MATERIALS
- Markers
- Rocks
- Paper fire
- Firefly templates
- Glue sticks
- Music for savasana
- Breathing buddies
SHORT DESCRIPTION/TOPIC
Explore our national parks and the great outdoors.
DISCUSSION POINTS
- There are 60 National Parks in the US.
- In 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park
- California has the most parks with nine, followed by Alaska with eight.
- Have you been to a national park?
CONNECTING CIRCLE
Affirmations
- I will stay on my mat.
- I will keep my hands and my feet to myself.
- I will always do my best.
POSES AS PATHWAYS/INTEGRATE THE ELEMENTS
Sunrise, Sunset – The sun has risen on our summer vacation.
Yawn and Flop
Stand in Mountain pose. Yawn as you stretch your arms upward with a big yawning sound and then flop forward in Rag Doll. Repeat several times.
Moo and Meow – Let’s kiss the cat good morning.
Down Diggety Doggie Down – And greet our dog.
READING COMES ALIVE WITH YOGA
Below is a list of National Parks from A to Z, and the poses are in bold.
Acadia (Maine)
Row, Row, Row Your Boat – Most of the park is on an island!
Big Bend (Texas)
Eagle – Big Bend has more kinds of birds than any other park!
Crater Lake (Oregan)
Waves – Crater lake is the deepest and bluest lake in the United States – 2000 feet deep
Dry Tortugas (Florida)
Talking Turtle – Almost all of the park is under water!
Everglades (Florida)
Crocodiles (Alligator Pose) – This is the home to many crocodiles! Did you know? Crocodile’s snout is pointed and V-shaped, and the alligator’s is wide and U-shaped.Alligators are only found in parts of the US and China, whereas crocodiles can be found across the world. Crocodiles prefer water that is more saline or salty than the alligator’s preferred freshwater habitat. Crocodiles can’t hide their teeth, but alligators’ teeth are sometimes hidden when their mouths are closed.
Key Nifords (Alaska)
Pigeon Series – Almost half the park is covered in ice, and is home to many species of birds!
Grand Canyon (Arizona)
Squirrel (Dromedary Delight) – If you’re at the bottom, it’s a whole mile to the top. Look up like a squirrel!
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
Volcano – Lava erupts from the volcano and rushes down to the sea!
Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
Wolf (Up Uppity Doggie Up)- Timber wolves run across frozen lake superior to this park!
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Half Moon – The trees as Joshua Tree are as old as 800 years, named after Joshua in the bible, like Joshua the branches seem to be pointing the way to heaven!
Sequoia and Kings Canyon (California)
Tree/Leaf – This is the home of the worlds biggest tree, General Sherman!
Lake Clark (Alaska)
Bubble Fish – There’s so much salmon in the water, sometimes the water looks red!
Mesa Verde (Colorado)
Ladder to the Clouds – There are stone cities here that have been empty for 700 years!
North Cascades (Washington state)
Bunny Breath – This is the home of half of the glaciers in the lower 48 states. The snow shoe rabbit gets its name from its thick padded paws allowing it to walk on snow!
Olympic (Washington state)
Raindrops (Finger Dancing) – Here it rains 12-14 feet a year!
Petrified Forest (Arizona)
Lizard – The trees here turn into rocks! Let’s play on the rocks like lizards!
Queens Chamber (New Mexico)
Bat (Butterfly with Antennae) – This place has 700 feet deep caves!
Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
Big Horn Sheep (Lunges) – The symbol of the park is: big horn sheep!
Smoky Mountains (North Carolina and Tennessee)
Deer – The smokey haze over the park are the vapors given off the plants and mixing with the warm gulf air!
Grand Teton (Wyoming)
Mountain – Rocky mountains are a beautiful jagged wall of granite!
Upheaval Dome (Utah)
Comet (Swinging Pretzel – There’s a big hole in the ground caused by a meteorite, such as an asteroid or a comet, that originates in outer space and survives its impact with the Earth’s surface!
Virgin Islands
Jabberwocky Jellyfish or Squid – Explore the nature trail for snorkelers with buoys leading the way!
Wind Cave (South Dakota)
Tunnels (Down Diggety Doggie Down) – This place has over 100 miles of narrow tunnels!
Teddy Roosevelt –x Trail
Moo and Meow – This is named after the “x” brand of the X Ranch!
Yellowstone
Spouting Dolphin – Yellowstone has the world’s largest collection of geysers – water seeps down, comes into contact with hot earth and erupts!
Zion (Utah)
Talking Turtle – Zion means a safe place away from the world! Let’s feel safe in our turtle shells.
VISUAL VIGNETTES
Have the children color a firefly coloring page.
QUIET QUESTS (play music with night sounds or crickets)
Going on a Journey – Have the children camp out — i.e. have the kids roll up in their mats in Enchilada pose like sleeping bags.
Imagine you are camping out in your favorite national park with you family or special friends. You are warm and cozy in your sleeping bag. You hear the sound of crickets outside. (pause) An owl softly says, “ whoo, whoo” (pause) You are tired from a long day of hiking, canoeing, and playing in this beautiful park. Your eyes float closed and you begin to hear the sweet sound of your own breath. (pause) You feel your belly float up and down… up and down. (pause for 2-3 minutes) As the sun rises slowly in the sky, it is time to wake up for another beautiful day in the park. Wiggle your fingers and your toes (pause). And slowly float your eyes open and come to sitting.
CLOSING CIRCLE
Circle of Friendship Flowers