“May the Stars Drip Down” 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: Eric Litwin’s “Canon in D Major“

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.

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 – May the Stars Drip Down  by Jeremy Chatelain
– May the stars – forward fold/uttanasana
– moon – seated side bends
– starlight – star pose
-desert – cobra/bhujangasana
– owl – warrior III/virabhadrasana III
– feather – eagle/garudasana
– moth – butterfly/bound angle/baddha konasana
– grasses – anjali mudra/namaste hands while taking deep breaths
– duck – malasana/garland pose
– waves roll – happy baby/ananda balasana
-starfish – star pose on floor
float away –  paripurna navasana/boat
– easy seated for rest of story

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

Kissy knee – seated forward fold/paschimottonasana while kissing knees goodnight

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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“Going on a Bear Hunt” 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)

Are you Ready for Yoga? 
Are you ready for yoga?
If you’re ready, then stomp your feet
Stomp your feet and make some noise.
Let’s stomp our feet and make some noise
And do it really fast
Then stop. Stretch your feet up, up, up
And down.
Repeat with arms then both. 
Source: Next Generation Yoga at the National Kids Yoga Conference

Song: Kira Willey’s “The Shimmy“

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 – If I was the Sunshine by Julie Fogliano and Loren Long
grass- easy seated/sukhasana with rubbing hands together for grass sounds
river – locust/shalabasana and swim
mud – high knees/one legged mountain/eka pada tadasana
forest – tree/vrksasana both sides
snow storm – warrior I/virabhadrasana I both sides like trying to walk through deep snow
bear – bear walk

Song: Bari Koral- “Dancing Bear” 

Hoberman Sphere Breathing Ball

Savasana

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

 

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Firefighter Special Storytime

We held a special storytime event on a Tuesday at an outreach location and again a couple weeks later in the library. Thanks to Windsor Severance Fire Rescue for their participation!

We read Fire Engine NO 9 by Mike Austin.

Then we made a firefighting sensory bag like this one from Sight and Sound Reading.

Some kids even dressed up!

We also got stickers and tattoos.

 

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“Caveman” preschool storytime

Opening Song
I wiggle my fingers. I wiggle my toes.
I wiggle my ears. I wiggle my nose.
I wiggle my shoulders. I wiggle my chin.
I stretch my arms wide and pull them back in.
I wiggle my elbows. I wiggle my knees.
I hop like a bunny. I smile and say, “Cheese!”
Now I have no more wiggles left in me
And I sit on the floor as still as can be.
Source: Storytime with Jason

Book – This Orq. (He Cave Boy) by David Elliot

Song – Preschool of Rock’s “Growing Bigger”

Book – Dave’s Cave by Frann Preston-Gannon

Song: Mr. Eric’s “Shake with You“

Shake It to the East
Shake it to the east. Shake it to the west.
Shake it all around and then you take a rest.
Shake your shakers up. Shake your shakers down.
Shake it, shake it, shake it, and then you settle down.
Source: Jbrary

Book – Me Hungry by Jeremy Tankard

Coffee
This song sounds like a train slowly starting to move and then chug-chug-chugging along!
Use your arms as train wheels that slowly rotate into action.
Coffee, coffee, coffee (say the words and move your arms very slowly)
Fish and chip, fish and chips, fish and chips (a little faster)
Cheese and crackers, cheese and crackers, cheese and crackers (even faster)
Meat and potatoes, meat and potatoes, meat and potatoes (faster still!)
Soup! Soup! Soup!  (Mimic a train whistle)
Source: King County Library System

Felt Board – Pigs and Pancakes

Goodbye
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as high as we can
Good-bye! (in high, squeaky voice)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as low as we can
Good-bye! (in a deep voice)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as fast as we can
Good-bye! (very quick)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as slow as we can
Good-bye! (very slowly and drawn out)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as quiet as we can
Good-bye! (in a whisper)
Bread and butter, marmalade and jam
Let’s say good-bye as loud as we can
GOOD-BYE! (yelling)
Source: Jbrary

Early literacy tip: Finding jobs and becoming well-adjusted adults and citizens would be difficult without knowing how to read! Practice reading together every day.

Other books that could work for this theme:
We are Human Animals by Rosie Haine

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“Isle of You” 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: Kira Willey’s “Stop and Go“

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.

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 – Isle of You  by David LaRochelle
-I know where to go – walk in place
-Isle of You – anjali mudra/namaste hands
– boat – paripurna navasana/boat
– waterfall – forward fold/uttanasana
– giant eagle –garudasana/eagle 
I paperclipped pages together until I got to dancing polar bears.
-dancing polar bear – dancer/natarajasana
-starfish – star pose

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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