Theme Activities

[Lily]

Back to School Laughter

1. Shopping Cart Bumper Cars: Everyone "drives" their shopping carts around and "bump" into each other's cart. When they do, they make eye contact and laugh.

2. Pack Backpacks: Hold "backpack" open with one hand, with the other hand shove "supplies" into it. With each item say either HO or HA so that you are speaking in a pattern of HO HO HA HA. Speed up and slow down. Switch hands and repeat. This is a variation of Panic Attack Laughter (see breathing activities).

3. Wheels on the Bus: Sing wheels on the bus, with actions first verse so everyone knows tune. Walk around room as though on a bus. Second verse is "The people on the bus say ha ha ha".

4. Meet Friends: Walk around room greeting each other. Look person in eye and laugh. Can be used with handshake.

5. Gibberish Teacher: Walk around the room and talk with each other. One is the teacher who sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher, the other is the student who doesn't understand. Laugh. Switch roles

6. "I know!": Sitting down, reach one hand up in the air and say "hee hee" switch hands. (Pretend you are trying to get teacher attention, except instead of saying "me" you are saying "hee".)

7. I don't know. When the teacher points to you, say "I don't know" and laugh

8. Swing laughter. Pretend you are playing on playground equipment and laugh

9. Art laughter. Using a pretend paint brush, make big brush strokes. Each color is a different kind of laugh.

10. I did it! Throw your arms up in the air, say "I did it!" and tip your head back and laugh.

11. Sing "The more we get together" holding hands

12. Very Good Very Good Yay!: Clap each time you say "very good" (with fingertips together). When you say Yay! wave hands above or to side of head, or make thumbs up sign with both hands and put them in front of you.

[Lily]

AT THE FIRE STATION

1. Stop Drop and Roll: If our clothes ever catch on fire, we need to remember to STOP DROP AND ROLL, NOT run around. We can practice by rolling on the ground and laughing: Aaa-ha-ha-ha-ha. As this activity is geared towards kids, the ability level for them should be ok to roll on the floor for a short time.

2. Down the Fire Pole: This is a cleansing breath type of activity. Take a deep breath, grab the pole way up high, let out your breath:haaaaaa, as you "hold on" with your arms, bring your arms towards your chest, then bend your knees as you go down the fire pole. Pretend there are several levels in the fire house and we need to go down 3 or 4 different poles.

3. Drive the Fire Truck: Pretend you are holding the steering wheel and are driving to the fire (walk around), make a siren laugh (hee hoo hee hoo)

4. Break down the door with your axe: Holding your "axe" with both hands over your shoulder, swing it at the "door" saying: Ho Ho Ha Ha. Hold it over other shoulder and repeat.

5. Climb the ladder: Reach up for a "rung", then bring your arm down towards chest as you "climb". Reach for another "rung" with other arm. As you bring arm down, say: Ha. Climb as fast or slow as you want.

6. Spray the water: kind of like sprinkler laughing. hold the "hose" away from your body as far to the right as is comfortable. Saying: ha ha ha ha in short syllables bring the hose as far to the left as is comfortable. Go back to the other side with: hee hee hee hee. Can also do ho ho ho ho, and hoo hoo hoo hoo.

7. The fire is out: Joy and relief laughter, gentle pat on each other's back (as in "good job").

[Lily]

CAMPING

For wiff piff we could introduce ourselves and say what our favorite place to camp is.

For meditation we could play a nature cd to give us something to listen to.

1. Meet your neighbors at neighboring campsites: shake hands with eye contact and laugh

2. Set up your tent. I'm thinking the simple kind where you string a rope between two trees, hang a tarp over it and cover the edges with rocks.

a: measure out the rope: (this is like measuring material) start with your right arm out to the side, reach the left arm over to "grab the rope", pull your left arm towards your shoulder saying: "jjjjjp", then pull your left arm across your chest saying: "jjjjjjjp", and finally hold your left arm out to the side saying: ''jjjjjjjp". This should leave you with both arms out to the sides, lean your head back and laugh. Do the same with the other side (maybe pretend that we dropped the rope to keep the story line going).

b: wrap the rope around the tree: use alternating hands to "wrap the rope around the tree" saying "haa" each time, getting a little higher pitched as you go. Then take a step back with one foot and "yank the rope" with both hands saying "ha ha ha ha" Do same thing with other "tree" only lean on other leg this time

c: throw tarp over rope: (cleansing breath activity, just like laying out towel at the beach) Take a deep breath. Pick up "tarp" from ground saying "aaaa as you lift the edges above your head. When you are almost out of breath say "hahahaha" as you pull the edge back down to the ground. Can repeat if you want.

d: roll rocks onto edge of tent: bend over and roll a "heavy rock" with both hands saying "ho" for each roll you make. When you get it onto the "tarp", stand up, put your hands on your lower back, lean back and laugh in relief of doing a hard job" Repeat for other side of tent.

3. Go fishing:
a: Cast your rod: Try to do this quietly so you don't scare the fish. Take a deep breath. Holding the rod with two hands in front of you, say "aaaaaaa" as you raise it over your shoulder, when you are almost out of breath, cast your line (bring hands forward) saying "ha ha ha ha".

b: When you "catch something" reel it in starting slowly whispering "heeee heeee heee hee" getting faster and a little louder as you go.

c: You caught a rubber boot, or something else that's silly: hold it up with one hand, and gesture to it with the other to everyone else to show how silly it is. Repeat a and b
d: You caught a fish. Tell your neighbors a "fish story" about how big it is, laugh at everyone's exageration.

4. Build a fire:
a: chop wood: with both hands, hold axe over head, bring it down saying "ho" raise it up again and bring it down saying "ho". Repeat saying "ho ho ha ha" faster and faster, then slower and slower.

b: blow on fire to get it started: Get down on hands and knees. Take a deep breath through nose, and blow it all out through the mouth slowly, but powerfully on "fire". Repeat if you want.

c: fire starts, proud laugh pointing to it.

d: hot marshmallow: pretend to cook a marshmallow then bring stick up to a standing position, pull marshmallow off and put it in mouth. It's too hot! say "hee hee hee" in short breaths while waving your hand in front of your face. Alternate hands.

5. Go to sleep: snoring laughter: tuck your hands under your head, everyone makes snoring sounds, laugh at the silly sounds people make.

In love and laughter,

Lily

[Lily]

Fear Busting (as lead by Mel-Aangela on Blogtalk Radio Sept. 20/09)
1. Name Your Fear and laugh it off. Say to yourself "I am scared of..." and laugh.
2. Ascending laughter. (Laughter rising above your fears) Start with a low voice, let your voice rise higher and higher in pitch
3. Art laughter (Pretend to hold your fear up to the world like a piece of art that you have created) Laugh at how it looks.
4. Body Scan laughter (Close your eyes, and give yourself a minute to think about where in your body does your fear reside) When you find out where that is, laugh as though from there.
5. Ants in your pants (Now that we have broke up the fear, little bits of it are crawling under your clothes in a ticklish way) Shake your body and laugh
6. Panic Attack Laughter- Place hands in front of chest with palms facing away from you. Push hands out until arms are straight and say in a loud voice "HO". Pull hands back towards you (palms still facing away from you), and push away again saying "HO" Pull hands back towards you. Flip hands around so palms are facing towards you and again push arms out from body until arms are straight, this time saying "HA". Pull towards you, and then push out again (palms facing you) again saying "HA". Flip hands again and repeat with two HO's and two HA's going faster, and then slower until breathing returns to normal.
7. Cell Phone Laughter (use your lifeline)- With your cell phone up against your ear, pretend it is the funniest person you know on the other end of the line, and laugh.
8. Breathe for Someone-See Dr. Kataria's Instructions for this here: www.laughteryoga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1150:breath-connect-meditation&catid=spirituality&Itemid=460 Basically, think of someone you love, visualize them, and breathe in their love as you inhale, and breathe out your love for (towards) them as you exhale
9. Emotion Wave-Laugh through the emotions associated with overcoming fear: fear, anger, sadness, relief
10: Forgiveness laughter- Gentle laugh as you forgive yourself for harbouring fear, and forgive others for creating fear in you.
11. Stop and Smell the Flowers-Bend over and pick an imaginary flower, bring it to your nose, and inhale deeply. Breathe out (through mouth or nose). Repeat with other hand.
12. Celebration Laughter-Celebrate overcoming fear.

[Lily]

1. Wave: Wave like a king or queen and laugh a royal laugh
2. Royal Address (in Gibberish): In gibberish (nonsense language, pretend to give a royal address to your subjects.
3. Royal Robe: Put on your royal robe, and wrap it around yourself, then laugh.
4. Tea With your pinky finger sticking out, sip your tea. Pretend it's too hot, and say "hee hee hee" waving your hand in front of your mouth.
5. Royal Bow (Down): Breath deeply as you bend at the waste with a grande sweep of the hand. Laugh out all of your air.
6. Lion Laughter: Hands up by face in shape of claws, eyes big, tongue out, laugh a growly laugh.
7. Breathing (Smiling): Smile as you breathe slowly, and think about good endorphins.
8. Ribbon Cutting: Using giant scissors, cut the ribbon of a new park/building with a big "HA". Celebrate with celebration laughter
9. I'm King of the World!: Throw your hands out, tip your head back and say "I'm the king of the world!" and laugh. (like Titanic)
10. Fiddlers 3: pretend to play fiddles saying "heee heee"

[please respond ASAP]

Lily,
I have already left you a message on your message board and this will be my 2nd and last attempt to contact you. You've been chosen as the winner of the Transitions contest but you didn't leave your email address, nor did you send it to me but I didn't worry since you have this website but you have not answered my message on your board from yesterday. Please find me www.blogger.com/profile/07815103187969630314

www.canmombecalm.blogspot.com

If we do not hear from you by Wednesday 11:59 PM 12/2 then we will have to offer the prize to someone else. Hope to hear from you very soon.

Jenn Choi