“Bugs” yoga storytime

Opening – How I explain the rules of yoga storytime: stay on your mat and keep your hands to yourself.
(Skip to my Lou –  from Jim Gill)
Stomping feet, one and two
Stomping feet, one and two
But if my feet were covered in glue
I’d stick to the glue, my darling.

Clapping hands, one and two
Clapping hands, one and two
But if my hands were covered in glue
I’d stick to the glue, my darling
(hands in Anjali mudra, or prayer position)

Extend and Stretch
Frere Jacques
Extend and stretch (sit in sukasana – easy seated pose, or crisscross applesauce- and do seated side bends)
Extend and stretch
Twist and turn (seated twists)
Twist and turn
This is yoga, (hands overhead on “this,” then bring to prayer position on “yoga”)
This is yoga
Om sweet om, (hands in prayer, bow forward)
Om sweet om
Source: I got this from Kids Yoga Guide teacher training, but here is another from Be Grace Yoga 

Song: Karma Kids Yoga’s “Yoga Clock (Tick Tock)“

Open the Book
Arms, legs, both
Close the book. Open the book. Turn the page.
Start seated with arms stretched out in front of you, palms touching. To “open the book,” stretch the arms wide. To close it, bring them back together. To “turn the page,” open just the right arm and close it, then the left arm and close it. Repeat “turning pages” until the kids giggle. Repeat the whole sequence using legs instead of arms. Then try arms and legs together. 

Book – Fly! by Karl Newsom Edwards
worm – shalabhasana/locust pose
grasshopper – malasana/yoga squat and jump around
roly poly – rock n roll pose Want a challenge? Try rocking and rolling into standing without using your hands!
ants – marching. See if you can lift one leg and hold it. Try the other leg.
spider – Stand with feet wide. Swing arms from side to side, rotating torso with arms. This loosens the spine and lower back.
caterpillar – cobra pose/bhujangasana
beetle? (dig) – prasarita padottonasana with arms extended like you’re digging
butterfly – baddha konasana/bound angle pose
fly – virabhadrasna III/ warrior III

Group Ant Pose
Stand in a line. Come into table pose, with each kid holding the ankles of the child in front of them. Try to crawl around in sync.


Song: “Be a Bumblebee” – Kira Willey

Hoberman Sphere breathing ball

Savasana This was a guided savasana. We thought about how small bugs are but how, even when they’re small, they are able to clean up dead leaves, take care of other bugs for us, and even turn into butterflies. Even the smallest bugs have the most important of jobs.

Peace begins with me
Hold both hands overhead. On the word “peace,” touch the thumbs and pinky fingers together. On the word “begins,” touch the thumbs and ring fingers. On the word “with,” touch the thumbs and middle fingers. On the word “me,” touch the thumbs and pointers. Repeat this four times, the first time loudly and hands overhead. The second time, bring the hands down a little and speak a little softer. The third time, bring hands lower and whisper. The last time, bring hands to knees and speak words silently to self.
Source: Kids Yoga Guide Teacher Training

Bumblebee stress ball craft.
We filled one balloon with 1/2 cup flour. (You can also use corn starch or rice.) Then we cut the tip off of the other balloon and slid it over the flour-filled one. We drew stripes, wings, and antennae on our bee friends.

Namaste!

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