Posts Tagged ‘yoga in the classroom’
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!
Whether its “Ms. Zoerhof’s Morning Sequence” for a first grade classroom or Lia’s “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!!
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:
Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App
Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD
Sing Song Yoga® school program
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: app, children, childrens yoga, ipad app, iphone app, ipod touch app, kids, kids yoga, kids yoga app, music and movement, sing song yoga, yoga, yoga for kids, yoga in schools, yoga in the classroom, yoga poses
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:
- Length of pose displayed
- 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.)
- Total Sequence Time Display **My personal favorite!!
- 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…
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.
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…
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
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.
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:
Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App
Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD
Sing Song Yoga® school program
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: app, children, childrens yoga, ipad app, iphone app, ipod touch app, kids, kids yoga, kids yoga app, mindfulness, music, music and movement, yoga app, yoga for kids, yoga in schools, yoga in the classroom, yoga poses
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…
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:
Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App
Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD
Sing Song Yoga® school program
This entry was posted on Thursday, September 3rd, 2015.
Posted in Kids Yoga at Home, Sing Song Yoga, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: app, childrens yoga, ipad app, iphone app, kids yoga, kids yoga app, sing song yoga, yoga app, yoga for children, yoga for kids, yoga in schools, yoga in the classroom
Top 5 Kids Yoga Tips for Greater Flexibility
This topic of yoga tips for greater flexibility was inspired by a question tweeted by Mrs. Johnson’s #1stgradeyogis in China…
“We want to know how we can stretch better! Any tips?”
Thank you fabulous young yogis and your brilliant teacher, Mrs. Johnson, in China for this great #SSYkidQuestion!! We so appreciate you tweeting us questions and inspirations for other kids and their parents and teachers!
Most yogis think about their level of flexibility, so this is a relevant question for kid and adult yogis alike. Here are five yoga tips to help stretch you and your body to greater depths…
1. Begin where you are.
So, first things first — in yoga and in any other area of life… where you are is exactly the perfect place to be! Really!! And if you would like to change something, “where you are” is the perfect place from which to start. For example, if you want to touch your toes in ragdoll (uttanasana), but right now you can touch your knees, first say to yourself “I can touch my knees today. I wonder how far I will reach in a month after doing yoga regularly.” You are where you are and there is nothing better than that! Celebrate today and move forward from here!
2. There’s only one person to compare yourself to… and that’s YOU! – not anyone else.
Comparing yourself to someone else is like comparing the ocean to the forest. Each person is beautifully unique – thank goodness for that – and comparing yourself to another person helps no one.
On the other hand, look at yourself today compared to yourself… say last year at this time… You have most certainly come a long way. Celebrate that! Always compare yourself to only you and you will see growth!
Regarding yoga poses and stretching farther, try this. Do a yoga pose that you enjoy and in which you would like to stretch farther. For example, (and maybe as a group) do the L Pose (Dandasana/Paschimottanasana), hold it for a moment while you notice where your fingers land on your legs. Maybe note this on a sticky note (Deb – Sept. 2 – L Pose – finger tips at knees) and put it away. Then, a month or so later, do the same thing and just notice if your fingers land in the same place on your legs or maybe just a touch farther – and note that. If not this month, maybe next month. Either way, yoga is not about how flexible you are. It does tend to increase flexibility but it is not the most important part! Be aware of your body and how magnificent it is and what it can accomplish for you!!
3. Hold poses longer.
If you’d like to increase your flexibility one strategy you can try is to hold some poses longer than we do in the Sing Song Yoga videos. Maybe as a class, you can decide a pose for the month to hold longer during your yoga time.
For example, for the month of September, each time we do yoga let’s pause the video and hold Standing V (Upavistha Konasana) longer. Maybe the class could vote to select the pose each month.
4. Do a sequence of poses working the same muscles/muscle groups.
Several yoga poses use similar muscles to do the poses. For example, hamstrings (those muscles on our back thighs) are lengthened within many different poses. And they are often tight and a main factor in how far we can bend forward — as in Rag Doll (Uttanasana).
If we were to just hold Rag Doll for 12 minutes, most of us would get bored. But, if we were to do several different poses within those 12 minutes that each focus on lengthening those hamstrings, we would not only better achieve it, but we would add in additional benefits from the other poses as well as enjoy the variety.
So, let’s continue with the example of lengthening our hamstrings. Using the Sing Song Yoga app, as a class, you can explore what poses to include to create and save a “Hamstring Sequence.” A sample sequence could include the following:
- Rag Doll – Uttanasana
- Standing V – Prasarita Padottanasana
- Mosquito – Parsvottanasana
- Downward Dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Dolphin – Pincha Mayurasana Prep
- L Pose -Dandasana/Paschimottanasana
- V Pose – Upavistha Konasana
- Big Butterfly
- Half Butterfly – Janu Sirsasana
- Savasana
That’s 10 poses in under 12 minutes, when you slide the transition speed to the left (see pic).
5. Repetition can help.
Do yoga more often… even while watching TV 🙂 If there is a pose you’d really like to improve, set a goal to try to do that pose every day. If I wanted to reach my toes in L Pose, I could try to sit in this pose each day whenever I think of it… while reading, while watching TV, while chatting with my friends, etc.
In the classroom, as a class, you could decide to sit in L Pose for a bit while you are studying your spelling words, or doing math flash cards, or reading… the possibilities are endless!
The main thing to remember is to be easy about all of this and have fun!
Thank you once again for your great question Mrs. Johnson’s #1stgradeyogis in China!! Please keep us posted on your yoga progress over the coming months! And of course, send new questions as they arise! Happy Yoga!
Please post your kids’ yoga questions on
Twitter or Facebook using #ssykidsquestions
See this link for an outline of the Simple Process for Creating and Saving a Kids’ Yoga Balancing Sequence within the Sing Song Yoga App and apply the process to creating a “Hamstring Sequence.”
Related Posts:
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.”
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.
Twitter Leads to Most Rewarding Visit Imaginable Sing Song Yoga founder does yoga with students she connected with on Twitter.
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.
For more info:
Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App
Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD
Sing Song Yoga® school program
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 1st, 2015.
Posted in Kid's Yoga Sequences, Kids Yoga at Home, Sing Song Yoga, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: app, childrens yoga, health, ipad app, iphone app, kids yoga, kids yoga app, kids yoga benefits, music and movement, schools, sing song yoga, yoga, yoga app, yoga benefits, yoga for children, yoga for kids, yoga in schools, yoga in the classroom, yoga poses
Yoga in Schools: Kids as Teachers
Sometimes I think that I’m the teacher. However, I am continuously reminded that I am first and foremost a forever-student. And oftentimes, children are my wisest teachers. Yoga in schools holds such powerful opportunities…
I recently had the honor of visiting this classroom in Michigan that has been using our kids’ yoga program every school day over the last few years.
When I began the class, I quickly learned that these fabulous young yogis knew our songs and teaching cues better than I do. Mistakenly thinking I was the only yoga teacher in the room, I originally intended to shake things up a bit and add poses/songs that are not on the Sing Song Yoga DVD they use. However, their lead in the session kept us crisply on track of the classic session. My heart gratefully sang progressively louder as I gradually quieted my voice to allow for their voices and intentions to lead.
The joys, the love and the excitement was refreshingly uncensored. My cheeks actually hurt a bit from smiling and laughing with my new young yoga teachers.
The lovely, progressive classroom teacher appeared to be pleasantly surprised at the level of mastery some of the students demonstrated in recalling the important details of each pose as we moved through the class. Yoga through music has a magic about it and these students are clearly the magicians!
Thank you, thank you to these young yogis for being my teachers and to their classroom teacher for inviting me to experience this unbridled joy… with yoga in schools!!
Related Posts:
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:
Sing Song Yoga® Kids’ Yoga App
Sing Song Yoga® kids’ yoga DVD
Sing Song Yoga® school program
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 11th, 2015.
Posted in Benefits of Yoga, Education, Sing Song Yoga, Yoga in Schools.
Tagged: childrens yoga, dvd, kids yoga, kids yoga app, kids yoga benefits, schools, video, yoga, yoga app, yoga for children, yoga for kids, yoga in schools, yoga in the classroom