Kids Yoga and Books: Marcus Pfister

This month, Virtual Book Club for Kids is spotlighting books by Marcus Pfister.

Mr. Pfister lives in Switzerland and has written and illustrated almost fifty children’s books over the past thirty years. Though Marcus Pfister is best known for his Rainbow Fish series, he has loads of other enchanting books your children will enjoy.

My daughter and I headed to the library and picked out a few gems to read together. She chose books centered on topics we both enjoy: bedtime, the zoo, spring, and alphabet animals.

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Our favorite books by Marcus Pfister

Questions, Questions

Good Night, Little Rainbow Fish!

Charlie at the Zoo

Hopper Hunts for Spring

One of Marcus Pfister’s most recent books, Animal ABCis full of bold, colorful illustrations of animals from around the world, coupled with playful rhymes.

This fun alphabet book is perfect for acting out animal yoga poses for kids. Learning the alphabet through movement makes sense to our little learners. As your children practice the “A” sound, they can point to the alligator picture, you can read the rhyming words, and they can act out the alligator with their bodies.

Yoga poses for kids inspired by Animal ABC book by Marcus Pfister

Below are the first six letters along with matching yoga poses. Yoga is best practiced in a clear space while barefoot and wearing comfortable clothing. Don’t worry if the yoga pose doesn’t make sense to you—the point is to have fun learning with movement. Encourage your children to make up their own poses for the animals. How do the animals behave? What sounds do they make? Where do the animals live? Check out the list of Kids Yoga Poses for images of each of these poses.

Animal ABC
by Marcus Pfister

Aa – Alligator – Plank Pose
(Come to a plank on your hands and toes, pretending to be an alligator.)

Bb – Bear – Bear Walk
(Step back to hands and feet then walk like a bear.)

Cc – Chameleon – Pigeon Pose variation
(From Downward-Facing Dog Pose, bring your right foot to rest behind your right hand. Sit back down on your buttocks with your left leg extended out behind you. Bend your arms, place your forearms on the ground out in front of you, and clasp your hands together. Bend your upper body, keeping a straight back, and pretend to be a chameleon with your long tail stretched out behind you. Switch sides and repeat.)

Dd – Dolphin – Dolphin Pose
(Step back to your hands and knees and bend your elbows. Rest your forearms on the ground, with your palms flat. Lift your knees to straighten your legs then look forward.)

Ee – Elephant – Standing Forward Bend
(From Mountain Pose, take your feet wide, bend your upper body, and clasp your hands together like an elephant’s trunk. Then sway your trunk between your legs.)

Ff – Frog – Squat Pose
(Come down to a squat and hop like a frog.)

How would you act out the rest of the animals through yoga poses?

You Might Also Like…

If you enjoyed this alphabet animal yoga experience, you might like The ABC’s of Australian Animals: An Internative Kids Yoga Book.

Check Out Our North American Animals Alphabet Yoga Cards for Kids

LEARN THE ALPHABET THROUGH MOVEMENT!

Pretend to be an A for Alligator, B for Bear, and C for Cougar through yoga poses for kids! Instantly download these 66 North American animal alphabet yoga cards to learn the alphabet through movement in your home, classroom, or studio. Includes an Alphabet Index Card, Yoga Tips, Pose Instructions, 26 Yoga Pose Cards, and 26 matching North American Animal Cards. The multicultural yoga kids are from seven countries. Download the matching alphabet poster here. Ages 4+.

Purchase North American Animals Alphabet Yoga Cards for Kids here.

North American Animals Alphabet Yoga Cards for Kids

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Virtual Book Club for Kids

This post was part of this month’s Virtual Book Club for Kids. Join us every month as we explore different authors and offer fun book activities to enjoy the books. Sign up for our weekly Kids Yoga Stories newsletter to find out when the next post is live by adding your email address to the box at the top of the page.

Participating Bloggers: Toddler Approved– The Educators’ Spin On It– Rainy Day Mum– 3 Dinosaurs– Learn~Play~Imagine – Crafty Moms Share – Reading Confetti– Inspiration Laboratories – Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas – Kids Yoga Stories – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom- Ready-Set-Read – Boy Mama Teacher Mama – PlayDrMom – Fantastic Fun and Learning – Growing Book by Book– Royal Baloo – The Outlaw Mom® Blog – Kitchen Counter Chronicles – Teach Preschool – Mama Smiles – Coffe Cups and Crayons – Juggling With Kids – Here Come the Girls