Sit with Me Song
Gillian Eames, the preschool teacher at the Middle Way School in New York, put music to Carolyn Kanjuro's book Sit With Me. The song teaches the seven points of meditation posture.
The Lunar New Year Song: Wood Dragon Year
Downloadable audio and lyrics. Middle Way Education commissioned composer Harry Einhorn to develop this Lunar New Year celebration song, adding a new verse every year, one for each animal of asian astrology.
Book Review: Monster Parade
We want to set children up for success when introducing them to meditation practices so playfulness is on order. The Monster Parade: A Book about Feeling All Your Feelings and Then Watching Them Go by Wendy O'Leary with illustrations by Noémie Gionet Landry (Bala Kids 2022) is a wonderful and playful way to approach the idea that feelings and thoughts are fleeting.
Celebrations: Vesak
Vesak is a day when Buddhists around the world commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death (parinirvana) of the Buddha. We think it’s a great day to encourage children to make simple offerings— flowers, incense, and candles—and to abstain from eating meat for the day or do life-release. Maybe host a birthday celebration for the Buddha!
Book Review: Prajapati
A self-published book available in print or eBook about the inspiring story of Prajapati, Buddha's aunt and guardian written and illustrated by Alicja Zmigrodzka.
Book Review: Sit with Me
Sit with Me is our go-to book during the first weeks of school. Carolyn Kanjuro's delightful rhyming verses invite children of all ages to learn the seven points of posture. The character Justa Bug describes posture–from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet–with a spine straight like coins stacked on a plate and shoulders back like a vulture in flight.
The Four Types of Harmonious Speech
Students are introduced to the concept of harmonious speech from the Buddhist tradition and explore how it arises in their own lives. The lesson includes group work, pair sharing, charting, and discussion.
Magha Pujwronga | Sangha Day
A short outline of Sangha day, or Magha Puja, which is an important day for the Theravada especially in countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Sri Lanka. How do you observe this day? Send ideas to [email protected]
Book Review: Where’s Buddha?
Where’s Buddha? is a wonderfully illustrated picture book for younger children with rhyming text that is accessible and very age-appropriate.
Book Review: The Day the Buddha Woke Up
The Day the Buddha Woke Up was written with very young children in mind, and tells the story of the Buddha’s life and path from birth to enlightenment in clear, simple prose.