A few years back, I did a program where we put yoga moves to a story. I am going to bring that back and try to improve upon it a little bit. Think Cosmic Kids Yoga but a DIY version.
Here's what I've got planned:
Introduction/Benefits of yoga for kids (check out this link!)
Yoga helps children manage their anxiety through breathing and exercise.
Helps to regulate emptions by helping them be in the moment.
Boosts self-esteem by perfecting a pose and improving balance and flexibility.
Yoga increases body awareness, learning how the body moves
Improves concentration and memory by learning and memorizing.
Develops strength and flexibility, which can reduce chance of injury.
Yoga teaches discipline.
Demonstrating Simple Yoga Moves:
Mountain Pose
Tree Pose
Warrior I
Standing Forward Bend
Table Top
Cat/Cow
Plank
Cobra
Downward Dog
Boat Pose
Read the story we are going to put to movement:
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury
Adding Movements to our story:
Slowly we are going to tell the story with movement. Here's a sample of the movements I included with my story. You can add any movements you want.
We're going on a bear hunt --BEAR CLAWS
We're going to catch a big one. --ARMS WIDE
What a beautiful day! --HANDS ON HIPS/SHAKE HEAD
We're not scared.
Oh-oh! Grass! --HANDS UP TOGETHER
Long, wavy grass. --SWAY SIDE TO SIDE
We can't go over it. --DOWNWARD DOG
We can't go under it. --COBRA
Oh, no!
We've got to go through it! --STAND
Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy! -- LIFT ONE LEG SWING SIDE TO SIDE, THEN OTHER
Something like this works best with stories that have repetition, especially stories with a lot of action verbs. This is a great way to incorporate exercise into your routine OR to incorporate books and reading to reluctant readers, in a way that is fun.
I'm trying this virtually, so we will see how it goes!
How'd it go:
Everything ran a lot smoother than I anticipated. I probably could have slowed down just a little but everyone seemed to follow along and besides, it’s more of a workout that way 😜. All in all, a success!
That's all for now!
-M-
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