Review & A Way To Give Giveaway: You Are Not Your Thoughts mindfulness books (these are gems!)

You Are Not Your Thoughts giveaway framed

Great simple mindfulness books for kids…. these books are gems!

Product Description:  “You Are Not Your Thoughts” was written to help children and parents become more aware of the present moment and to foster an environment of compassion and loving-kindness between all human beings. Mindfulness is a way of living each moment in a way that expresses kindness and respect for all.  Mindfulness reconnects people to their senses, bringing them into moment-to-moment awareness. Research shows that mindfulness increases attention skills, reduces anxiety and improves emotional regulation. You can free yourself of destructive thoughts, emotions and behaviors by simply remembering to be present – right here, right now.

A 2nd edition of “You Are Not Your Thoughts” was created in 2013 as a version geared towards older children, teens & adults. Edition 1 is still available and is geared towards younger children.
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Here is a “sneek-peek” at a few pages inside both editions of the book so you can see a side-by-side comparison:
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Here’s what I love about the books:

  • The large photos, pictures of kids, large bold font and rhyming text are fabulous for younger kids in Edition 1 of the book
  • Although the text is essentially the same, the photos of nature, illustrations and font used in Edition 2 give it a more “grown up” feel.
  • The books capture the concept of the fleeting nature of thoughts & feelings. I especially love the message that all feelings are ok “However you are feeling, happy or blue, we all have many feelings, it’s okay to feel every hue”.
  • Simple tips for mindfully noticing how your body & mind feel, how things look, how sounds & silence sound, mindful breathing, cherishing the present moment & more. It’s amazing how much wonderful stuff is packed into 24-page books. These are true gems!

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Brian generously donated both editions of his book to Rossana in Mexico as part of the “planting seeds” project. Here are a couple of pics of her yogis enjoying them:

Rosanna's kids with You Are Not Your Thoughts  Rosanna's kids with You Are Not Your Thoughts 2

Read more about the inspiration for the books: http://www.mindful.org/at-home/parenting/a-gift-for-young-minds

Purchase on Amazon: Edition 1 (for younger kids): http://www.amazon.com/Your-Thoughts-Mindfulness-Children-Ages/dp/0615359345Edition 2 (for older kids, teens & adults): http://www.amazon.com/Your-Thoughts-but-think-matters-Thoughts/dp/061560918X

Update 6/18/13: A Kindle version is now available: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DGJ5B9W

Website: http://www.newlifedesignstudio.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/You-Are-Not-Your-Thoughts-Mindfulness-for-Everyone/106440462720176

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Happierkids

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.

A Way to Give - Giveaway

How to enter the A Way to Give – Giveaway:

  • Required Entry Method: Enter via the “Giveaways” tab on the OMazing Kids – Contests & Giveaways Facebook page (http://a.pgtb.me/plpbTf) & mention why these books would be helpful to you. Also nominate a friend, relative, teacher, therapist, school, clinic, library, etc… it can be any individual (other than yourself) or setting that you feel could benefit from having the books & tell us why they would benefit from having them (details will count in selecting the winner) (comments must be in English; must include full first & last name; must use respectful people-first language, 1 entry per person).
  • Bonus Entry Options:
    1. Invite some friends to “like” the OMazing Kids Facebook page (comment here on this blog post to let me know you did)
    2. Share this review on Facebook & include a @OMazing Kids to tag my page – (comment here on this blog post to let me know you did)
  • Helpful Info & Tips: I use the “Giveaways” tab because it saves me the step having to obtain your mailing address – the info you complete on the tab comes directly to me via an e-mail. FYI…. I use a free app from Shortstack for that tab and have no control over technical difficulties either on their end or on Facebook. The Facebook tab may not work on a cell phone. If you experience that, try again on a computer. Make sure you are logged in as yourself (not a page) when using the tab. In the event that you experience difficulties with the FB entry tab, 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 tab 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 June 15, 2013.

Rules of Participation:

  • Must be 18 years or older with a valid e-mail address.
  • International entries are being 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 the Enter Giveaways Here…. tab on Facebook may be copied & pasted into the blog post.
  • Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.
  • The winner will be chosen from valid entries on June 16, 2013.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive 1 copy of editions 1 & 2 of the book & the person they nominate for the “A Way to Give” portion will also receive 1 copy of both editions of the book.

 (I know this is a bit out-of-the box & different than most typical giveaways where the person who enters wins all the “stuff”.  This is the new “A Way To Give” portion of giveaways on OMazing Kids. I was inspired to make giveaways more meaningful after this experience. Think of it as a way to plant some seeds.)

A 2nd Place Winner will receive their choice of 1 copy of Edition 1 or Edition 2 of the book.

  • The winners 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. Any questions about the prize should be directed to the company.
  • Prize Value: books $10.00 each

Other Legal Stuff: I know it’s just some books 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, LLC 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, LLC, which shall be final in all respects; (b) to release, discharge, and hold harmless OMazing Kids, LLC 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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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

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

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 crayons divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

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Review & A Way To Give Giveaway: Kids in Harmony – Harmony Cards for Kids & CD’s

Kids in Harmony trio Giveaway

A perfect trio of products to promote positive virtues & values in kids!

The past few days have been devastating here in Oklahoma. Several communities were hit by large tornadoes. Many families lost loved ones, pets, homes, cars & all their belongings. Tragedies are not unique to Oklahoma. They happen everywhere and children are often exposed to a non-stop barrage of overwhelming images during these times. It is so important that parents, teachers & caregivers take mindful steps to provide positive images & messages to kids.

Product Description:  

The Harmony Cards for Kids includes 30 two-sided brilliantly illustrated cards with a guidebook offering simple, effective and meaningful ways of encouraging and supporting virtues and values awareness. Simple and effective for schools…

• Teach values and virtues awareness

• Support anti-bullying programs

• Build relationships and school communities

• Support behavior management programs and strategies

• Assist in ‘character’ education and wellbeing

Virtues in the set are: Acceptance * Cleanliness * Compassion * Confidence * Cooperation * Creativity * Encouragement * Enthusiasm * Excellence * Fairness * Flexibility * Forgiveness * Freedom * Friendliness * Generosity * Gentleness * Gratitude * Happiness * Independence * Kindness * Love * Optimism * Patience * Peacefulness * Persistence * Purpose * Respect * Tact * Togetherness * Trust

Here’s what I love about the cards:

  • bright, cheerful illustrations
  • large white font of the virtue on the front is easy to read
  • a kid-friendly definition of each virtue is on the back, including three ways kids can live out that virtue.
  • the topics are ones that are meaningful in the lives of kids and will empower them to make positive choices
  • the guidebook includes 12 pages of wonderful ideas and suggestions on using the cards with kids in a meaningful way

While I love all the cards, these are currently my four “faves” in light of the recent tornadoes & outpouring of support for folks here in Oklahoma: Compassion, Generosity, Gratitude & Optimism.

4 fave harmony kids cards

The cards are also available as an iPad app.

Harmony Bliss CD

The Harmony Bliss CD is a combination of peaceful positive songs and visualizations to support and encourage self care, relaxation activities  and lots of fun and creativity ways to find peace and harmony in your  day. Hear song samples

Happy Songs and Relaxation Songs CD (2 CD set)

CD1 Happy Songs: Lift your spirits, play music, easy listening and movement to movement activities.

CD2 Relaxation Songs: Relaxation time can be a wonderful ritual for the entire family to share, choose an appropriate time when you can assist your child and relax yourself. The relaxation songs on this CD are interactive and brilliant for any environment – in the car, home, school and even sitting at a desk. You can stretch as tall as a mouse and curl up as small as a mouse… Hear song samples

Here’s what I love about the CD’s:

  • wonderful positive messages
  • fun themes that will work well in kids yoga
  • great mix of upbeat & calming tempo songs

It’s cool that both CD’s are also available in downloadable versions!

Purchase via their website: http://www.kidsinharmony.com.au/, sign up for their free newsletter, & “like” them on Facebook. The company is located in Queensland, Australia.

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.

A Way to Give - Giveaway

How to enter the A Way to Give – Giveaway:

  • Required Entry Method: Enter via the “Giveaways” tab on the OMazing Kids – Contests & Giveaways Facebook page (http://a.pgtb.me/plpbTf) & mention why these cards & CD’s would be helpful to you. Also nominate a friend, relative, teacher, therapist, school, clinic, library, etc… it can be any individual (other than yourself) or setting that you feel could benefit from having the cards + a CD & tell us why they would benefit from having them (details will count in selecting the winner) (comments must be in English; must include full first & last name; must use respectful people-first language, 1 entry per person).
  • Bonus Entry Option: Like both of these Facebook pages: OMazing Kids & Harmony Cards for Kids (comment here on this blog post to let me know you did). Facebook fans of both pages are then entitled to the following bonus entry options:
    1. Invite some friends to “like” the OMazing Kids Facebook page (comment here on this blog post to let me know you did)
    2. Share this review on Facebook & include a @OMazing Kids to tag my page – (comment here on this blog post to let me know you did)
  • Helpful Info & Tips: I use the “Giveaways” tab because it saves me the step having to obtain your mailing address – the info you complete on the tab comes directly to me via an e-mail. FYI…. I use a free app from Shortstack for that tab and have no control over technical difficulties either on their end or on Facebook. The Facebook tab may not work on a cell phone. If you experience that, try again on a computer. Make sure you are logged in as yourself (not a page) when using the tab. In the event that you experience difficulties with the FB entry tab, 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 tab problems

Entry Deadline: 11:59pm CST on June 2, 2013 (this particular giveaway is open for an extended period to allow plenty of time for entry by those affected by recent tornadoes).

Rules of Participation:

  • Must be 18 years or older with a valid e-mail address.
  • International entries are being 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 the Enter Giveaways Here…. tab on Facebook may be copied & pasted into the blog post.
  • Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.
  • The winner will be chosen from valid entries on June 3, 2013.

The Grand Prize winner will receive:

  • 1 set of Harmony Cards for Kids
  • 1 Harmony Bliss CD
  • 1 Happy Songs and Relax Songs CD
  • 1 Sheet of 30 Harmony Stickers

One set of Harmony Cards for Kids + one Harmony Bliss CD will also be sent to the person or place they nominated in their winning entry. (I know this is a bit out-of-the box & different than most typical giveaways where the person who enters wins all the “stuff”.  This is the new “A Way To Give” portion of giveaways on OMazing Kids. I was inspired to make giveaways more meaningful after this experience. Think of it as a way to plant some seeds.)

A 2nd Place Winner will receive one set of Harmony Cards for Kids.

  • The winners 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. Any questions about the prize should be directed to the company.
  • Prize Value: cards: $35.00, CD’s: $25.00-$26.95, stickers: $3.00

Other Legal Stuff: I know it’s just some cards, CD’s & stickers 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, LLC 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, LLC, which shall be final in all respects; (b) to release, discharge, and hold harmless OMazing Kids, LLC 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.

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

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

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 crayons divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

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Kids Yoga Class Tips: helping kids create class rules for a positive experience

Kids Yoga Class Rules

One of the most frequent requests I get via e-mail and Facebook messaging is for tips on handling behavior & setting rules/boundaries in a kids yoga class. I’m by no means the biggest expert among us in kids yoga but I have had quite a bit of experience in dealing with a wide variety of behaviors in my work at the JD McCarty Center. Because every situation is unique, I always respond by asking a few questions…..

  • How old are the kids in the class?
  • How many kids are in the class?
  • Do you have any adult helpers?
  • Do any of the kids have diagnosed special needs (ADHD, Autism, SPD, anxiety, etc…) that might be a contributing factor to the behavior?
  • How long is your class? How long is each activity within your class?
  • Where are you teaching the class? Does that setting have any rules that the kids should already be following?
  • What time of day is the class?

I primarily work with kids with special needs….. even the inclusive class I did last summer/fall had a few kids with special needs in it. There is a big difference developmentally between the ability of a 4 year old & an 8 year old to understand & follow rules. Many 4 year olds may have limited experience in a structured setting and may just be beginning to learn the concept of following rules. Most kids over the age of 6 or 7 probably understand the concept of following rules if they have been in a school setting.

Why Go To All This Effort?

Helping kids learn positive ways to treat themselves & others is something that will help them well beyond the particular class they are in with you at that moment in time. Think of it as an investment in “planting seeds” in that child’s life. Not all kids grow up in environments that are nurturing & provide positive structure….. so you may have a golden opportunity to help provide a positive influence and learning opportunity.

Yoga is so much more than just “poses” (asanas). It also includes Pranayama (breathing), Mantras (positive affirmations), Mindfulness (focused attention), Relaxation (includes guided imagery) & Yamas/Niyamas (character education).

A Balanced Approach to Yoga

yamas niyamas

10 Things I Do:

  1. I have kids help me write the yoga rules for their yoga class. What rules are important to them? This gives them ownership in the rules since they helped create them. Often they needed a few examples of rules & a simple explanation on “why” that rule was important to get the discussion started. Even for kids who are not at a developmental level to be able to “create” the rules, they could still help choose them out of a field of a few choices. As a fun craft activity, the kids can make a poster of the rules they helped create & then you will have the poster up as a reminder in the class. See an example of a simple 3-rule poster from my friends at Kid Partners (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=273290582744866&set=pb.148298625244063.-220752 0000.1367070208.&type=3&theater)
  2. I use visual supports and a “social story” (https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/02/23/3-simple-yoga-class-rules-visual-support/, https://omazingkidsllc.com/2011/11/22/printable-visual-supports-for-kids-yoga/) to help kids understand the rules. More posts about visual supports on my blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com/category/visual-supports/.   I tend to keep my “yoga rules” really simple. The main three rules I typically have are:
    1. Stay on your mat
    2. Mats stay on the floor. I also make it fun by having the kids pretend to “glue” down the corners of their mat with an imaginary glue stick (learned this tip from a post from Mira at Global Family Yoga)
    3. And something along the lines of “Use “kind” words” or “We’re always nice to our friends”.

     3 Simple Yoga Class Rules - click on pic to open 1-page PDFYoga Group Social Story

  3. I have adult “helpers” to help the kids that have more extreme behaviors. This is especially important if you work with kids with special needs. I recently had a child with Autism & schizophrenia in my class and she had very unpredictable & explosive behavior. With the loving support of adult helpers, she ended up having fun participating in our therapeutic kids yoga class at JDMC.  See this post: https://omazingkidsllc.com/2012/04/30/tips-for-working-with-kids-with-autism-spectrum-disorders/
  4. I’ve learned not to be too quick to judge whether or not a particular child is “enjoying” yoga or any other activities. I have seen many kids initially be resistant or ambivalent to yoga and other activities end up loving it when given the opportunity to experience it on their own terms & at their own pace within safe boundaries.
  5. I tend to ignore behaviors unless they are at risk of hurting themselves or others and keep moving with the class. If the class is fun and you are the most interesting thing in the room, most kids will be engaged with what you are doing. As a general rule of thumb, behaviors that get the most attention are “reinforced” and are more likely to occur again. So I intentionally focus more attention on what kids are doing “right” and give specific praise regarding the on-task & positive behaviors I see kids doing.
  6. I have also strategically assigned yoga mats so certain kids can’t sit next to each other & the most disruptive kids were right by me. I then assigned them special jobs to be my “helpers”.
  7. Sometimes it also helps to change up the pace of the class when kids start exhibiting behaviors. I have had kids lose interest if I stayed too long on a particular pose or activity, it was too hard/too easy or it was too overstimulating. I put alot of thought into choosing props & music for classes for this reason…… and depending on how a class is going I will often modify as I go to meet what the kids are needing at that moment.
  8. I almost always base my classes around a kids picture book. It gives the kids something to pay attention to, they get to “be” part of the story & a book gives structure of having a beginning & an end.
  9. When I am doing an after-school class, I keep in mind that kids have had to sit all day, may have lots of energy and need to move. One idea is to start out the class with a really upbeat activity to give the kids a chance to get the sillies out. Yoga Freeze Dance is always fave. Then gradually reduce the activity level to calm.
  10. I keep kids attention spans, developmental levels & special needs in mind when determining the length of my class or any activities I am doing within a class.

Want More Info?

Lisa Flynn’s new book “Yoga for Children: 200+ Yoga Poses, Breathing Exercises, and Meditations for Healthier, Happier, More Resilient Children” is full of great tips!

lisa's book

As of the date of this post, Amazon has it on sale for 39% off (http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Children-Breathing-Exercises-Meditations/dp/1440554633). There are also some tips on this post on her ChildLight Yoga blog: http://www.thekidsyogaresource.com/2010/11/how-do-i-manage-challenging-behavior-in-a-kids- yoga-class.html.

See these posts for more great ideas:

http://rainbowkidsyoga.net/articles/alternative_education.html

http://rainbowkidsyoga.net/articles/alternative_education_part2.html

http://bodylogique.blogspot.com/2013/04/15-ways-to-be-more-effective-yoga.html

http://bodylogique.blogspot.com/2012/05/keep-it-simple-keep-it-real.html

http://littleyogastars.blogspot.com/2012/03/yoga-for-27-first-graders.html

http://www.teachasana.com/2012/08/notes-from-a-newbie-teaching-yoga-to-children/

http://imaginationyoga.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/kind-hearts-kind-words-kind-thoughts/

http://yogainmyschool.com/2010/11/18/5-ways-to-eliminate-disruptive-behavior-in-kids-yoga-class/

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/11/is-your-yoga-class-out-of-control/

 

 

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Feel free to share your tips & “tag” your page in the comments in this album on the OMazing Kids Facebook page. I love to connect & learn from others in the amazing kids yoga community: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.545732352144441.1073741837.174264525957894&type=1&uploaded=1

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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

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

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 crayons divider bar. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here.

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Review: Wise Heart Books – Smart Value Series

  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 websitehttp://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

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

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

Blog: http://omazingkidsyoga.com

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