Monthly Archives: September 2019

“Squeak!” 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 

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 – Squeak!  by Laura McGee Kvasnosky and Kate Harvey McGee
breeze through the mountains – mountain/tadasana
mouse – child’s pose/balasana
chipmunks – tree/vrksasana
trout – salabhasana/locust
elk – warrior I/virabhadrasana I
bear – bear walk
wolves – upward facing dog/urdhva mukha svanasana with howl
bighorn sheep – downward facing dog/adho mukha svanasana with kicks
bison – warrior II/virabhadrasana II

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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“Abner and Ian Get Right-Side Up” 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 – Abner and Ian Get Right-Side Up by Dave Eggers
For this book, I had the kids jump up and down when it says to shake the book. We just did a different pose everytime the characters got mixed up.
First pose: Triangle/trikonasana on right side
Second pose: (Upside down) Downward facing dog/adho mukha svanasana
Third pose: (characters in the gutter of the page) happy baby/ananda balasana
Fourth: (world is upside down) legs up the wall/viparita karani
Fifth: (kid is doing this on purpose) eagle/garudasana
Sixth: (nope! again!) goddess pose/utkata konasana
Seventh: (like a gorilla!) eagle/garudasana on the other side
Eighth: (Hm) malasana/garland pose
Ninth: (this looks familiar) trikonasana/triangle on left
Resting: sukhasana/easy seated pose

Song: Kidding Around Yoga- “Crazy Monkey” 

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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“Grandparents” 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 – Sing and Dance in your Polka Dot Pants – Eric Litwin

Song: Eric Litwin’s “Polka Dot Pants 

Tommy Thumbs Up
Tommy Thumbs up (thumbs up)
and Tommy Thumbs down. (thumbs down)
Tommy Thumbs dancing all over town.  (Dance thumbs)
Dance ‘em on your shoulders.
(Bounce them on shoulders)
Dance ‘em on your head. (Bounce them on head)
Dance ‘em on your knees. (Bounce them on knees)
And tuck them into bed! (Fold arms, hiding hands)
Source: King County Library System

Book – I Really Want to See You, Grandma – Taro Gomi

Song- Ralph’s World – “Driving in my Car

Rain on the Green Grass
Rain on the green grass
Rain on the tree
Rain on the rooftop
But none on me
Source: King County Library System

The More We Get Together
The more we get together
Together, together
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
‘Cause your friends are my friends
And my friends are your friends
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
Oh, the more we get together
Together, together
The more we get together
The happier we’ll be
Source: Skokie Public Library

Book – Tea with Grandpa – Barney Saltzberg 

Song: Jim Gill’s “Two for Tea 

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

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 for this theme
One, Two, Grandpa Loves You by Shelly Becker and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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“Get Swamped!” little ones event

For this month, we learned about swamps, ponds, ducks, turtles, and frogs. This event was for ages 2-5, and we held it on Tuesday and Saturday at the library.

We hopped around on lily pads.

We made fish swim like this post from Deceptively Educational.

We made turtles with potato mashers like this post from Happy Toddler Playtime.

We made quacking ducks like this post from the Quiet SLP.

 

We looked at pond water and other natural objects with our magnifying glasses and microscopes.

 

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