by Peter H. Reynolds (online animated version, free activity guide, kids yoga ideas)

Sunflower House by Eve Bunting (free activity guide, printable sequencing sheets, kids yoga ideas)

The Dandelion Seed by Joseph Anthony (hear it read by Barbara Gini of Bodylogique, kids yoga ideas)

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle (activity ideas, kids yoga ideas)

music-notes-2

Playlist:

Dandelion by Steve Weeks

Eat Like a Rainbow CD by Jay Mankita (get entire CD download free. My 3 faves on the CD are Eat Like a Rainbow, My Food is Made From Sunshine & Sun, Winds, Soil & Rain)

Every Bug, Every Bee, Every Breath by Lydia Mccauley (great instrumental for Savasana)

Garden Song by David LaMotte

Garden Song by Jamie Barnett (fun to include musical instruments with this one)

In My Garden by Serina Jung

Like a Flower to the Sun by Jack Grunsky

Mama Nature by Kira Willey

One Seed by Laurie Berkner

One Small Seed by Nu Myth Band

Planting a Seed of Peace by Betsy Rose

Planting Seeds of Love by Pam Donkin

Seed Song by Tom Hunter

Seeds for My Garden by Jack Grunsky

Sleepy Night Garden by Sada (guided relaxation)

Working in My Garden by Peanut Butter Jellyfish

You are My Flower by Elizabeth Mitchell

flowers

A fabulous Plant Your Own Garden kids yoga lesson plan from Be Yoga Be Love

And a fabulous Yoga for Kids: Gardening and Guided Imagery post + printable lesson plan from Playful Learning

http://playfullearning.net/yoga-for-kids-gardening-and-guided-imagery/

Love, love, LOVE this post from Carolyn at Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids ♥ I’ve never thought of using fresh flowers in kids yoga…. this is definitely on my list of things to try 🙂

http://kidsyoga101.com/2013/04/25/using-live-flowers-in-kids-yoga-classes/

Planting the Seeds of Kindness, Teen Yoga Activity: Planting Good Seeds & Plant Good Seeds posts on the Shanti Generation blog

See the “In The Garden” chapter from the “Once Upon a Mat” DVD by Namaste Kid on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV6Aylq8WrE

More seeds & garden fun:

Kindness Tree idea from The Learning Station ♥

http://www.tonychestnut.com/BookAboutTonyCurriculum.pdf

Free printable seed packets

wwsees-preview

http://weedsandwildflowersdesign.com/seeds-of-kindness-–-nsd-freebies/

Great gardening printable packs:

http://homeschoolcreations.com/gardenpreschoolpack.html

Check out this fun craft activity: Planting Seeds of Kindness {via Sun Hats and Wellie Boots}

http://www.toddlerapproved.com/2012/01/planting-seeds-of-kindness-via-sun-hats.html

Make flowers out of cupcake liners:

246422_530815766969433_1693276857_n

http://brighamcitylibrary.blogspot.com/2011/03/storytime-review_24.html. Also saw this idea to make them out of coffee filters: http://neverlandarling.blogspot.com/2012/04/cute-crafts-watercolor-flowers.html

Fun printables from Picklebums: http://picklebums.com/2013/04/09/printable-playdough-garden/

pladough-garden-title

The Yoga 4 Classrooms® Card Deck has a wonderful “Metamorphosis” card in the yellow section of the deck.

Yoga 4 Classroom Metamorphosis card

Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids has a “Planting a Seed” short guided relaxation story.

Imaginations cover

The Yoga Garden Game

T54 IM IMAGE1

Peace Garden guided relaxation story from Bodylogique

Spring, Insect & Flower Mandalas & Coloring Pages

DIY Veggie Garden Sensory Box

Rock Garden Marker Craft

Bug finger puppet rings printable

Bug mobile printable

BrightIdeas

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

Speech-Language Pathologist at the JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities (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

Contests & Giveaways on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/#omazing-kids-yoga

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110305433538768736741

Boardmaker Share: http://www.boardmakershare.com/Community/FriendsProfile/10916/Angela-Moorad