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222 Books for Kids Yoga – a Resource List from OMazing Kids Yoga (updated 7-7-12)

Posted on July 7, 2012 by OMazing Kids

I just updated the resource list to add new books I have purchased since the original list was posted on 4/6/12 – (https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/04/06/books-for-kids-yoga-a-resource-list-from-omazing-kids-yoga/). This is now a list of 222 kids picture books that would work well in a kids yoga class and includes the book title, author & themes .

Excel document (you can sort, search & print – must have MS Excel to open): Books for Kids Yoga Resource List (from OMazing Kids Yoga) – updated 7-7-12 (Excel Version).

PDF version (you won’t be able to sort but will be able to search and print – included this for folks who don’t have Excel): Books for Kids Yoga Resource List (from OMazing Kids Yoga) – updated 7-7-12 (PDF Version). Need help with “searching” for specific words in a PDF? Check this out:http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/search.html .

It does not include kids books specifically designed for yoga or mindfulness because the list was created to be a resource for folks like parents, teachers, childcare providers, therapists, etc…. I have reviewed several great kids books specifically designed for yoga &/or mindfulness, love them all and plan on making a separate list of those soon. In the meantime, you can find books I have reviewed by searching my blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com/category/books/.

Want even more ideas for books to use in a kids yoga class?

Check out the “Books, Books, Books” album on the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.338142666236745.94253.174264525957894&type=3. I post new books, links to free printables & story props in this album frequently. I also have an OMazing Kids Yoga Pinterest page where I share info: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKids/.

Also check out Storyoga for lots of book ideas (website: http://www.storyoga.com & Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Storyogafriends)

And the cool bibliography from Yoga in my School: http://yogainmyschool.com/pdf/yoga4literacy_bibliography.pdf (15 page PDF) and their Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/yogainmyschool/books-for-kids-yoga/.

Can you tell that I LOVE great kids books?! Feel free to share any of your favorite books (including title & author) & details about how you use them in a kids yoga class either in the comments section below or on my Facebook page….. I love exchanging 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

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

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.

3…2…1…. Blastoff! Ideas for an Outer Space Kids Yoga Class

Posted on April 14, 2012 by OMazing Kids

Want some fun ideas for an Outer Space kids yoga class?

We recently had a great discussion on the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page and lots of cool ideas were shared. I’m saving them here on the blog so folks will be able to find the info more easily.

Updates: Here is my new playlist for Outer Space & Star Wars themed yoga

Update 2/17/13: New song added to my “space” playlist. “Rocket Ship” by Bari Koral: http://www.amazon.com/Rocket-Ship/dp/B007U2LKLO

See an album of pics of ideas on FB: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga#!/media/set/?set=a.342172392500439.95278.174264525957894&type=3 (new pics added frequently)

Here are the ideas folks shared:

Laurea Palmantier Hello! Just wondering if anyone has some ideas on outer space themed yoga? Thank you!

Kara Best Oh my yoga kids love when we go to outer space! We use chair pose as our rocket and I let the kids take turns counting down fm 5 to blast off where we come out of chair with a lil jump. We ‘land’ on the moon (crescent moon pose), twinkling stars (supine or standing, touch opposite hand to foot), saturn (group pose holding hands, leaning back), mars (lots to do with aliens ie inversions or make up their own shape as examples), space rocks (childs pose) and more I end resting on clouds.

Alicia Fry LaGrassa Loving the ideas…Kara has good ones, and I like the Star Wars idea as well. I was just pondering this last week, and I jotted down to use “Rocketship Run” by Laurie Berkner. (And there’s a countdown to blastoff for Kara!)

Laura Fuller Something anti gravity. And moonwalking.

YogaBugs North & East London See the YogaBugs Fun Zone at www.yogabugs.com. We have a free Intergalactic Space Adventure to download plus a colouring-in sheet to go with it. (Note: See the info below for a direct link to that info on their website).

Garland Caz Rainbow kids yoga has also got ideas about space x (Note: See the info below for a direct link).

Nancy Williams I use helicopter to fly and everyone takes a turn discussing just where, in outer space, they will travel. We have also done any moving pose in incredibly slow motion, i.e. yoga walk, warrior, cat, triangle, etc. A guided imagery geared to this theme is also well received and eye bags become moon goggles.

Jeanette Runnings We do a rocket taking off by squating down and then jump pu to blast off. Sun breaths, star pose, moon pose(side stretch) half moon (if older kids), moon rock pose(child’s pose) Falling star pose -shifting weight to each foot.

OMazing Kids Yoga ‎- Nancy Williams shared this guided imagery script today….. reposting here so everyone in this discussion thread will see it:

MISSION PEACE – Today is an important day and you feel excitement growing inside of you. Taking a deep breath through your nose you begin to feel calm and more focused. Today you will travel with your fellow astronauts into outer space. You slip one leg and then the other into a silver jumpsuit that has been selected as your official uniform for your travel. You fall in line with your team and find yourself walking through the exit door and down a ramp towards the shuttle. You climb the steps that have been placed in front of the shuttle and wave at the people that have gathered to watch the blast off. Inside the shuttle you see a circle of seats and you land in the nearest one. You slip one shoulder and then the other into the harness seat belt that will secure you in this powerful take off. You look in front of you and notice the floor is a window and you will be able to view the entire landscape around you during your travel. The intercom announces your departure and the four… three… two…one…launch has become a reality. You feel the power of the release as you are sent into the atmosphere and find yourself looking at the earth as if it were a pea. You see the light change as you move into outer space and take a deep breath to calm your ever- growing excitement. You now see particles of light, chards of meteor and a darker horizon. The atmosphere has shifted and you observe a hair comb float by you. Your team member laughs as he realizes he forgot to take his comb out of his pocket before entering the shuttle. You know your trip will be short as time is reduced when you travel this fast. You look forward to your mission. Stars are around you now and there are wifts of hazy matter you are not familiar with. The area is dark and you realize you have traveled far beyond the earth’s orbit. The intercom informs you that you will soon be landing on your destination and you take yet another breath to calm your building anticipation. You feel the landing and are instructed to release your harness, move into the outer chamber and suit up for your mission. It is only ten steps to the exit and you begin to move. As you place the outer-wear over your jumpsuit you find that you are weightless and must move slowly in order to keep your balance. You place the helmet with oxygen over your head and as the inner chamber door locks you step through the opening outer exit. Out into a world that is unfamiliar and resembles a mystical version of your planet earth. You have been chosen to place the flag into the crust of this new planet and you begin to do so with the support of your team. You stand back and admire the design that has been developed for this mission and notice the colorful symbol and letters warm your heart. Each letter has been carefully designed to put the intention of your mission into the energy of this place. You smile, and know that the PEACE you have chosen to represent this mission will generate the intention of the entire planet earth. Peace, shanti, the message we all wish to place into our future. Feeling complete and content you move with the small team back through the shuttle door and decompress in the inner chamber. Removing your suits, you move back into the inner shuttle where you secure your seat belts and prepare for the return voyage. Taking a deep breath you now relax and know you have made a contribution to the world and can feel proud of your mission. The Peace shuttle lifts and propels from the new found planet to carry you home.

Laurea Palmantier Pure Awesome! “Once Upon a Pose” by Donna Freeman has a space adventure story in her book as well. Thank you everyone!

A fun outer space kids yoga lesson plan & free coloring page from YogaBugs Ltd: http://www.yogabugs.com/images/YogaBugs%20-%20An%20Intergalactic%20Adventure.pdf & http://www.yogabugs.com/images/YogaBugs-Colouring-In-Space-Mission.pdf

A fun outer space kids yoga lesson plan from Rainbow Kids Yoga: http://yoganomics.net/2010/06/holiday-vacation-in-outer-space/

Love this from Cyn Narcisi Illustration! http://cynnarcisi.blogspot.com/2010/01/yoga-is-good-for-artists-and-jedi.html And check out: http://cynnarcisi.blogspot.com/2010/07/yoga-with-yoda-how-to-do-virabhadrasana.html (PDF: http://www.cynnarcisi.com/YOGA_Yoda_W2.pdf)

All the Star Wars Yoga pics are from: http://robosborne.net/shop. Also check out a video of the pics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJgDgm6orU4

Hilarious Star Wars inspired yoga YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZLXQyF58i8

“Yoga Warriors” yoga pose card deck from Radiant Child Yoga! I have them and boys, especially those with a facination for Star Wars, Power Rangers and/or Transformers, etc… love them 🙂 http://store.childrensyoga.com/Yoga-Warriors-Cards-p/yoga%20warriors%20cards.htm

“Roaring Rockets” by Tony Mitton will be fun to use with an Outer Space kids yoga theme 🙂 Here’s a peek inside the book: http://www.amazon.com/Roaring-Rockets-Amazing-Machines-Mitton/dp/0753453053#reader_0753453053

Coloring Page: http://icoloringpages.com/wp-content/uploads/wallpapers/Space-Ship-Coloring-Page.gif (links to several more fun coloring pages: http://www.squidoo.com/space-coloring-pages2)

(Update 7/3/13: Check out the Cosmic Kids website for a fun new lesson plan inspired by the book “Aliens Love Underpants”: http://www.cosmickids.co.uk/aliens-love-underpants-a-kids-yoga-class-plan/)

Have more ideas that you would like to share for “Outer Space” kids yoga? Feel free to comment below 🙂

Looking for “Robot-Themed” kids yoga ideas? Check out this post: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2013/02/02/robot-themed-kids-yoga-lesson-plan-ideas/

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

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – wellness & inclusive activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.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.

Earth Day Every Day – ideas for teaching kids about eco-friendly living

Posted on April 9, 2012 by OMazing Kids

Earth Day is April 22. But to make a true impact make every day Earth Day.

Commit to protect the environment. Take action. Learn – teach – share. Want info about “Earth Day”? Check out the EPA website: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/ & http://www.epa.gov/students/teachers.html. And a great blog post: http://www.ecobabysteps.com/2011/07/19/how-to-teach-your-children-about-eco-friendly-living/. I love the tips they give, especially about being “easy going”, giving kids a little information at a time, don’t scare them, and let them arrive on their own at the place where it clicks.

Here are a few suggestions for things to use in teaching kids about eco-friendly living. ….

Books (Earth Day, Conservation, Recycling, Environment, etc…):

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh (free activity guide: http://www.walker.co.uk/UserFiles/file/Ten%20Things/10Things%20Activities-02.pdf)

All Around Me I See by Laya Steinberg (activities: http://dawnpub.com/activities/Camo_Activity.pdf, free teachers guide from the author: http://www.layasteinberg.com/AAteacherguide.pdf)

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon (post from Alluem Kids Yoga: http://alluemkids.blogspot.com/2011/03/all-world.html – includes a great visualization idea & a free teachers guide from the author: http://www.lizgartonscanlon.com/PDFS/All%20The%20World%20TG.pdf )

Care for Our World book & playset from Compendium / Live Inspired

Earth Day: An Alphabet Book by Gary Kowalski

Earth Day Birthday by Pattie Schnetzler

Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (video trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVQeY8bodYs)

How Can I Help? (series of 3 books: Protect the Land, Protect the Ocean, Save the Wildlife) by Earthwise Kids

Michael Recycle by Ellie Bethel

My Mama Earth by Susan B. Katz (See a video preview on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-joIbJSDN4o)

One Child, One Planet: Inspiration for the Young Conservationist by Bridget McGovern Llewellyn (website: http://onechildoneplanet.com/)

Our Big Home: An Earth Poem by Linda Glaser (free activity guide: http://www.lindaglaserauthor.com/Our_Big_Home.pdf)

The EARTH Book by Todd Parr (free coloring pages: http://www.toddparr.com/imgs/fun/earthbook_coloring.pdf, the author reading the book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXnWUS_K0XQ)

The Happiness Tree by Andrea Alban Gosline (free teachers guide: http://www.ambledance.com/media/pdf/HT_Teachers_Guide.pdf)

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (see website below)

This Tree Counts by Alison Formento (free teachers guide: http://www.alisonashleyformento.com/Alison_Ashley_Formento/MY_BOOKS_files/Teacher%27s_Guide_THIS_TREE_COUNTS.pdf)

Where One There Was a Wood by Denise Fleming (free activities: http://www.denisefleming.com/pages/activities-wood.html)

Coloring Pages (to be eco-friendly, use both sides of the paper):

“Save Our Species” free coloring book from US EPA – http://www.epa.gov/espp/coloring/cbook.pdf

Free kids Earth Day Booklet from US EPA – http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/k12_schools/KidsBrochure.pdf

Environmental Websites for Kids:

Conserving Now: http://www.conservingnow.com/parent-resources#pre

Dr. Seuess’ The Lorax Project – http://www.seussville.com/loraxproject/ & http://www.seussville.com/Educators/lorax_classroom/educatorlorax_discuss.php

Kids for Saving Earth – http://www.kidsforsavingearth.org/

Leave No Trace – http://www.lnt.org/programs/peak.php

PBS EekoWorld – http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/

Planet Pals – http://www.planetpals.com/

Check out this fabulous post on the Small Potatoes blog! http://mysmallpotatoes.com/2012/04/20/namaste-mother-earth/

Free Earth Day lesson plan from Kids Yoga Stories: http://www.kidsyogastories.com/free-resources/

Printable Earth Day Memory Game from LearnCreateLove.com: http://learncreatelove.com/?p=7018

natural kidz

Check out the Natural Kidz website for lots of eco-friendly products: http://naturalkidz.com/

Share your ideas for helping kids learn about being eco-friendly & going green by leaving a comment below or joining the discussion on the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga 🙂

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

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – wellness & inclusive activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.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.

Books for Kids Yoga – a Resource List from OMazing Kids Yoga

Posted on April 6, 2012 by OMazing Kids

Thanks to everyone who shared ideas as part of the discussion we had about kids books on the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=344588795592132&set=a.191017694282577.62242.174264525957894&type=1&theater)! I bought several new books based on your recommendations.

I went through my entire personal library of kids picture books to see which ones would lend themselves well to use in a kids yoga class and compiled a resource list with the book title, author & themes in an Excel document (so it can be sorted by title or author and can be searched by keywords). There are 188 books on the list so far and I plan on updating the list periodically as I buy new books 🙂

Excel document (you can sort, search & print – must have MS Excel to open): Books for Kids Yoga Resource List (from OMazing Kids Yoga)

PDF version (you won’t be able to sort but will be able to search and print – included this for folks who don’t have Excel): Books for Kids Yoga Resource List (from OMazing Kids Yoga). Need help with “searching” for specific words in a PDF? Check this out: http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/search.html .

Want even more ideas for books to use in a kids yoga class? Check out the “Books, Books, Books” album on the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.338142666236745.94253.174264525957894&type=3. I post new books, links to free printables & story props in this album frequently 🙂 I also set up an OMazing Kids Yoga Pinterest page so I may start using that to share info too: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKidsYoga/.

Also check out the cool bibliography from Yoga in my School: http://yogainmyschool.com/pdf/yoga4literacy_bibliography.pdf (15 page PDF) and their new Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/yogainmyschool/books-for-kids-yoga/.

Can you tell that I LOVE great kids books?! Feel free to share any of your favorite books & details about how you use them either in the comments section below or on my Facebook page….. I love exchanging ideas 🙂

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

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/OMazingKidsYoga/

http://www.kizclub.com/storypatterns/folktales/goldilocks(C).pdf

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Goldilocks & the 3 Grounded Bears – a classic tale with a kids yoga twist

Posted on March 21, 2012 by OMazing Kids

We have been having a fun discussion on the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page about great picture books and stories to use in yoga with kids 2-10 years of age!

One of the many great ideas shared was to use Goldilocks & the 3 Bears. Several folks were intrigued by that so Jessica Millen at Grounded Yoga Chicago (http://groundedyogachicago.com/) e-mailed me the details to share since it was too long to post in the comments on Facebook.

Here are the details in a 1-page printable PDF:

If you have questions about the lesson plan, feel free to send Jessica an e-mail: warm123@me.com

Free printables to use with the story:

http://www.kizclub.com/storypatterns/folktales/goldilocks.pdf

Get in on the fun discussion thread of great kids books by adding your comments on the photo on the FB page – https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=344588795592132&set=a.191017694282577.62242.174264525957894&type=1&theater

Love the creative & fun ideas being shared

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

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.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.

Help compile a list of great books to use in kids yoga

Posted on March 18, 2012 by OMazing Kids

My favorite book to use in kids yoga is _______________ (by ______________). I love this book because it ______________________.

Help compile a list of great books to use in kids yoga (any age range from 2 – 10 years)….. will be shared at the Oklahoma Child Care Association Spring Conference, posted on this blog & shared on the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page.

Get in on the fun discussion thread by adding your comments on the photo on the FB page – https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=344588795592132&set=a.191017694282577.62242.174264525957894&type=1&theater and/or by leaving a comment below.

Love the creative & fun ideas being shared 🙂

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

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.336777133039965.93978.174264525957894&type=3

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.

St. Patrick’s Day Kids Yoga Ideas from OMazing Kids Yoga

Posted on March 6, 2012 by OMazing Kids

Here are some ideas for a St. Patrick’s Day kids yoga class…. see the comments & links on each picture in the album on the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page. I’m trying this out to see if posting ideas in an album is quicker than a blog post….. let me know what you think. Are ideas easier to look at in an album on Facebook or on a blog post?

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

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpVUih5nY9g

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Give Love: A Valentine’s Day Lesson Plan from OMazing Kids Yoga

Posted on February 8, 2012 by OMazing Kids

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse!” by Laura Numeroff is one of my favorite Valentine’s Day books. There are several animals (mouse, dog, cat, bunny, moose, fox, pig) so it is great for a kids yoga class. Each animal in the story has a unique strength & I love how Mouse takes the time to make a special card for each of his friends…. and the friends have a special surprise for Mouse 🙂

How we did the poses for this book: mouse – child’s pose, upward facing dog, cat, bunny breaths (3 quick sniffs in), moose -a variation on “deer” pose from Yoga In My School (http://yogainmyschool.com/2010/07/19/kids-yoga-poses-deer-pose-marichiyasana-ii/) – we added holding our hands up on our heads as antlers, fox – the sign for “fox” http://www.babysignlanguagedictionary-mysmarthands.com/fox_-_ASL_sign_for_fox.html – looks like the Gyan mudra around the nose, & pig – the yoga freeze dance since pig & mouse are dancing on that page in the book 🙂

Symbols that I made to use with the book are available as “exclusive content” to supporters over on my page on Ko-fi (1-page PDF without watermark):

I think Pig & Mouse are dancing to the MC Yogi song “Give Love”… so we did Yoga Freeze Dance to this song. When the music stops you freeze in your favorite yoga pose.

(http://www.yogafriends.com/mc_yogi_give_love.mp3 – “right click” on this link & “save target as” to save the mp3)

The Valentine’s Day playlist on my Soundcloud:

http://soundcloud.com/omazing-kids-yoga/sets/valentines-day-playlist/

Bari Koral’s Hearts song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejwrUXNoDds

Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids has two guided imagery stories that will be great to use with a Valentine’s Day or love theme kids yoga class! Here is a partial screenshot. See more details about this fabulous book in this post on the OMazing Kids blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/08/26/review-giveaway-imaginations-fun-relaxation-stories-and-meditations-for-kids/. Available on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Imaginations-Relaxation-Stories-Meditations-Kids/dp/1463512023.

Hugs & Kisses Pose from Yoga Rocks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvLeXxbA2Wc (another version at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5HKR8krGpg)

This is a great feel good pose, hugging yourself and throwing kisses out to the world. This pose helps kids to feel love and give love.

Sitting tall on your yoga mat, bend your legs so your knees are up and your feet are close to you. Wrap your arms around your legs and give yourself a big squeeze for “Hug”. Then open your arms and legs up and out into a big “X” for “Kiss” making a kiss sound.

Fun partner pose ideas & a free printable in this post from Playful Learning: Yoga for Kids: V-Day Edition

Heart Pose from Sprout

Mini video on Sprout website: http://50.57.13.175/sprout/Activities/detail.aspx?id=5a853f61-20b4-4f4c-ae7a-997a0181a942

Partner Heart Pose from Yoga in Mar Vista

click on the photo to go to their Facebook page 🙂

Strike a Valentine’s Day Yoga Pose! 5 Festive Stretches For Kids

Heart Mudra – Sit with your legs crossed. Then hide your arms behind your back before you show your valentine the heart you made for them with your hands.

See all 5 poses from Lara Benusis, the youth program director at Pure Yoga at: http://www.lilsugar.com/Valentines-Day-Yoga-Poses-Kids-13881568

We worked on friendship social skills during our Valentine’s Day yoga class by asking each other about our two favorite colors & two favorite animal valentines. Then we colored two animal valentines to give to each of our friends in the class.

animal valentines to color

animal valentines (colored version)

Depending on how much time you have, you could also do yoga poses for the animals on the valentines.

We made this super easy heart-shaped valentine holder from Making Learning Fun: http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/ValentineHeartHolder.htm

I saved it as a PDF to make it easier to print: heart valentine holder printable

Heart Mandalas: I saved 24 heart mandalas in a PDF document to make it easier to print them – heart mandalas. A valentine’s gift of 2 dozen mandalas 🙂 Coloring mandalas is a calming activity for most kids. Some of these mandalas are simple & some are more complex so please keep each child’s level of fine motor skills & ability to handle detail in mind when picking ones for them to color.

Links to the source for each mandala can be found on each picture in the album on my OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.317072695010409.90378.174264525957894&type=3

Note: These mandalas are for non-commercial use only.

Look at the cool handout that Laura Fuller from Yoga in Mar Vista made with one of the Heart Mandalas! Click on each pic to open up that PDF (2 separate 1-page PDF’s):

Love coloring sheet

Make your own Candy Heart messages:

http://www.cryptogram.com/hearts/

Link to the HeartMath website (mentioned on page 2 of the mandala handout): www.heartmath.org,

Shift and Shine Technique^® for Ages 3-6: http://www.heartmath.org/free-services/tools-for-well-being/shift-and-shine-age-3-to-6.html?submenuheader=2,

HeartShift™ Tool for Ages 7 – 11: http://www.heartmath.org/free-services/tools-for-well-being/heartshift-age-7-to-11.html?submenuheader=2

The Quick Coherence Technique® for Ages 12-18: http://www.heartmath.org/free-services/tools-for-well-being/quick-coherence-age-12-to-18.html?submenuheader=2

Loving Kindness Meditation – click pic to open PDF (Source: SoulShine Life – Yoga for Kids and Families – Facebook post)

Valentine’s Day Finger Puppets:

Valentine finger puppets (color version)

& Valentine finger puppets (black & white version – for kids to color)

A fun idea for Valentine’s Day Affirmations from Stress Free Kids:

More Valentine’s Day coloring pages: http://twistynoodle.com/coloring-pages/holiday/valentines-day/

Lots of great free Valentine’s Day stuff on the Super Simple Songs website: http://www.supersimplesongs.com/valentines/

A craft for later: These would take more time than we would have in a kids yoga class but would be fun to make at home and a great way to reuse broken crayons: http://thelongthread.com/?p=5646 & more tips: http://www.makeandtakes.com/recycled-chunky-crayons

Want even more ideas for Valentine’s Day themed yoga? Check out these posts: http://yogainmyschool.com/2010/02/11/kids-valentines-day-yoga-class/, http://yogainmyschool.com/2012/02/13/valentines-week-tlc-challenge/ & http://www.lilsugar.com/Valentines-Day-Yoga-Poses-Kids-13881568.

Looking for even more great books?

Love and Kisses by Sarah Wilson

Here are the symbols I made to go with it. I put a small piece of velcro on the back of each heart & on the front of each character so kids can add a “kiss” to each one as we read the book…. great for working on vocabulary, following directions, great book for kids yoga with the added message of the love you give coming back to you…. https://omazingkidsllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/love-kisses.pdf

All Kinds of Kisses by Nancy Trafuri

Totally LOVING the new book “All Kinds of Kisses” by Nancy Tafuri! Each spread has an animal and how they kiss their little ones (ex: “Little Piglet loves Oink kisses.”). Again lots of animals so it would be great for kids yoga, great for teaching vocabulary (including names for the babies of each animal), teaching animal sounds, great repeated line (good for emergent literacy, use of a BigMack voice output communication aide, intraverbal fill-ins in an ABA Verbal Behavior program, etc…) and the bluebird is included somewhere on each page so it encourages looking for that detail. I made symbols for this book too: https://omazingkidsllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/all-kinds-of-kisses.pdf

Big Hugs, Little Hugs by Felicia Bond

I love this new book by Felicia Bond too! Although it would fit with a Valentine’s Day theme, it could be used anytime of the year & has tons of opportunities for kids yoga poses/activities. And for SLP’s out there, lots of great vocabulary & opposites word pairs. I got a great deal on this book at Sam’s Club 🙂 Here are the symbols I made to go with the book: https://omazingkidsllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/big-hugs-little-hugs.pdf

How Do I Love You? by Marion Dane Bauer

The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond

Never Too Little to Love by Jeanne Willis

My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall (see ideas on the Storyoga Facebook post: http://tinyurl.com/7p3p6xq; a printable resource guide from the publisher: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrensImages/Printable/my%20heart%20is%20like%20a%20zoo%20activities.pdf )

Cute Carson Dellosa heart crafts to go with this book – click pic to open PDF:

Love is the Color of a Rainbow by Kathy Parra (see my blog post for a review & giveaway: http://omazingkidsyoga.com/2012/02/13/review-giveaway-love-is-the-color-of-a-rainbow-plus-some-rainbow-yoga-ideas/)

Can you tell that I love Valentine’s Day? 🙂

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

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.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.

Review: Wise Heart Books – Smart Value Series

Posted on January 28, 2012 by OMazing Kids

Looking for a fun way to teach kids positive values?

Then check out the Smart Values Series from Wise Heart Books! The Smart Values Series is a collection of five stories that help children understand the positive and transformative nature of good values. Each story describes how certain values – such as generosity, cleanliness, and honesty – can change us for the better.

Books with clear consequences and a moral to the story are a good way to teach values, character education and to use a yoga term: Yamas & Niyamas. Yamas are social disciplines – how we behave toward others & Niyamas are personal disciplines – how we care for ourselves.

My two favorites in the Smart Values Series are “Manny the Mouse” & “Captain Grimy”. Here are a few details about them:

Captain Grimy – Losing his leg to some greedy pirates turned Captain Grimy into a dirty, mean sea captain. But when a smart dolphin decides to show him respect and love, Captain Grimy cleans himself up and changes his ways. A beautiful story of how we can help change others by seeing the goodness deep inside.

I love how this story shows the power of kind words 🙂

Manny the Mouse – After losing his tail to the baker’s cat, Manny the mouse quickly learns the consequences of stealing flour from the bakery. In this delightful and twisted tale of a tail, the mouse learns the importance of respecting what belongs to others.

I love how this story shows a clear consequence for actions & how the mouse learns to make better choices 🙂

I love that Wise Heart Books uses a portion of the sales of the books to support educational programs for disadvantaged children around the world & that they have free coloring sheets & discussion questions for each book on their website: http://www.wiseheartbooks.com/educational.html. (PDF of my two faves: Manny the Mouse & Captain Grimy Coloring Sheets)

Thoughts of the other three books in the series: The story line in “Annie the Ant” was a little more difficult to follow. Due to the settings I work in, two of the books in the series will not be as helpful due to the religious tone of “The Wise Woman of the Mountain” & the use of magic in “The Magic Bucket”.

Wise Heart Books

Website: http://www.wiseheartbooks.com/ – order books on their website. Books are available in a set or individually.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wiseheartbooks

Blog: http://readingandgiving.blogspot.com/

They are in the process of developing a 2nd book series so be sure to “like” their Facebook page to get updates!

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 Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com