Category Archives: OMazing Kids Yoga

Updated: Yoga for Kids and Teens in Oklahoma – Resource List

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Click here for the UPDATED resource list (PDF): Yoga for Kids and Teens in Oklahoma – Resource List

I compiled this resource list of folks offering yoga classes/groups for kids & teens in Oklahoma based on what I could find online & through e-mail and Facebook correspondence. It is a work in progress so please let me know if you would like information added, removed or updated.  If I have overlooked someone who is doing yoga with kids and/or teens please let me know so I can get them added to the list.

Just in case you are wondering why I put together this resource list…..

1. We have kids & teens who benefit from yoga in my OMazing Kids Yoga groups at the JD McCarty Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Kids come to the center from all over the state and I have been looking for places to refer families to when their child discharges from the JD McCarty Center.

2. It will be nice to be able to network and collaborate with other folks doing yoga for kids & teens here in Oklahoma.

Thanks for all the OMazing things you each do for kids & teens in Oklahoma!

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
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad

Blog: https://omazingkidsyoga.wordpress.com

Using Visual Supports in Yoga Groups for Kids & Teens – being inclusive of learning styles

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Looking for ways to include kids & teens with different learning styles in your yoga groups? Want to use positive ways to support participation and reduce problematic behaviors? Then you might want to consider using “visual supports”.

Many of the kids I work with in OMazing Kids Yoga have difficulty understanding & following verbal instructions. This can be due to a difference in learning style (visual vs. auditory learner), difficulty maintaining attention (ex: ADD/ADHD), difficulty tuning out extra sensory input to be able to attend (ex: Sensory Processing Disorders), focusing in too much on an area of high interest to the point that the child has difficulty attending to other information (ex: Autism Spectrum Disorders), specific learning disabilities, etc…

Regardless of “why” the child is having difficulty understanding & following instructions, this will make it difficult for them to participate in a meaningful way in activities, including a kids yoga class.

Adding “visual supports” (ex: pictures of the poses, pictures to depict the sequence of activities that will occur in the group, pictures to show the “steps” within an activity, showing “first ____ / then _______”, etc…) can make a BIG difference for many kids.

Here are a few examples of visual supports I created to use in OMazing Kids Yoga:

Some kids do well with a “Social Story” describing the expected behavior and how that makes other feel:

Some kids do well with a left-to-right schedule showing what will happen in the group (other kids do better with a top-to-bottom type schedule):

(this file is saved out on Boardmaker Share at: http://www.boardmakerachieve.com/Activity/1865866)

Some kids need extra visual cues to help them understand concepts:

(Note: These are just a few examples of the many different visual supports I use. Every child is unique so I often modify things or make new visual supports to meet those unique needs. Some kids do better with photos, black & white symbols or just words.)

Looking for PDF printable versions of some visual supports?  Here are a few: yoga breathing visual support (flower and candle), Social Story “Good Behavior in Yoga Group” with picture symbols, Peace Tree – guided visualization.

 How Do I Make These Visual Supports?  I use a combination of Boardmaker, MS Word, MS Paint, Google Images and the “snipping tool” in Windows 7. Boardmaker is a software program commonly used by Special Education teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists and other therapists to make communication boards, educational materials & visual supports for kids with special needs. Mayer Johnson offers a 30-day free trial of the program (http://www.mayer-johnson.com/downloads/trials/) and free online trainings on how to use it (http://www.mayer-johnson.com/training/recorded/details/id/2189/).

More About Visual Supports

Visual supports help many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other special needs understand their world better.

Just as many adults need calendars, to-do lists, shopping lists and planners to remind them of their activities for the day, many children need visual schedules and other visual supports.

Visual supports enhance understanding of what is going to happen and clarify expectations during that specific time period or activity.

In addition, visual supports often help the child move from one activity to the next with less frustration and reduced behavioral outbursts because the symbols turn the unknown into something the child understands.

The consistency provided by a visual support is crucial in establishing an atmosphere of trust and
security. Visual supports can also provide motivation for the child to work through a less preferred activity knowing a preferred/reinforcing activity is coming soon.

The type of symbols used, number of activities and amount of time shown on a visual schedule depend on the individual child’s needs.

If you want even more info about “visual supports”, check out these websites:

http://www.autism4teachers.com/autism4teachers_028.htm

http://www.autism4teachers.com/autism4teachers_020.htm

http://cdd.unm.edu/swan/autism_course/modules/environ/visualschedule/index.htm

http://card.ufl.edu/content/visual.html

http://www.polyxo.com/visualsupport/

http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/visual-supports

http://www.usevisualstrategies.com/VisualStrategiesInformation.aspx

http://visualaidsforlearning.com/

http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/visual-supports.pdf 

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

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
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/amoorad1
Blog: https://omazingkidsyoga.wordpress.com

Happy Fall – fun fall books & activities (updated for Fall 2012)

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A few fun fall books & activities to celebrate my favorite season…..

Several of my favorite fall books also have tons of great opportunities for kids yoga poses & breathing:

  • The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri (tree, spider, mouse – child’s pose, bird, grasshopper, frog, fish, cat, dog, pumpkin, owl, squirrel + do toe-ga to pick up pom-pom “acorns”, picking apple stretch, sun stretch & breath, buzzing bee breath, pick up leaves)
  • When the Leaf Blew In by Steve Metzger (blow on leaves, cow, spider, owl, pig-happy baby pose, goat-donkey kicks, chicken-bird, horse-neigh & stretch up, sheep-jump, duck, frog, dragonfly-buzzing breath, dog, squirrel, bird, tree) – Click here for story props I made for this book: When the Leaf Blew In story props(PDF)

  • Count Down to Fall by Fran Hawk (raccoon, possum, moon stretch, cat, butterfly, squirrel, bear, turtle, tree, owl, deer, paddle canoe partner pose, quaking aspen tree, bird, bunny breaths)
  • Red Are the Apples by Marc Harshman & Cheryl Ryan (flower, fish, cat, blowing wind breath, chicken-bird, raking-forward bend, bean pods-child’s pose, corn stalks-mountain pose, pumpkin, tractor drive group pose, bug-happy baby pose, scarecrow, crows-bird, apple picking stretch, ladder climbing-brain gym cross crawl)
  • We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger (sun stretch & breath, hike-brain gym cross crawl, mountain, tree, forest-trees group pose, waterfall, boat, skunk-cat pose lifting tail to spray, house- rooftops partner pose, leaf blowing, leaf picking). Click here for printable “Thankful Leaves”: Thankful leaves(PDF) & Be Thankful leaves bookmarks (PDF)

      

Kids Yoga Poses for There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves:

 

Music: To Be a Tree by The Flannery Brothers (http://flannerybrothers.com/track/to-be-a-tree)

Fun Five Golden Autumn Leaves song & printable props:

See more details on this post: http://picklebums.com/2012/05/17/printable-autumn-leaf-puppets-and-a-song/

Fun Free Printable Fall Barrier Game from 3 Dinosaurs: http://www.3dinosaurs.com/printables/packs/fall.php

Check out the cute video by Alluem Yoga Kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jxN8r-BzM0

(Alluem Yoga Kids Blog – http://alluemkids.blogspot.com/)


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

Click on a book cover to find that book on Amazon.com….
 
Other fun fall finds:
Leaves Falling song from Bill & Tammy’s Children’s World Music Express: http://www.amazon.com/Leaves-Falling/dp/B0017KQ2S6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349304582&s=dmusic&sr=1-1
   
 
 
Coloring Sheets:
       

Craft: Make a Basket & Leaves: 

http://familyfun.go.com/autumn/fall-printables/holiday-basket-with-leaves-704304/

  
Make Pumpkins
Fall Memory Match Game (print 2 copies on cardstock & cut apart into game cards. I added fall scrapbooking paper to the back of mine before laminating them)
A fun Pumpkin Pie Playdoh Recipe (to play with…. not to eat 🙂 )
More free printables, including fall-themed apple, leaves & pumpkin songs: http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/fallfun.html

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

Speech-Language Pathologist

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

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

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

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

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

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

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

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

Review & Giveaway: Meanings in Motion – Character Building Life Skill Card Deck

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  Looking for a fun way to discuss important positive life skills with kids?

The Meanings in Motion – Character Building Life Skill Card Deck is a great resource to facilitate these discussions in a kids yoga class, as part of character education lessons in a classroom setting or for parents to use with kids at home.

We used the “Respect” card from the Meanings In Motion card deck after reading the book “The Rainforest Grew All Around” at the free OMazing Kids Yoga Story Stretchers event we did at the Norman Public Library on 9/17/11. It was so cool to see how kids that young understood the concept. They understood “no seed = no tree = no home for the animals” and came up with things they could do to “respect” our planet (pick up trash, turn off the water when brushing teeth, re-use things instead of throwing them away, etc..)”

See the YouTube video of part of that discussion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao2ZXrter-Q

Info about the cards:

The Meanings in Motion – Character Building Life Skill Card Deck is a portable conversation game that gets the whole family, class or group learning, talking, and implementing positive life skills. Pick a card and let the journey begin by discussing topics such as: gratitude, diversity, self-esteem, goal setting, feelings, responsibility, honesty, respect, integrity, compassion and more.  Each question and activity opens up new ways to connect, learn and grow while having fun at the same time!

• Portable conversation games and activities that allow you and your children to focus on powerful life skills that often get missed in the rush of daily life.
• 22 cards in a deck with more than 80 questions and over 40 activities.
• Great for families, groups, and classrooms.
• Cards are creatively designed by kids for kids
• Ages 5+

Here is a PDF of more great ideas of ways to use these cards: MIM cards More Activities for Families, Groups and Classrooms

Available for purchase on Amazon.com ($15.95): http://www.amazon.com/Meanings-Motion-interactive-bringing-families/dp/0615289975

And check out Meanings in Motion on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meanings-In-Motion/170488815768

And here’s a sneek peek at the updated Meanings in Motion website (still under construction):http://meaningsinmotion.com/. They are in the process of coming out with  a “revised edition” of the cards with new packaging for portability (on a carabineer for families on the go!) and will include MANY new fun activities for families, groups and classrooms.

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

 

How to enter the Meanings in Motion – Character Building Life Skill Card Deck giveaway:

  1. Leave a comment on this blog post. Must mention at least one important life skill concept all kids should learn. (comments must be in English; 1 entry per person; must have a valid e-mail address)
  2. For one additional entry, enter via the “Giveaways” tab on the OMazing Kids Yoga FB page (https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga) & mention at least one important life skill concept all kids should learn (posts must be in English; 1 entry per Facebook account).

Entry Deadline: Enter by any of the methods listed above by 11:59pm CST on September 30, 2011.

Rules of Participation:

  • Must be 18 years or older with a valid e-mail address AND a mailing address in the United States of America.
  • Due to the cost of mailing, only USA entries allowed. Sorry… no international entries for this particular contest.
  • Employees or family members of OMazing Kids Yoga or Meanings in Motion are not eligible.
  • No purchase required.
  • Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.
  • One (1) winner will be chosen via a random drawing of valid entries on October 1, 2011.
  • The winner will get one (1) copy of the Meanings in Motion – Character Building Life Skill Card Deck
  • The winner will be notified via e-mail.
  • In the event that the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be selected via a random drawing.
  • The winner’s mailing address will be obtained via e-mail and will be forwarded to Meanings in Motion.
  • Meanings in Motion will be shipping the card deck directly to the winner.
  • Prize Value: retail price $15.95.

Other Legal Stuff: I know it’s just a deck of life skill cards but just to be safe here is all the legal stuff…

This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You are providing your information to OMazing Kids Yoga and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for our internal purposes in relation to the administration of the giveaway. Your information will NOT be sold to any outside parties.

Indemnification/Hold Harmless: By participating, entrants agree: (a) to the decisions of OMazing Kids Yoga, which shall be final in all respects; (b) to release, discharge, and hold harmless OMazing Kids Yoga and its respective representatives and agents from all liability, injuries, losses or damages of any kind to persons or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, misuse or use of a prize, or from participation in and/or entry into the Contest or any Contest-related activity and for acceptance, delivery, or use of any prize; (c) that the foregoing parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation or guaranty, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relating to any prize.

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Going on an Urban Animals Hunt – an OMazing Kids Yoga activity

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Looking for a fun indoor activity for kids? We did an indoor animal hunt in OMazing Kids Yoga to go with the book “Urban Animals” by Isabel Hill

(take a peek inside the book on her website: http://www.isabelhill.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/UrbanAnimalsExcerpt.pdf & more at http://www.isabelhill.com/books/urban-animals). Available from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Urban-Animals-Isabel-T-Hill/dp/1595722106

I made picture cards for all the animals in the book and taped them on the architectural elements (walls, columns, railings, windows, doors, etc.) inside the JD McCarty Center.

PDF printable (2 pages – letter size paper): Urban Animals – animal pics for indoor animal hunt  (tip: laminate the pics or cover in clear contact paper for durability)

We made binoculars out of toilet paper tubes (just need two cardboard tubes of same length, tape, construction paper strip (to tape around the tubes to help hold them together), yarn, a single hole punch & crayons) & then animal hunt began 🙂

The kids took turns doing “I Spy” or “I See” (for kids that were nonverbal, we used a BIGmack®  single message voice output communication aide that they pushed the button to say “Look!”).

More info about ways to use the BIGmack® http://talksense.weebly.com/feature-101-ideas-for-a-bigmack.html

Since we were “on the move”, we kept shoes on & didn’t use yoga mats since the area is carpeted (it was a great opportunity for folks to see that yoga can be done “off the mat”)

We stopped and did the yoga pose or breath for each animal that we found (here are a few ideas…. for Seahorse we made up a pose – lay on your tummy, cross your legs & then curl them – like the curled tail of a seahorse, put your hands on the floor by your shoulders and wiggle fingers – like the tiny fins, make sure to switch and cross with the other leg on top; Hare = hopping; Bunny = Bunny Breaths)

Tons of fun for kids of all abilities!

Stop by the OMazing Kids Yoga Facebook page for more fun ideas: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

Overview of the STOP and Relax© program – Part 1 in a series of reviews/updates

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Overview of the STOP and Relax© program:

S.T.O.P. and Relax© is a systematic program for teaching relaxation and self-calming skills to children and young adults with disabilities such as Autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, or Anxiety. Using evidence-based practices that address the “fight-flight” response, S.T.O.P. and Relax© integrates yoga, cognitive-behavioral psychology, and special education techniques to promote coping skills. As self-calming skills increase, the student is able to participate more fully and successfully in academic, social, and community settings.

S.T.O.P. and Relax© was designed by Louise Goldberg, yoga instructor, Debra Collins, psychologist, Sally Miller and Daniela Morales, two special education teachers to teach relaxation skills to children with autism, Asperger’s, ADD, anxiety, or other challenges that cause problem behaviors or “meltdowns.” (full bios: http://stopandrelax.net/About-Us-4.html)

There are three different types of kits available:

  • S.T.O.P. and Relax© Complete BOX Kit
  • S.T.O.P. and Relax© Complete DIGITAL Kit
  • S.T.O.P. and Relax© Digital Kit PLUS

Available for purchase & more info: http://stopandrelax.net/S-T-O-P-and-Relax-Products-c11/.

Comparison of what is included in each type of kit: http://stopandrelax.net/FAQ-20.html.

What are the minimum system requirements for using the Digital Kit? For the PDF documents, they recommend the latest version of Acrobat Reader. For the Visual Cue Card Slides, they recommend a minimum of PowerPoint 2007 for PC and 2008 for Mac. Helpful Tip:  If the Digital Kit Instructor’s Manual CD is inserted and shows icons titled “UDF,” then the computer being used lacks the UDF Reader to open the disk.  Here is a link that discusses UDF Reader and provides a free download: http://download.cnet.com/Adaptec-UDF-Reader-Driver/3000-2100_4-10021086.html. I initially had difficulty opening the files on the disk but that was easily solved with the UDF Reader download.

I was given the Digital Kit to try out. I’ll be incorporating elements of it into OMazing Kids Yoga over several weeks, posting updates & then doing the giveaway at my presentation at the Oklahoma Statewide Autism Conference in November (http://okautism.org/oaapartners/statewide-autism-conference/ ).

Many of our patients at the JD McCarty Center (www.jdmc.org) have the diagnoses targeted in the S.T.O.P. and Relax© program so I am very excited to try this out with them. 🙂 

Right now we have three boys in our weekly OMazing Kids Yoga group who have Autism and frequent behavioral meltdowns. This Tuesday we will be introducing the “I Can S.T.O.P. and Relax!” social story and the S.T.O.P. sequence.

Stay tuned for updates….

Pete’s A Pizza Party – An OMazing Kids Yoga lesson plan based on the story “Pete’s A Pizza” by William Steig

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Time for a Pete’s A Pizza Party!

To celebrate having 400 kids yoga fans in one place sharing OMazing ideas, I’m sharing “Pete’s A Pizza Party – a free OMazing Kids Yoga lesson plan based on the story “Pete’s A Pizza” by William Steig” (including supplies, pose ideas, playlist with links to songs, symbols for the book, a printable pizza craft, affirmations and other fun ideas!).

Click on either of the screenshots to download the PDF. Within the PDF you will be able to click on links to the fun stuff!

  

Feel free to share any other pizza-themed ideas that you have to add to the fun 🙂

(Special thanks to Barbara Gini at BodyLogique for inspiring me to “use my noodle” to try out pizza-themed yoga!)

Update 9/26/13: Did you know that October is National Pizza Month in the USA?

Pete's a Pizza - updated post 2013

Glad to see I’m not the only SLP who LOVES this book! Fun idea to use shredded yellow paper as “cheese”. Check out this post on Preschool Wonders:

more ideas from a SLP

More fun ideas for pizza topping props on Playdough to Plato:

ideas for topping props

Pizza Costume Craft idea:

Pizza costume craft

Wow! Tons of pizza-themed learning printables from 123 Homeschool 4 Me:

learning printables

Update 8/8/12: Here is a larger version of a pizza and toppings printable I made to use in larger groups of kids as an alternative to each child assembling the pizza printable I included in my original post….. that would still be fun to do but I realized in a group of 14 kids that could take too much time. I bought a pizza pan at Dollar Tree, cut a circle out of a paper bag to fit the pan to be the “dough” & cut it into halves so I could laminate it, cut a smaller circle out of red construction paper to be the “sauce”, laminated the sauce & all the toppings, used a fine-tip permanent marker to write pose options for that ingredient on the back & used clear velcro to attach the sauce and toppings to the dough. I attached the pic of the pizza oven & the timer to the back of the pan (as a place to store them). The kids LOVED being pizzas this week in OMazing Kids Inclusive Yoga at JDMC! They did a great job keeping their table pose steady as I placed the assembled pizza on each child. BTW…. this was a fun way to practice waiting turns & maintaining a pose for a few seconds 🙂

Here is the printable I made: Pizza and Toppings Printable (PDF). I also made a coloring sheet to send home with the kids: Make a Pizza coloring sheet.


Update 9/26/12: Look at the cool Melissa & Doug Felt Pizza Set I got to go with my Pete’s a Pizza theme! Couldn’t pass it up at 40% off at Michael’s last week 🙂

Info about the set: http://www.melissaanddoug.com/felt-pizza-play-food-set. 

 Free pizza song download: http://soundcloud.com/the-sing-sings/09-lets-make-some-pizza

More fun ideas for this book: http://shannonsbooknook.com/?p=5732 

Update 8/10/13:

http://www.doverpublications.com/samplerkids/intro/children53.htm

More pizza-themed ideas on the Running with Paintbrushes blog: http://angeliqueskids.wordpress.com/category/thematic-unit/pizza/ (wow! pizza palooza over there)

Update 10/29/13:

Another fun pizza printable: http://www.makingfriends.com/preschool/paper_pizza.htm

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Update 10/30/13:

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Pizza at Sally’s by Monica Wellington is another fun option for doing pizza-themed kids yoga! In addition to the yoga pose options included in the lesson plan above, this book also has the following opportunities for kids yoga: planting seeds in the community vegetable garden (see Seeds & Gardens post for ideas), Sally’s cat, sun, harvesting wheat, milling flour, cow, making cheese. I love the vivid colors in this book, the combination of real photos with illustrations, how it shows where food really comes from (the process of growing & harvesting), Sally as the pizzeria owner (the depiction of a woman as a successful small business owner), etc.

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

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

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

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

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

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

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

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

Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

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