Cracker the Dragon - A Cosmic Kids Yoga Lesson Plan PREVIEW

Cracker the Dragon of Wonder Kids Yoga Class Plan In this story we inspire WONDER by meeting a dragon called Cracker who makes fireworks. It’s a perfect story for Autumn, especially in the UK around Bonfire night. There are lovely moments to practice stillness followed by big explosive movement - going from one end of the energy spectrum to the other. Understanding and MANAGING ENERGY LEVELS is a useful practice for kids which this story provides. Hope you have fun!

Set in a fantasy land Wondering at the called Whizz amazingness of the world!

Feeling sensations.

Story script

Pose checklist

Best for 2 to 5 year olds

Character image

Watch Jaime leading this adventure on YouTube

Memory Game

Things to remember Paper and pencils for the memory game

A print out of the memory game (or a tray full of stuff to remember!

Š Cosmic Kids 2019

W IE EV PR

Cracker the Dragon of Wonder

© Cosmic Kids 2019

Cracker the Dragon - Story Script

W

This is a story set in the autumn. So instead of saying ‘Hello Sun’ - let’s reach up and wave saying Goodbye summer! And when we fold forward let’s say Hello Autumn leaves! We roll up slowly and repeat it - Goodbye summer! Then fold forward to say Hello Autumn leaves! Let’s roll back up to stand.

During the autumn and winter lots of animals hide themselves away and hibernate in the cold months.

Keeping very still, we huddle up like tiny little hibernating mice (mouse pose) to stay warm and snug.

Doing this means that come the spring they’ll be ready to spring into action again (monkey jump)!

Let’s warm up by doing a few of those - huddle up in mouse pose, then slowly come to crouch before counting 1,2,3 and monkey jumping into the spring! And again! Woo hoo!

IE

How do you feel when you are very still and quiet?

How do you feel when you jump in the air like a monkey?

EV

We’re off for a journey of wonder to meet a dragon called Cracker. We are heading to a faraway place, another world called Whizz! We hop onto our magic carpet and whirr around and around as we steer down through a valley. We pass through a magic portal - a door, so let’s try door pose. It closes behind us (door pose other side) taking us into the World of Whizz.

Wow, what a world! The trees are made of feathers in colours of every shade. Let’s try tree pose and sway our branches (arms) around like they’re made of feathers! (Ask the children what colour their feathery branches are). Let’s try our feathered tree pose on the other side! Let’s see if we can close our eyes and count to 5 on this side! We stand and look up noticing the sky is orange! And there’s a scatter of huge brightly coloured stars (star pose). Close up we hear the stars are singing very quiet little tunes… Let’s listen to each other’s sounds! (Go round and ask each child to sing their own special tree tune!!). The stars occasionally shoot (star jump), leaving a sprinkle of twinkle.

PR

Suddenly we hear big clumpy footsteps (dinosaur pose)! What on earth could it be? We tuck up and hide making ourselves into tiny little hiding balls (mouse pose) Are these footsteps friendly or scary? They stop right in front of us. We look up and see a big beautiful dragon, smiling down at us, blinking big sparkly eyes… His eyelashes are so long and move slowly as he blinks (blinking eyes). He opens his mouth and breaths a huge firey dragon breath (lion face) to the sky!

“Hello…. You must be here to help! My name is Cracker.” We swap our legs over now, coming into dragon pose on the other side. This time he bows forward saying “Welcome to the wonderful world of Whizz! I am the firework dragon and we’ve got work to do… Are you ready to go?” YES!!! “Right… Let’s get cracking!”

We prepare by firing ourselves up with three dragon fire breaths. Next we hop (flamingo pose to reach) onto Cracker’s back - one side and then the other. He spreads his enormous colourful wings (parrot pose) and we take off, flying up up up into the Orange sky awash with singing stars.

© Cosmic Kids 2019

W

We pass through the blue mountains and finally arrive at Cracker’s cave. It’s dark inside with lots of funny shadows. Some shadows look like Lions (lion pose), others look like tigers (tiger pose) with long swishy tails Sometimes we might be afraid of the dark, but here with Cracker we are filled with excitement and wonder. The shadows are not scary, but interesting and amazing. Cracker explains that we need to collect all the ingredients to make the fireworks - the sounds, the colours, the shapes and finally some very special magic… Wow… we can’t wait!

IE

First the sounds needed for the fireworks! We get these at the Whizz-Bang-Pop shop! We cross a field full of tulips crouching on our tiptoes (crouch position on tiptoes with arms lifted above the head) We arrive at a big squishy place. This is the Whizz-Bang-Pop shop! It’s fantastic! Like a huge bouncy castle or bounce house where we boing, jump and bounce! Lots of balloons are floating all around us and Cracker explains that each one makes a different firework sound. We have a go popping each balloon and hearing its sound. Sitting with our legs crossed, we twist one way and poke a balloon. It goes BANG. We twist the other way and poke another and it goes Weeeee. This is awesome! We gather up all the sound balloons that we need and it’s off to the next stop! The colours!

EV

We arrive at a brilliant rainbow! Let’s try our rainbow pose - Sweeping up and over one way, then over the other way! Cracker tells us this is in fact the Rainbow roller coaster! “Come on… Let’s get on!” calls Cracker. (Group roller coaster pose). We get on, sitting with our legs wide, (or in a seated line if we are in a class) - We climb up - leaning back, then down folding forward, then to the side stretching one way and the other side stretching the other way… Wow this is amazing! We feel extra brave now, so we surf the rainbow standing up in our surfer pose one way, then jumping to surf the other way, our face and hair billowing in the rainbow rays. At the end of the rainbow we find a ginormous pot (bowl pose). We sit up with legs crossed and fold fowards to look inside. Swirling around are the most beautiful vibrant colours (flickering your fingers like fire). What colours can you see? This is perfect Cracker has all the colours he needs for the fireworks.

PR

Next for the shapes. We lie on Cracker’s back on our tummies and soar up to the clouds. So we can see where we’re going, we lift onto our forearms in sphinx pose to lift our chests, neck and head. Just like in our world, each cloud makes a different wonderful shape. We roll over onto our backs to get a closer look at each one. Some look like candles all straight and long. Others look like wheels (crab or table pose). Some wheels have long whizzy shoots coming out of them (crab/table pose with alternate legs kicking up).

Cracker has all that he needs. So now it’s time for some dragon magic. We return to his cosy cave. Here we mix all the ingredients. Sitting with our legs out wide – first we reach up and sprinkle our fingers down as we add the sounds, then reaching up again for the colours and finally the shapes. We mix it all up like we’re making porridge (porridge stirs) …then with Cracker we make the firework wish…

Legs crossed. Eyes closed, hands together at our hearts and 1, 2, 3 blow… and Cracker breathes the fire into the fireworks with a lion face. Now it’s time for the big test. Let’s see our firework take off. We crouch down as still as can be and slowly count down from 5,4,3,2,1 Whooshhhhhhhhhh, we launch into the air (monkey jump) becoming huge sparkling stars of fire and wonder. We have made beautiful fireworks filling the sky! Try tilting your star! (star tilts)!

What is the most amazing and wonderful thing you have seen? © Cosmic Kids 2019

W

We slowly sink down to the earth and lie back in the darkness with our eyes closed or covered. Now we can see the fireworks happen in our minds. We marvel at the beauty, at the light and the colours.

With Cracker we have become the best firework we have ever seen and we are full of awe and wonder for all that is around us. We open our eyes to find ourselves in our beds at home warm and safe.

We’re not ready to say goodbye to Whizz and Cracker yet, so we lie very still and close our eyes taking ourselves back to that place in our relaxation now.

Relaxation

PR

EV

IE

We bring our awareness to ourselves, our breath and our body. In this stillness we can feel the wonder inside us. With every breath we take our bodies glow warmer and we can take our minds wherever we please when we close our eyes and drift away… into the sound and the rhythm and the lull of our breath coming in and going out, coming in and going out. Ocean waves, breeze in the trees, rays of sunshine peeping out from the clouds.

Let’s turn on a little star in our minds now. It’s right there between your eyes. See it sparkling gently. Like a crystal reflecting light all around. Within that star we can see flickers of colour. We look at it and enjoy its playful twinkle.

As we lay here we imagine beneath us is a bed. It feels like a fluffy cloud. From our cloud we can see above us many more clouds; many shapes and forms appearing and disappearing. And we watch them, enjoying the show. Like looking into a kaleidoscope, we see the beauty all around us. Even in the simplest of things like leaves, stones and wood.

Very shortly we will be back to our normal selves in the day and off doing the things we do. See if you can take a moment and stand back from the business, the stuff and the action and just look around you. See if you can find the wonder in that moment and smile to yourself at the natural magic of it all.

Wonder at all that is, all that you are and smile.

Keeping this peace inside let’s slowly come back into the day. Flicker your fingers and jiggle your toes.

Stretch your arms up above your head and point your feet down, making yourself as long as possible.

Feel the strength and tension in your body and now let it all drop away as you let go of your breath.

Follow-on-Activity (Tray Memory Game)

Handout pieces of scrap paper and pencils for writing.

Print out the image of the tray of items on the following page.

Give the children 60 seconds to look at the tray and try to memorise the items that are on it.

Then take the image away and give the children two minutes to write down, or draw as many of the items they can remember.

This is a memory game but is great used in the context of a mindfulness exercise to actively notice what is right there in front of you.

© Cosmic Kids 2019

In the winter, animals hibernate.

Like a mouse.

We hop onto our magic carpet and whirr around, steering down through a valley.

We pass through a magic portal into the World of Whizz. (door pose), and then close it.

Come Spring they’ll be ready to spring into action again.

(Monkey Jump)

IE

We reach up saying Goodbye summer!

Fold forward saying Hello Autumn leaves! (Repeat)

W

Cracker the Dragon - Pose Summary

Let’s warm up by doing that few times. (Monkey Jumps x3)

We stand and look up noticing the sky is orange!

EV

The trees in Whizz are made of feathers in colours of every shade.

The stars occasionally shoot (star jump), leaving a sprinkle of twinkle

Suddenly we hear big clumpy footsteps (dinosaur pose)! What could that be?

We make ourselves into tiny little hiding balls (mouse pose)

We look up and see a big beautiful dragon.

His eyelashes are so long and eyes blink slowly.

He opens his mouth and breaths a huge firey dragon breath (lion face) to the sky!

He bows forward saying “Welcome to the wonderful world of Whizz!

We prepare by firing ourselves up with three dragon fire breaths.

PR

There’s brightly coloured stars (star pose) singing tree tunes!!

© Cosmic Kids 2019

W

Next we hop (flamingo pose to reach) onto Cracker’s back both sides.

He spreads his enormous colourful wings (parrot pose) and we fly off.

Some are like Tigers.

Cracker explains that we need to collect all the ingredients to make the fireworks

On the way to the Whizz-Bang-Pop shop, we cross a field full of tulips on our tiptoes

The Whizz-Bang-Pop Shop is like a huge bounce house where we boing, jump and bounce!

To collect the sounds from the balloons floating around us, we sit crossed legged

and twist one way and poke a balloon. It goes BANG.

and twist the other way and poke another and it goes Weeeee. Now we need the colours!

We arrive at a brilliant rainbow!

Let’s try our rainbow pose.

Cracker tells us this is in fact the Rainbow roller coaster! (Group Pose if possible!)

PR

EV

IE

We pass through the blue mountains and finally arrive at Cracker’s cave

We climb up leaning back

And then whoosh down folding forward

Then to the side stretching one way and the other side stretching the other way…

© Cosmic Kids 2019

There are lots of funny shadows.

Some like Lions (lion pose),

We feel extra brave now, so we surf the rainbow (surfer pose both ways)

We roll over onto our backs to get a closer look at each one.

Some look like candles all straight and long.

W

With legs crossed we fold fowards and see beautiful colours (flickering your fingers like fire).

Next for the shapes.

We lie on Cracker’s back on our tummies and soar up to the clouds.

IE

At the end of the rainbow we find a ginormous pot (bowl pose). .

EV

Others look like wheels (Crab or Wheel Pose).

Sitting with our legs out wide –

PR

Time for some dragon magic. We return to his cosy cave.

Then we make the firework wish…

Legs crossed. Eyes closed, hands together at our hearts and 1, 2, 3 blow

and Cracker breathes the fire into the fireworks with a lion face.

So we can see where we’re going, we lift onto our forearms in sphinx pose

Some wheels have long whizzy shoots coming out of them (alternate legs kicking up).

Jfirst we reach up and sprinkle our fingers down (x3) as we add the sounds, colours and shapes

We mix it all up like we’re making porridge (porridge stirs)

We crouch down as still as can be and slowly count down from 5,4,3,2,1. and launch into the air (monkey jump)

becoming huge sparkling stars of fire and wonder!

© Cosmic Kids 2019

W

We slowly sink down to the earth and lie back in the darkness with our eyes closed, watching the fireworks happen in our minds.

We open our eyes to find ourselves in our beds at home warm and safe

We’re not ready to say goodbye to Whizz and Cracker yet, so we lie very still and close our eyes taking ourselves back to that place in our relaxation now.

PR

EV

IE

We have made beautiful fireworks filling the sky (star tilts)!

For more detailed guidance on how to instruct the poses, download our 253 page The Big Book of Kids Yoga Postures • • • • • •

220 kids yoga poses, including partner poses and breathing exercises 400 high quality pose images Clear, child friendly instructions into each posture Anatomical focus, benefits and contra-indications for each pose Teaching tips to make the poses work for kids A linking index to each pose

© Cosmic Kids 2019

W IE EV PR © Cosmic Kids 2019