Princess Yoga

I’m excited to be joining a group of kid bloggers to bring you a yearly celebration of authors from around the United States of America.

For this Booking Across the USA series, I chose Karma Wilson, who lives in Montana.

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My daughter and I are big fans of all Karma Wilson’s children’s books. Her Bear and Friends books were our first taste of her wonderful rhyming text and delightful characters. We found Never Ever Shout in the Zoo at a secondhand book shop a couple of years ago.

Bear Sees Colors was on the new books display at the library last month. And we found Princess Me on our search for princess books, following my daughter’s latest interest in all things princesses and fairies.

Our other favorites are Don’t Be Afraid, Little Pip, Moose Tracks, Animal Strike at the Zoo, and The Cow Loves Cookies. Karma Wilson has written over forty children’s books, and we haven’t found one that we don’t love.

Years ago, my Children’s Writing teacher told us never to consider writing in rhyme because so few people can do it well, but Karma Wilson is the exception. Karma is a gifted writer, captivating both adults and children with her rhythmic picture books.

Act out a Princess Book

Because many of her books feature animals, Karma’s books are perfect for acting out through easy yoga poses for kids.

Adding movement to children’s reading experience has many benefits—this includes building fluency, increasing memory skills, engaging them in the story, focusing their attention on the characters, and ultimately, making reading fun.

Princess Me, for example, is an enchanting story that follows a princess who treats her bedroom like a make-believe kingdom filled with her stuffed animals and dolls. You can’t help but immerse yourself in her magical fantasy world, and your children will love it, too.

To start your Princess Yoga experience, start by dressing up in princess and prince costumes. Get out toys, stuffed animals, and dolls to act as your maids-in-waiting, royal ladies, and other people in your land (as described in Karma Wilson’s book).

Look around your room for any other props that could create the scene for your magical kingdom. Maybe you have a tea set or a castle. Encourage your children’s creativity and imagination. Give them time to explore and set up their fantasy world.

Images from Princess Me, by Karma Wilson

Princess Yoga for Kids

Now you are ready for Princess Yoga.

Below are eight animals that are featured in Princess Me, along with a matching yoga pose. You could follow the yoga flow sequence below or make up your own princess-themed yoga pose sequence by looking at our Yoga Poses for Kids page for inspiration.

Focus on having fun with movement, not on perfectly aligned yoga poses. Let’s bring this Princess Me book alive through movement!

1. Giraffe – Extended Mountain Pose

Stand tall in Mountain Pose, look up, and reach your arms up to the sky. Touch your palms together and pretend your arms are the long neck of an orange-spotted giraffe.

2. Frog – Squat Pose

Come down to a squat with your hands down on the ground between your legs and then jump up like a green frog.

3. Dog – Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Bend down and place your palms flat on the ground. Step your feet back to create an upside-down V shape with your buttocks high in the air. Straighten your legs, relax your head and neck, and look down between your legs. Pretend to be a brown-and-white speckled dog.

4. Crocodile – Plank Pose

Shift forward to balance on your palms and on your bent toes, keeping your arms straight and your back long and flat. Pretend to be a green crocodile.

5. Cat – Cat Pose

Drop to your knees in an all-fours position, round your back, and tuck your chin to your chest. Pretend to be a white kitty cat.

6. Rabbit – Hero Pose with Bunny Breath

Come back to rest upright on your heels, with your palms resting on your knees. Take four to six short breaths then a long exhale. Pretend to be a white bunny rabbit.

7. Turtle – Extended Child’s Pose

Slowly bring your forehead down to rest in front of your knees, place the palms of your hands flat on the floor out in front of you, and take a few deep breaths. Pretend to be a green turtle.

8. Ladybug – Child’s Pose

From Extended Child’s Pose, take your arms down alongside your body and take a few deep breaths. Imagine being a red-and-black ladybug.

For images and descriptions of other yoga poses for kids, see our Yoga Poses for Kids page.

What was your favorite princess yoga pose?

 

 

Other Karma Wilson Books and Yoga Sequences

Click on the images or links below for more yoga sequences inspired by other Karma Wilson books:

Kids Yoga and Books by Karma Wilson	Zoo Animals Yoga
Forest Animals Books and Yoga

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Fairy Yoga for Kids

Ballet Yoga

 

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Booking Across the USA Series

This post was part of a celebration of authors across the United States of America by a group of kid bloggers. Each of us featured a different author connected to a specific state and then offered an activity to go along with one of the author’s books. For the whole list of authors and book activities for each state, click here.

2015 Booking Across the USA Participants:
edSnapshots, Incredibly Confident Kids, Child Led Life, Crayonbox Learning, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom,The Educators’ Spin On It, The Art Curator for Kids, My Little Me , Kathys Cluttered Mind, Story Time Secrets, True Aim, The Jenny Evolution, Primary Inspired, KC Edventures, Chicken Babies, Mosswood Connections, Country Fun Childcare, Picture Books & Piourettes, Mama Smiles, Buggy and Buddy, Wise Owl Factory, Bambini Travel, Inspiration Laboratories , Kids Yoga Stories, Elementary Matters, Just Another Mom, Teaching With Grace, All Done Monkey, Something 2 Offer, ALLterNATIVE Learning, Cutting Tiny Bites, JDaniels4’s Mom, Living Montessori Now, Pragmatic Mom, Kid World Citizen, Teach Beside Me, Kitchen Floor Crafts, Mama Miss, A Book Long Enough, and Brain Power Boy