Archive for the ‘Kids Yoga at Home’ Category


Yoga for Kids in School on Fox 17

Though we’ve been thrilled about McFall Elementary adopting Sing Song Yoga for kids school-wide 4 years ago, I had not yet met or even connected with any of the teachers. So to meet Jasmine Koster, a kindergarten teacher at McFall, and find that she and her students were truly finding such rich purpose in using our kids’ yoga program in the classroom, was not only affirming for my business, but heart-warming personally as well.

Below is the interview on Fox 17, during which Jasmine talks about using our kids yoga program in her classroom and throughout her school. She discusses the benefits she sees with her students as well as the overall effects on her classroom environment. The dialog from the video is also transcribed below.

So the interview went roughly like this…

Leigh Ann Towne, Host of Fox 17 Morning Mix: How did you come up with Sing Song Yoga for kids?

Deb Weiss-Gelmi, Sing Song Yoga founder: When my daughter was preschool age I was looking for a local [kids’] yoga class or a DVD and found neither at that time. So as a school teacher who used music in the classroom and as a yoga sing song yoga for kidsinstructor this idea came to me.

Leigh Ann: So explain to people what Sing Song Yoga is.

Deb: Sing Song Yoga is a kids’ musical yoga program in which song lyrics instruct children how to get into the poses. Educational researchers find that music, movement and fun together naturally increase the positive chemicals in the brain that help with memory, with the ability to pay attention and with new learning. In other words, children respond really well to music which makes learning yoga or anything easier, more effective and more fun.

Leigh Ann: How can viewers find out more about [Sing Song Yoga for kids]?

Deb: We have local classes, a DVD, a book about yoga in the classroom and an App. The app is completely customizable. You can choose poses and create your own yoga sequence. Or you can choose from one of 39 preprogrammed sequences each with an end in mind. If you have a child at home who has a difficult time going to sleep – we have a bedtime sequence. If you have a child who does sports there’s an athlete’s sequence. If you’re a teacher you could choose one of the brain break sequences or test prep sequence. These are just some of the examples but we have 39 different possibilities and as I mentioned you can also create name and save your own yoga program. And we have a  unique feature inspired by a parent of a child with physical limitations. She kept having to pause our DVD for extra time to transition between the poses. So with our app you could have a transition as quick as 1 second for the young energetic users or as long as 30 seconds for those who need a bit more time.

Leigh Ann (to Jasmine): Now you are a teacher right now. Where do you teach?

Jasmine Koster: I’m a kindergarten teacher at McFall Elementary in Thornapple
Kellogg School District.Sing Song Yoga for kids

Leigh Ann: How did you discover Sing Song Yoga for kids and how do you incorporate it into your classroom?

Jasmine: I started Sing Song Yoga about 4 years ago. It’s been a great way for me to combine my two passions which are also yoga and teaching young children. I love to use yoga in our classroom to create a sense of calm. I feel that any amount of time we put into a yoga session is definitely gained back in our classroom work. My students are always refocused, their concentration improves, we have a sense of calmness in our classroom. And so it’s not only been a way to sharpen ourselves physically but also mentally as well.

Leigh Ann: How many times a week do you incorporate it?

Jasmine: I try to use it once or twice a week and incorporate it into our lesson plans. And the majority of our school teachers in our building also try that as well. So it’s been something we’ve all enjoyed incorporating and making fit into our very busy schedule.

Leigh Ann: What’s the reaction been like for the kids?

Jasmine: My kids love to do Sing Song Yoga. They request it. They are actively engage while participating and the greatest thing I love about it is that they encourage each other while we’re doing it. So they’s also establishing a wonderful emotional connection with each other as well.

Leigh Ann: How might teachers get their hands on Sing Song Yoga?

Deb: The app is very user-friendly so a teacher could download the free version of the app and give it a shot today! It’s airplay enabled and can easily be projected onto big screens in the classroom. We have a book: Using Sing Song Yoga in the Classroom, which includes a DVD and 19 lessons. We also offer a professional development to assist teachers and schools in getting the most out of the app, how to squeeze yoga into the busy school day (which is always a challenge) as well as information on the benefits of yoga for kids.

Leigh Ann (to Jasmine): Now this isn’t taking the place of recess is it? You’re still allowing them to wind up and then wind them back down, right?

Jasmine: No. I actually like to use it as a transition from one lesson to the next to reestablish their self-awareness. So it’s been a great tool in our classroom.

Leigh Ann: For more information head to singsongyoga.com, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, @singsongyoga. And there are 5 free Sing Song Yoga classes at the Grand Rapids Public Library on July 19 and 20?

Deb: Correct. As part of their summer reading series. You can also find us at the Yoga Studio in Grand Rapids, gryoga.com and through Zeeland Recreation.

Thank you sincerely to Executive Producer, Fox 17 Morning Mix, Andrea Shaner and host of Morning Mix, Leigh Ann Towne for featuring Sing Song Yoga for kids on your show! And thank you to Jasmine Koster for joining me in sharing our mutual passion, respect and appreciation of yoga for kids! I truly appreciate such a rewarding experience!


Related Posts:

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”

8 Kids Yoga Myths  Some common misunderstandings about yoga for kids.

Top 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility A kids’ yoga question answered: “We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”

Yoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.

Crossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga yoga for kids is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…

Top 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”

Kids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.

Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video Our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video.

Kids Yoga App Series #5 Time Management for Home & Classroom Super efficient time-management kids yoga app tools to get the most out of every second spent with our kids.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

 

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 15th, 2016.
Posted in Education, Kid's Yoga Sequences, Kids Yoga at Home, Sing Song Yoga, Uncategorized, Yoga in Schools.


Kids Yoga App Series #6: Create & Save Custom Sequences

* This post is the 6th within a kids yoga app series #SSYappSeries… (here are #1#2#3#4 and #5 ).

In my life I absolutely gobble up any tools that allow me to effortlessly customize its components to fully meet MY PeRsoNal NeeDs!! — Especially when I only have to think through the customization once and then save my work for later use.

As a school teacher wanting to squeeze yoga into the school day, this was one of my main focuses when designing the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app. For those users who want to either build sequences from scratch or change the preprogrammed sequences to better fit their needs, the SAVE feature is a dream come true!

8

Whether its “Ms. Zoerhof’s Morning Sequence” for a first grade classroom or Lia’sssy app pic arrows for save “Before Bed Sequence,” the time has come in which we can seamlessly and perfectly align our daily routines with our technology!! Thank you to our brilliant app developers for making this wishful feature a reality!!

saved sequences

This link will review how simply the app works, including creating and changing sequences that you’d like to save.

Please let us know ANY questions or comments you might have on Facebook or Twitter, using #SSYappSeries or #SSYkidQuestions. We look forward to hearing from you!! Happy Yoga!!


Related Posts:

Kids Yoga App Series – #1. Adult Help Symbol in DVD/App Quick video explaining the “Adult Help” symbol used in the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #2. Try it Free A super quick video to demonstrate some features within the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video Our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video.

Kids Yoga App Series #5 Time Management for Home & Classroom Super efficient time-management kids yoga app tools to get the most out of every second spent with our kids.

Top 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility A kids’ yoga question answered: “We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”

8 Kids Yoga Myths  Some common misunderstandings about kids’ yoga.

Crossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga Kids’ yoga is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…

Top 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”

Kids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.

Yoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.

Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

 

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 17th, 2015.
Posted in Education, Kids Yoga at Home, Parenting, Sing Song Yoga, Uncategorized, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Kids Yoga App Series #5: Time Management for Home & Classroom

* This post is the 5th within a kids yoga app series #SSYappSeries… (here are #1#2#3 and #4.

Parents and teachers have one BIG thing in common – the need for super efficient time-management tools and skills to get the most out of every second spent with our kids. For this reason when designing our kids yoga app we focused heavily on features that assist with efficiently managing time spent on yoga, so it can easily fit into our daily schedules.

4 Time Management Features:

  1. Length of pose displayed
  2. Length of SSY Sequences (preprogrammed sequences – series of poses each with an end in mind, i.e. Test Prep Sequence, Calming Sequence, Athlete’s Sequence, etc.)
  3. Total Sequence Time Display **My personal favorite!!
  4. Transition Speed Slider

1. Length of Pose

For specific times down to the second, the app displays the actual time duration for each individual pose right on its corresponding picture within the Tabs section. See arrows in below pic…

SSY app pic arrow pose length

2. Length of SSY Sequence (preprogrammed)

…and as shown below, on each Sequence picture the length of the sequence is displayed — under the SSY SEQUENCES tab.

SSY app pic arrow sequence time

3. Total Sequence Time

And one of the features that I personally LOVE is the “Total Sequence Time” display on the Sequence Canvas. This display changes as you add and throw out poses from your sequence that you’re building on the Sequence Canvas…

SSY app pic arrow Total sequence length

So let’s say you have five minutes to spare in between recess and writing. But the “I Can Focus Sequence” is too long at 11:01 minutes.  You can open the sequence (drag it to the Sequence Canvas) and then proceed to throw out some of the poses by pressing, holding and moving the pose back up to the tabs area (as shown above with Sailboat) until you’re under 5 minutes. And viola!! Now you have time for yoga! I so love this!!

4. Transition Speed Slider

Before each pose is a transition slide that displays:

  • Pose name (kid name & Sanskrit name)
  • Photo of pose

photo 1

The default length of time for these slides is 4 seconds (as in the DVD version). But the Transition Speed Slider (shown below) allows the user to shorten that slide to as quick as 1 second to squeeze in more poses. Or lengthen the time to as long as 30 seconds. This can be useful for children with physical limitations who may need more time to move from one pose to the next, or for use during a game where kids are moving from one area of the classroom to another between poses. The possibilities are endless.

4 speed slider

 

We’d love to hear about additional ideas that you have found to help efficiently manage time with yoga in the classroom and at home!

And please let us know ANY questions or comments you might have on Facebook or Twitter, using #SSYappSeries or #SSYkidQuestions. We look forward to hearing from you!! Happy Yoga!!


Related Posts:

Kids Yoga App Series – #1. Adult Help Symbol in DVD/App Quick video explaining the “Adult Help” symbol used in the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #2. Try it Free A super quick video to demonstrate some features within the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video Our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video.

Top 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility A kids’ yoga question answered: “We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”

8 Kids Yoga Myths  Some common misunderstandings about kids’ yoga.

Crossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga Kids’ yoga is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…

Top 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”

Kids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.

Yoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.

Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

 

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2015.
Posted in Education, Kid's Yoga Sequences, Kids Yoga at Home, Sing Song Yoga, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Kids Yoga App Series #4 Guidelines Video

* This post is the 4th within a kids yoga app series #SSYappSeries… (here are #1#2, and #3.

Kids often learn best from kids! That’s why our Sing Song Yoga Kids share their wisdom about doing yoga in this Guidelines Video found under the Information button within the Sing Song Yoga kids yoga app and on the DVD. We include the video here to encourage you to check out the app and DVD. And if you already use our program, be sure to share the video with your young yogis at home or in school.

Please let us know any questions you might have on Facebook or Twitter, using #SSYappSeries or #SSYkidQuestions. We look forward to hearing from you!! Happy Yoga!!


Related Posts:

Kids Yoga App Series – #1. Adult Help Symbol in DVD/App Quick video explaining the “Adult Help” symbol used in the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #2. Try it Free A super quick video to demonstrate some features within the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases –FAQs: How to easily restore in-app purchases in seconds with this simple illustration.

Top 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility A kids’ yoga question answered: “We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”

8 Kids Yoga Myths  Some common misunderstandings about kids’ yoga.

Crossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga Kids’ yoga is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…

Top 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”

Kids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.

Yoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.

Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2015.
Posted in Kids Yoga at Home, Sing Song Yoga, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


Kids Yoga App Series – #3. Restore Purchases

* This post is the 3rd within a kids yoga app series #SSYappSeries… (here’s #1 and #2)

So, I try out a new app! Love it! Make a purchase to enjoy its full functionality! Update my phone! Argh! Lost my purchases!! That’s no fun! And frankly, it’s frustrating!

But have no fear! With the Sing Song Yoga app for kids, there’s a simple solution illustrated below…

kids yoga app Sing Song Yoga series - restore purchases

That’s it! Enjoy!

There are other useful topics under the Info button that are worth checking out within this kids yoga app.

Please let us know any questions you might have on Facebook or Twitter, using #SSYappSeries or #SSYkidQuestion. We look forward to hearing from you!! Happy Yoga!!


Related Posts:

Kids Yoga App Series – #1. Adult Help Symbol in DVD/App Quick video explaining the “Adult Help” symbol used in the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Kids Yoga App Series – #2. Try it Free A super quick video to demonstrate some features within the Sing Song Yoga® kids yoga app.

Top 5 Kids’ Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility Yoga tips to help stretch you and your body to greater depths.

8 Kids Yoga Myths  Some common misunderstandings about kids’ yoga.

Crossing the Midline and Kids’ Yoga Kids’ yoga is one of the many activites that can provide cross-lateral experiences for children. If done regularly might assist in building the brain for…

Top 6 Yoga Poses for Toddlers  “A few months ago a parent asked how she could best do yoga with her one-year-old daughter…”

Kids’ Yoga App – Create Your Own Balancing Sequence Effortlessly create a balancing sequence with a few taps of this kids’ yoga iOS app.

Yoga in Schools: Kids and Teachers Talk Kids’ Yoga A quick peek into what kids and teachers are saying about using the Sing Song Yoga app in the classroom.

Top 5 Tips to Help Balance in Kids’ Yoga: Kid Twitter Question Answered A kid question answered: “Do you have any tips to help us balance better?”

Getting Kids Ready to Write: Yoga in Schools A teacher question answered: “I was wondering the best combinations [of poses] to use [with my students] for getting ready to write.”

Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable  Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.


For more info:Yoga in a School Setting

Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App

Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD

Sing Song Yoga® school program

Sing Song Yoga® website

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 3rd, 2015.
Posted in Kids Yoga at Home, Sing Song Yoga, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,


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