We started with a chime listening mindfulness activity. Children were asked to close their eyes when they heard the chime and then open them when they could no longer hear the sound.
Next we worked to build heat and warm-up our bodies. We started by rubbing our hands together, slow and then fast, and placing the heat we created on our eyes, ears, brain, and heart. Then we did some rock-n-rolls, sitting at the front of the mat and rolling back and forth along the spine. Then we did the follwing Warm-Up Tree Sequence:
I’m a Little Seed Rhyme (child’s pose): Little seed, little seed in the ground / laying so still, making no sound. / Little seed, little seed, will you sprout for me? / Yes, I will! On the count of 3!
Stretch out roots and be blown in the wind (janu srisasana to both sides, wide angle)
Kneeling to soak up sun and rain
Tall Tree (mountain pose)
I’m a Tree, I Have Four Needs rhyme (soil, sun, water, air)
Tree Pose
Next it was time for our first book, Call Me
Tree / Llámame árbol by Maya Christina Gonzalez. This is a lovely story that celebrates diversity and encourages a lot of creative movement. And it's bilingual!
We danced to “Apple Tree” from The Apple Tree & the Honey Bee by Bari
Koral.
We finished with another mindfulness activity. I brought in a selection of autumn leaves, and we examined them with each of our senses in turn, first sight, then smell, then touch. Then we all found tree pose together and let our leaves drop down to the earth.
Our final story before resting was I Love Our
Earth by Bill Martin, Jr.
