This week at PRISM we geared up for mothers day. Robin read the book "Love Matters Most" by Gerry Turley and Mij Kelly. The book was about a mother polar bear who goes searching for her baby cub in the cold night. After story time, we did a fill-in-the-blank page about our moms.
Then we went outside and played with maracas and egg shakers. I played ukulele and sang a maraca song:
Shake shake shake, take a break
shake shake shake, take a break
shake up high, shake down low
shake above your head, shake above your toes
shake shake shake, take a break, shake shake shake, take a break
shake to your left, shake to your right
shake loosey goose, shake real tight
shake shake shake, take a break
shake shake shake, take a break
turn to your neighbor, give them a shake
spin in a circle and shake shake shake.
The kids loved shaking the maracas and dancing. I also gave them each the chance to play the ukulele as the rest of us sang the song and danced, considering the song was only two chords: C and G.
After music we did "mommy and me" yoga with stuffed animals. The boys were not too interested in "mommy and me" yoga until they found out we were throwing the animals in the air and balancing them on our heads in tree pose.
Here is the yoga sequence we did:
-mountain pose/ utthita hastasana (lift your animal above your head)
-forward fold/ uttanasana (bring your animal to the ground)
-repeat twice (two half sun salutations)
-hold your animal in front of you
-rotate your animal to the left, then to the right
-mountain pose/ utthita hastasana (lift your animal above your head)
-forward fold/ uttanasana (bring your animal to the ground)
-high plank/ dandasana (touch your nose to your animal)
-put your animal on your back for cobra pose/ bhujangasana
-hold your animal in front of you as you do child's pose/ balasana
-tree pose/ vrksasana (with your animal balanced on your head)
-repeat on the other leg
-shake it out
-yogi squat/malasana
-stand up and throw your animal up, try to catch it
-repeat twice
-lay on your back
-savasana with your animal on your belly
The kids also gave their animals names. after yoga we went back inside and made art inspired by Pablo Picasso's "Bouquet of Peace," 1958. We used construction paper, tissue paper, and glue. When everyone finished their bouquets, we put glued the fill-in-the-blank we made onto the back of the construction paper. The kids put their mothers day bouquet art into a large envelope and wrote "to: mom, from: (child's name), do not open until May 13th.
At the end of the day we sat in a circle and practiced giving compliments by each giving one compliment to someone in the room. The kids took home a compliment practice sheet, with the rules of giving one person a compliment each day through out the week and to log their compliment on the take-home sheet.
All in one day, the kids practiced appreciation for their caregivers, music and dance, yoga, art, and the importance of compliments.
Happy Mothers Day!
