The Bendy Blog

Walking on Sunshine


By Jan Skierkowski


Bendy Blog category: Seasonal Goodies

AUTHOR: Chelsea Keller
AGE GROUP: 2-6, 7-11
MATERIALS: Blank sunshine coloring sheets, markers, crayon, stuffed animals/breathing buddies, The Yoga Garden Game, marbles
KEY ELEMENTS:  Ecological Echoes
SHORT DESCRIPTION/TOPIC
Students will have fun in the sun with this class!! With uplifting sun music, a sun salutation, and interactively playing in our yoga garden.
DISCUSSION POINTS

  • Sun, seasons, how plants grow, photosynthesis
  • Patterns (in explaining sun salutations) for 2-6 age group

CONNECTING CIRCLE
Students begin lying down with legs spread in a V with feet touching, connecting around the circle and arms overhead.  Students make a sun, each representing bright rays of… SUNSHINE!  Bridge of Diamonds

POSES AS PATHEWAYS/INTEGRATE THE ELEMENTS

Transformer Series/Sun Salutation   Sun salutations are poses linked together to form a pattern.  Have student share examples of patterns. Show patters perhaps with colorful flowers or other items.  The sun is very healthy for us? It gives us Vitamin D which helps prevent many diseases including:   Type 1 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.  The sun also gives us energy and happiness!  Math Medley, Body Benefits, Ecological Echoes, Musical Musings

Play Reach for the Sun, By YogaKids Fitness Fun Tunes

  • Mountain
  • Reach for the Sun (4 or 5 rounds)
  • Exhale into Rag Doll
  • Inhale/Step back into Down Diggety Doggy Down
  • Exhale into Lizard
  • Inhale into Cobra/Snake
  • Exhale onto all fours
  • Inhale into Cow/Moo
  • Exhale into Cat/Meow
  • Inhale/Push up into Down Diggety Doggy Down
  • Exhale/Walk the dog up to Mountain, ready to repeat!

 

Mountain  “I am strong, I am stable” The sun is shining bright. What could grow? Affirmations, Ecological Echoes

Acorn to Tree  (child’s pose to tree)  Trees grow as a result of sun and water.  This is called photosynthesis, from the Greek phōs, “light”, and synthesis, “putting together”.  Trees convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy that can be later released to fuel the trees activities (energy transformation).  Ecological Echoes

Root and Rise  (squat low and then rise up like a tree growing tall)  Our roots keep us connected to the earth, and grounded – just like a tree. Feel your roots, and reach your branches tall towards the clouds and the sun. Ecological Echoes, Bridge of Diamonds

Walking with my Animal Hat (walk with a stuffed animal on the head) (Play Walking on Sunshine or other inspirational music) This pose helps us improve our balance, posture, and concentration. Body Benefits, Musical Musings

Circle of Friendship Flower (Hold hands, childs pose, rise up onto the knees and spread arms)  What type of flower are you (for older group) or what color is your flower (for younger group).  We all Win

Marble Toes  (Pick up marbles with the toes)  Plant seeds in the yoga garden.  Set up hula-hoops around the room as the flowerbeds. Play Hula Hoops by  Omi  We All Win, Musical Musings

The Yoga Garden Game (Available at yogakids.com) If time allows We All Win

 

VISUAL VIGNETTES  Sun coloring sheets, or have students create their own.

QUIET QUESTS

Savasana & Peace Breath
Close your eyes. Relax your body. Feel how comfortable it is to relax your body on the comfort of your own mat, or your wonderful sunshine that you walked on today. Soak up the sunshine, soak up those rays, and enjoy the heat, energy, life and love the sun provides you. Breathe your belly up and down. Take a deep breath in, and breathe out and whisper peace. As you say peace, feel all the peace that fills your body. Sense all the peace that is filling the room. Send peace to the animals, the tress, the plants, and the beautiful flowers in our world. Send peace to your family and friends and everyone you love. Always remember to enjoy the peace and sunshine in your life.

CLOSING CIRCLE
Re-create the connecting circle sunshine created at the beginning of class. This time, ask students to shine their rays even brighter, and reach reach reach their arms all the way to the back of their mats.

Namaste

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