“Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues” bedtime 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)
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: “Tap my Drum (Yoga)” – Kira Willey

The Moon Shines
The moon (bring arms over head) is shining all around.
It shines on land (standing side bend) and sea (standing side bend other side).
It shines on cars (dandasana/staff pose, pretend to drive car).
It shines on boats (navasana/ boat pose.) 
It shines on you and me. (hands at heart)

Crown, Heart, Tail. I saw this when I observed a Kids Crave Yoga class. Ask the kids where their head or crown is. Then where is their heart. Then tail (or where their tail would be). Repeat. Shake up the order: Heart, tail, crown. Tail, tail, crown, heart. Go faster and faster, and then slow it down. I love that these movements correspond to the 1st, 4th, and 7th chakras.

Book –Pete the Cat and the Bedtime Blues by Kimberly and James Dean
surfing – warrior II/virabhadrasana II, both sides
sun went down – standing forward fold/uttanasana 
motorcycle – chair/utkatasana
Goodnight, Gus – lie down on mat to go to sleep (Repeat this for all the good night pages)
clap – hop like a frog,malasana
rat-a-tat-tat – virasana, play drums on knees
alligator eating pizza – wide legged forward fold/prasarita padottonasana, pretend to make a pizza and eat it
read a bedtime story – 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. 

Song: “Fly like a Butterfly” – Shakta Khalsa

Animals Yawning
butterfly – baddha konasana
owl –  seated twists, saying “hoo” like an owl on each side
cat/cow 
puppy – anahatasana

Savasana
Song: Kira Willey’s “When You Sleep” 

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

Namaste!

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“Loose Parts” little ones event

This month we played with “loose parts.” I put a lot of craft supplies out for the kids to build whatever they chose. I also put out blocks and Makedo tools, but I told the kids that these creations had to stay in the library.

This family LOVED the Makedo tools and stayed there for the entire event.

Here is a video explaining the boy’s creation.

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“Anywhere Farm” Story Explorers preschool book club

We talked about farms. I asked them what was on a farm. They mentioned animals and plants. I asked them if a farm could be in the city. They said no, and I told them this book shows otherwise.

Read Anywhere Farm by Phyllis Root.

We counted with corn like this post from Modern Preschool.

 

We stamped with vegetables like this post from Craftulate.

While I was chopping vegetables, I found this carrot that looks like a finger. Weird.

We planted rows of crops like this post.

We explored herbs like this post from Fantastic Fun and Learning.

Herbs are very yummy, says this girl.

Getting rosemary tickles.

I love that this boy at first said that the herbs smelled “gross,” but then he made a “salad” and stayed at this station the longest.

I gave them carrot tops to take home and regrow like this experiment from Laughing Kids Learn.

This boy also liked his carrot top so much, he took one home for every member of his family, and he decorated his cup with the vegetable stamps.

 

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