Kids Yoga and Books: Karma Wilson

This month for Virtual Book Club for Kids, we are spotlighting books by Karma Wilson. Check out Karma Wilson’s official website to see all her books, teacher resources, book activities, school visits, and kids corner.

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The first Karma Wilson book that we fell in love with was Bear Snores On. Our daughter was an infant at the time. She loved to hear the rhyming text and look at the forest animals. It is a magical book to read aloud. I was then ecstatic to find that Karma Wilson has written a whole series of eight Bear books with the same charming characters and sing-along text.

Kids yoga sequence inspired by Karma Wilson’s Bear books

Reading aloud Karma Wilson’s books are a treat. Now, add in movement with your reading and you have a fun, active experience to do with your children. Perfect for an indoor activity during the winter months. Find six of the animals featured in the bear books, along with the corresponding poses below. Encourage your child’s creativity as they invent their own poses for the animals. The animals are listed in a particular yoga sequence to invite flow from one pose to the next. Do whatever works for you and your child. Focus on having fun with movement, and don’t worry about getting the poses “right”. Enjoy your animal poses!

Karma Wilson’s Bear Books

Brown Bear – Downward-Facing Dog Pose
(Step back to hands and feet like an upside down “V”, and walk like a bear.)

Raven – Pigeon Pose
(From Downward-Facing Dog Pose, bring right foot to rest behind right hand, placing right foot slightly inwards, and perch like a raven.)

Badger – Extended Cat Pose
(Come to all fours, extend one leg out behind you, and look forward.)

Hare – Hero’s Pose with Bunny Breath
(Come back to rest upright on your heels, with your hands resting on your knees. Take bunny breaths by taking a few short, quick breaths in through your nose. Then, take a big sigh and exhale deeply.)

Gopher – Extended Child’s Pose
(Come to sitting back on your heels, slowly bring your forehead down to rest in front of your knees, and extend your arms out in front of you.)

Mouse or Mole – Child’s Pose
(From Extended Child’s Pose, rest your arms back alongside your body, and take a few deep breaths.)

Kids Yoga sequence inspired by Karma Wilson’s zoo book

The zoo is not far from where we live in San Francisco. A trip to the zoo is one of our favorite activities to do with our toddler. We love to watch and talk about the various animals. We have also made it a habit of acting out the animals through kids yoga. We were so excited to find Karma Wilson’s Never, EVER Shout in a Zoo book at our local book shop. Another great way to integrate our zoo experience with kids yoga and reading books. Again, encourage your children to make up their own poses for the animals that they see at the zoo. The ten animal poses are listed in the order that they appear in the book. Have fun with movement!

Never, EVER Shout in a Zoo
by Karma Wilson

Bear – Downward-Facing Dog Pose
(Step back to hands and feet, and walk like a bear.)

Moose – Seated Twist
(Come back to rest upright on your heels, and twist your upper body. Spread your hands out and place on your head like the antlers of a moose.)

Ape – Standing Forward Bend
From Mountain Pose, bend your upper body, and beat your chest like an ape.)

Hippo – Child’s Pose
(Come to sitting back on your heels, slowly bring your forehead down to rest in front of your knees, rest your arms down alongside your body, and take a few deep breaths. Pretend to be a hippo wallowing in the water.)

Lion – Cat Pose
(On all fours, tuck your chin into your chest, and round your back. Stick your tongue out and exhale audibly for Lion’s Breath.)

Tiger – Extended Cat Pose
(From all fours, extend one leg out behind you, and look forward.)

Kangaroo – Chair Pose
(Stand tall in Mountain Pose with your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees, and hop like a kangaroo.)

Snake – Cobra Pose
(Lie on your tummy, lift head and shoulders off ground, place palms flat next to your shoulders, and hiss like a snake.)

Flamingo – Tree Pose
(Stand on one leg, bend your knee, place the sole of your foot on your inner thigh, and balance like a flamingo.)

Crocodile – Plank Pose
(Come down to a plank on your hands and toes. Pretend to be a crocodile.)

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