OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

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Review: YoDaGaMo: Activities for Focused and Playful Motion!

Posted on September 22, 2012 by OMazing Kids

YoDaGaMo: Activities for Focused and Playful Motion!

Product Description

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

Pose cards include:

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

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

What I LOVE about this card set:

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

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

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

Price at the time of this post: $16.00

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

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

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

Speech-Language Pathologist

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

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

https://omazingkidsllc.com/books-dvds-cds-specifically-designed-for-kids-yoga-or-mindfulness/

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New Blog Page: Books, DVD’s & CD’s Specifically Designed for Kids Wellness, Mindfulness and Relaxation

Posted on August 11, 2012 by OMazing Kids

Announcing a new page on the OMazing Kids blog: “Books, DVD’s & CD’s Specifically Designed for Kids Wellness, Mindfulness and Relaxation”.

It is a list of all the great kids wellness (including yoga), mindfulness & relaxation products I have personally seen. I’m sure this list will continually be a “work-in-progress” as I add things to my library.

Items are listed in categories & in alphabetical order within that category.
I have included a link to the blog post if I reviewed that product so you can see more details there.
I am only listing products that I have seen in person so please don’t be offended if I left your favorite one off the list.
Authors/creators/publishers of kids yoga, mindfulness, relaxation or wellness products can e-mail me at amoorad1@juno.com with inquiries to review products.

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

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.

Kids Affirmation Cards & Custom Plush Creations from BSL Creations * Cuddle Wumkins & Daily Whisper Products

Posted on August 8, 2012 by OMazing Kids

Check out these fun custom creations & kids affirmation cards from BSL Creations * Cuddle Wumkins & Daily Whisper Products!

I was looking for some ideas for kids affirmations a few weeks ago and ran across this old blog post from 2009: http://www.thesucculentwife.com/daily-whisper-nurturing-words-for-kids/.

After a little digging I found the company on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BSLCreations. Love the power of social media…. after a few FB comments & e-mails my custom order was on its way 🙂 Love that I could pay via Paypal online & that the order arrived quickly.

Here are pics of my order:

I love the cute illustrations on both sides of the cards & that the affirmations are relevant/meaningful for kids.

It is especially nice to see affirmation cards that are not “goofy” (you know the kind that imply that you always win, everyone will always like you, the sun is always shining, etc….. It’s not fair or healthy to give kids the impression that nothing bad will ever happen or that the only feeling that is okay is “happy”).

The Daily Whisper cards include affirmations about choices kids have control over (ex: I am always nice to my friends. I am kind to myself. I choose kind words when I speak. I am kind to everyone in my family. I am kind to all living creatures. I am considerate of other people feelings. I help my parents with work around the house., etc….), affirmations relating to difficult situations kids commonly face (ex: I don’t let bullies bother me, if they do I tell an adult I can trust. I know that some kids won’t like me and that’s okay. It is okay to fail sometimes, that just means I need to learn more and try again. I can be angry without hurting people of things. , etc….), affirmations that inspire kids to work hard & have confidence (ex: I try my best and don’t give up. I am proud of who I am and all that I have learned. I stay focused on my projects. I enjoy learning new things. I can be great when I put my mind to it. I am confident in myself. I am patient with myself as I learn new things. etc….) and affirmations that inspire feelings of love (ex: I am loved and very loveable. I am very important to my family. I am happy to be me., etc….).

I used the plush star & cards during relaxation in OMazing Kids yoga with our inpatients at the JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities last week (where I work full-time as a Speech-Language Pathologist). I picked out cards that related to the story and activities we did in yoga that day. It’s important for affirmations to make sense & are more meaningful when used in context. The kids enjoyed practicing deep breathing with the star on their belly. Then each child took a card out of the pocket and read it aloud or I read it to them and they imitated saying it. Affirmations can be especially powerful for kids with special needs since they can often feel that something is wrong or needs to be “fixed” in them.

Available for purchase: http://www.etsy.com/listing/105242689/star-pillow-and-daily-whisper-cards-for

Affirmation Cards also available separately at: http://www.etsy.com/listing/97429411/inspirational-cards-for-kids

Here are a few pics of things she created for other kids yoga folks:

I like how large the eyes & rosy cheeks are on this star!

And love the idea of using a patterned fabric on the back! You can get them with or without a pocket, with or without a name, bundled with the affirmation cards or without the cards….. Lots of custom options…. you can e-mail Barbara to find out all the specifics: Barbara@bslcreations.com.

See lots of pics of her custom creations on her blog at: http://dailywhisperblog.blogspot.com/, http://dailywhisperblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/yoga-for-kids.html

Her Etsy Shops: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DailyWhisper & http://www.etsy.com/shop/CuddleWumkins. Barbara is working on a website that will put everything together on one site….. so stay tuned on her blog & FB page for updates on that.

Disclaimer: I purchased the affirmation cards at full price. I received a small discount on the custom plush star. Opinions expressed are my own.

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

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.

Book Review: ABC Menagerie (be prepared for a menagerie of fun!)

Posted on July 13, 2012 by OMazing Kids

Check out this fun new book I won from Compendium – Live Inspired!

I have tons of ABC books but ABC Menagerie is definitely a new fave! There is an animal and rhyme for each letter of the alphabet. The book has unique animal names that give it a multicultural flair (Ayo the Aardvark, Brunhilde the Bear, Chione the Camel, Degas the Dog, Eshe the Elephant, Fritz the Fox, Galina the Goat, Henri the Hare, Ignacius the Iguana, Jesenia the Jaguar, Kyeema the Kangaroo, Luciana the Llama, Murray the Mole, Nigaq the Narwhal, Ophelia the Opossum, Percival the Pig, Quintessa the Quail, Runako the Rhino, Sheldon the Sheep, Thuy the Turtle, Ultima the Umbrellabird, Vikram the Vulture, Wava the Walrus, Xavier the X-imal, Yuri the Yak & Zareb the Zebra), great descriptive vocabulary and is full of humor and play on words. I love the additional details of how to pronounce each name & the information about each animal and their habitat in the back of the book…. laughed out loud at the humourous description of the X-imal 🙂

But best of all are the photos of the quirky felt animal sculptures that stand out against the plain white background. So many details to look at and to describe….. a SLP’s dream come true! The plain white background, vivid colors & large font type will be great for kids with special needs, especially those with Autism, ADHD, Learning Disabilities & Visual Impairments.

Kids yoga teachers are gonna LOVE all the great opportunities for poses with this many animals. Most pair up easily with existing poses while others will require some creativity. I’ve got my thinking-cap on to come up for poses for aardvark, llama, opossum, walrus & yak as well as the birds in the book: quail, umbrellabird & vulture. Any ideas?

Available at: http://www.live-inspired.com/ABC-Menagerie-P1032 & on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/ABC-Menagerie-M-H-Clark/dp/1932319549.

See the cool story behind the creation of the book: http://www.live-inspired.com/blog/post.cfm/abc-menagerie.

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

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

Blog: http://omazingkidsyoga.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.

Product Review: Little Lotus Kids Yoga Cards

Posted on November 12, 2011 by OMazing Kids

Looking for some unique cards to use in kids yoga? Then check out the fun new Little Lotus Kids Yoga Cards 🙂

The Little Lotus Kids Yoga Card deck has 55 cards (39 illustrated yoga pose cards & 16 yoga game/partner pose cards with simple instructions and fun ideas in imagination “bubbles” on the back of each card) on 4 x 6 card stock with rounded corners packed full of fun!

Written by Tracy Johnson, RYT 200, yoga teacher at Yoga in the Valley & beautifully illustrated by artist Brenda Olson.

Here is a sneek peek at just a few of the cards….

I love the imagination idea bubbles on the back of each card! Here are a few of my faves: “Imagine the sun rising and filling you with energy”, “Imagine you are the moon looking down on the beautiful earth and smile!” & “Imagine you a baby bunny safe & warm in its rabbit hole”.

The “Gift Balloon” card encourages kids to think about someone in need and leads them through a guided imagery of gently breathing to fill a balloon up with all the things that person needs and it floating to that person.

Kids always love “Happy Baby” or “Sleeping Bug” pose. Multiply that fun by doing a group “Silly Centipedes” pose 🙂

Looking for a fun way to work on social skills or teamwork? The deck includes several cards (Teamwork, Silly Story, Sharing Circle, Musical Mats, Hum Circle, Ha Ha How Are You?, Siddhi Says, etc.) that would be fun to use in your groups 🙂

Looking for fun ways to work on vocabulary, expressive language & imaginative play? The deck includes fun cards (ABC Yoga, Animal Yoga – creating a story adventure, Picture Safari, The First Yogi, Floating on a Cloud, Eagle Eagle, etc.) that are a blast!

What makes these cards especially appealing and unique is the fun & quirky illustrations! They would appeal to young kids and even older tweens/teens and could inspire them to draw illustrations of their own as they invent their own yoga poses.

The only slight downside to the deck was the packaging. The clear plastic box is not very sturdy and may not stand up over time.

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

Available for purchase on the following websites (price: $19.95 – as of this post date)

Little Lotus Yoga Cards website: http://www.shop.littlelotuskidsyoga.com/

Brenda Olson artist’s website: http://www.brendaolsonart.com/product/kids-yoga-deck-cards

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Little-Lotus-Kids-Yoga-Cards/dp/0615555101/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321116461&sr=8-1

Websites & Facebook pages –

Little Lotus Yoga Cards: http://www.littlelotuskidsyoga.com/, http://www.facebook.com/littlelotuskids

Brenda Olson, artist: http://www.brendaolsonart.com/, http://www.facebook.com/brendaolsonartstudio, http://www.grey-duck.com/, http://www.wholesalecrafts.com (Artist #22947 Visitor Password: joy)

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

Product Review: EnviroKid™ cushion – a non-toxic, eco-friendly, sensory-friendly seating option for kids of all abilities

Posted on August 31, 2011 by OMazing Kids

Looking for a non-toxic, eco-friendly, sensory-friendly seating option for kids of all abilities?

Then the EnviroKid™ cushion would be a great option to consider!

We have been trying out two of the EnviroKid™ cushions at the JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities in OMazing Kids Yoga, in a Storytime group and as an adapted seating option.

Key features of the cushion:

PVC-Free and Phthalate-Free EnviroKid™ Cushion is available in a variety of soothing colors.
The outer covering is EnviroLeather, PVC-Free Synthetic Leather® which is engineered to:

adjust to your child’s body temperature quickly
stand up to even the most “active” of children
be cleaned easily

26”x 26” dimensions.

The uses for the EnviroKid™ cushion in a kids yoga studio setting are wonderfully described in a post by Childlight Yoga (http://www.thekidsyogaresource.com/2011/08/envirokid-cushions-a-zafu-for-kids-and-a-whole-lot-more.html). So rather that duplicate that information, I am focusing my review on the additional therapeutic uses for this cushion.

The unique properties of the EnviroKid™ cushion are difficult to describe….. but after sitting on it you will see what makes it very different from any other cushion or bean bag chair. You gently sink in and the beads in the cushion conform around you and then remain in place to provide a nice feeling of support. The non-toxic, eco-friendly aspects of the cushion are especially important when working with kids with special needs as they tend to be more sensitive or susceptible to environmental toxins.

Brittany H., one of our Physical Therapists, was amazed at how well the EnviroKid™ cushion supported one of her patients… “A child I see frequently has been working on trunk control. He has spastic quadriplegia and requires maximal assistance to maintain an upright position at the edge of a mat table with his feet supported on a bench. He loses his sitting balance after only a few seconds when manual support is removed. I have been using the EnviroKid™ cushion during our last few sessions. The cushion provides enough support to allow him to sit independently for 1-2 minutes at a time while still challenging his trunk control. He was able to use his dominant hand to play with a toy while sitting independently. I love the way the cushion forms around his pelvis, giving just enough support to provide independence while still requiring trunk righting responses and engaging core muscles for strengthening and control”.

One of our Speech-Language Pathologists used the cushion with a patient whose disabilities are secondary to Shaken Baby Syndrome. His grandmother was so excited about how well he sat in the EnviroKid™ cushion that she indicated she is going to see if his school will order one so he can sit on the floor with the other kids.

Given my observations of kids reactions to the EnviroKid™ cushion, it is likely that kids with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) would enjoy sitting on the cushion because it conforms around you, has a soft suede-like surface, is lower to the ground than a typical beanbag chair & is odor-free (no chemical-like odor like many beanbag chairs have).

One of the EnviroKid™ cushions has been out for general use in our very busy rehab treatment area and after several weeks of use has not shown any signs of wear…. A good sign since the kids we work with can tend to be tough on stuff.

The price of the EnviroKid™ cushion ($57.95) may be a little high if folks think it is just an eco-friendly pillow or beanbag chair alternative…. but it’s a good price compared to yoga zafu cushions or when compared to therapeutic adapted seating options.

The EnviroKid™ cushion is available for ordering on their website: http://myenvirokid.com/envirokid-cushion/

For more info about the dangers of PVC, BPA, Phthalates, etc…. read this: http://myenvirokid.com/why-pvc-free-phthalate-free/

A YouTube video about the Info about the EnviroLeather material used to make the EnviroKid™ cushions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSUDI24wn-8

Disclaimer: I received two free EnviroKid™ cushions to facilitate my review. Opinions expressed are my own based on direct observations and feedback that I received regarding their use.

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

Speech-Language Pathologist with 21 years of pediatric experience

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities