Printable Winter Crafts, Coloring for Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics

 Teacher Mama is here with printable winter-themed crafts for bored, snowbound kids. Get your students geared up for Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics with printable games, crafts and coloring pages. And make cool snowflakes and wintry crafts. First, clear a spot on the table. Or better yet set up a separate craft table. Bust out glue, scissors, markers, glitter, your nifty scrapbook edging scissors, stickers, pom poms, fake gems all your crafty goodies.Next, go to these websites  Printable Winter Crafts and Activities for Kids

Got Stress, Aches, Pains? Get Yoga

Just got back from yoga and I'm walking on the shavasana buzz. Actually, it's a full-body high from all those nurturing, invigorating asanas. I hate jumping around exercise like aerobics and jogging. I need the serenity of yoga. And for special needs kids, ADHD, autistic, developmentally disabled, EI, early childhood special education,
yoga is awesome. Gentle non-competitive, non-threatening and soothing. And it energizes muscles tired from too much desk sitting and computer time.  Got Stress, Aches, Pains? Get Yoga

Benefits of Yoga for Kids and Adults

I started yoga 13 years ago, dropped out for 12 years and finally started going back last year. But I haven't been very faithful, honestly. I don't know why I always find a thousand excuses not to go. Mostly, it's just laziness. And yoga isn't just for adults. Kids can benefit, especially special needs kids who may not be able to participate in other games or sports. Yoga is great emotionally too. Here are a bunch of reasons why I'm going back to yoga and why you should consider for kids or students. I am Going Back to Yoga

Free Printable Food Journals, Online Fitness Trackers

Obesity and sedentary lifestyles are two big problems special needs students face. Some disablities and handicaps spur weight gain and make exercise difficult. Obesity is a growing concern in the general education population, too. Health concerns long thought to in the adult domain only--diabetes, nutrition, obesity, fitness and general wellness--are cropping up with alarming frequency among juveniles. To combat this, several groups have developed health programs written at kid level. They offer free printable food journals, online fitness trackers and nutrition planning tools. Geared for elementary to high school age kids, these programs teach self-sufficiency and basic life skills related to health. Use these for special needs and general ed. classrooms. read more

Feeding the obese child: Food switches to improve nutrition

 In 25 years of teaching, I've noticed more kids tending toward obesity. Special needs kids are sometimes more prone to nutrition and health problems. Mentally handicapped kids tend to be overweight. They may have more sedentary lifestyles. Weight problems are one symptom of Down Syndrome. Disabled kids have difficulty getting proper exercise. What can we as parents do about it? Growing kids have to eat, right? Yes, but we can control what they eat. Obese kids are typically malnourished, not from eating too little but from eating the wrong things. Here are healthier food switches for kids' favorites. Feeding overweight kids--Food switches to improve nutrition

Winter Olympics Fitness Activities and Lesson Plans for Special Needs Children

 The Olympics make a great subject for study in the classroom or home school. Winter Olympics celebrates talent, athletics, health and wellness and multicultural interaction. Here some ways to bring the Olympics into your lesson plans. Winter Olympics Activities and Lesson Plans

School Fitness Program for Special Needs Children

School Fitness Program for Special Needs Children Each year the nation's juvenile obesity level rises while fitness level decreases. Marvin M. Ward Elementary School in Winston-Salem Public Schools, North Carolina, has implemented a novel approach to fitness: 'Kids Read and Ride'. Read More