Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda

Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda

August 31, 2010

Rabbit Drawing

Print the page below and draw a rabbit. We like to use these activity sheets in our Kindergarten class during the "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons

शशकः
śaśakaḥ
rabbit

Click on image below and print.
Make sure you adjust your printing size, if necessary.



Frog Drawing

Print the page below and draw a frog. We like to use these activity pages during our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon

मण्डूकः
maṇḍūkaḥ
(frog)

Click on the image and print
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary


Spider Drawing

Print the page below and draw a spider. We like to use these activity pages during our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Black marker/crayon
Print out (see below)

तन्तुनाभः
tantunābhaḥ
(spider)

Click on the image and print
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.


Dog Drawing

Print the page below and draw a dog. We like to use these activity pages during our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon

शुनकः
śunakaḥ
(dog)

Click on the image and print
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Cat Drawing

Print the page below and draw a cat. We like to use these activity pages during our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon

बिडालः
biḍālaḥ
cat

Click on image below and print.
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.


Lord Hanumaan

Here is a coloring page for the children to practice their likhita japa with. Have them fill in Lord Hanumaan with राम (rāma) − using whatever colors they wish!

Materials
• Coloring page (see below)
• Markers or pens (different colors)

Click on image below and print
Make sure to adjust your brightness and printing size, if necessary


Likhita Japa Game

The goal of this challenge is to document on paper how many times our mind shifts during likhita japa − the less number of color shifts, the better!! We like to use this to help the children learn to focus completely on their likhita japa — which can be a difficult task for 5/6 year olds :-) So, to make it fun, we ask them to do the following:

1. Place at least 2 different colored writing pens in front of them, along with their journal.

2. When the aunty says "OM" they are supposed to pick up one of the pens and begin their likhita japa, writing ऊँ (and thinking only of ऊँ!)

3. If they find themselves thinking of anything else (even for a split second) they are supposed to: a) put the pen down and pick up another color; b) take a deep breath and; c) start writing ऊँ again.

Repeat step 3 until the pre-determined time is up. We usually do 5 minutes.

We emphasize to the children that they must pay very close attention to their thoughts, and only they will know when it is time to change pen colors. When we gather for our "circle time review" we make it a point to praise the children for being honest with themselves. We then will talk about what distracted our thoughts, and how we can try and do better during our next session.

Note: Before we start this game, an aunty will demonstrate how we play  − speaking her thoughts aloud, changing pens when she shifts from "OM," taking a deep breath, and then starting all over again.  We never show any disappointment about color shifts. Instead we demonstrate how pleased we are with our efforts and how we're going to strive to do better next time.

Sanskrit Numbers 11-20

These are coloring/activity pages to help children learn numbers 11-20 in Sanskrit. Please note that these numbers are in the neuter gender.

Fish Drawing

Print out the page below and draw a fish. We use this in our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." The children can copy the image below or, better yet, create their own image!

Materials
Page Print out
Black marker and/or crayons

मत्स्यः
matsyaḥ
fish

Click on the image below and print.
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Elephant Drawing

Print out the page below and draw an elephant. We use this in our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." The children can copy the sample below or, better yet, create their own image!

Materials
Print out page
Black marker and/or crayons

गजः
gajaḥ
elephant

Click on the image below and print.
Be sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.

Mouse Drawing

Print out the image below and draw a mouse. We use this in our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." The children can copy the sample we have given − or, better yet, make up their own picture!

Materials
Print out page
Black marker and/or crayons

मूषकः
mūṣakaḥ
mouse

Click on the image below and then print.
Be sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.


Lion Drawing

Print out the page below and draw the face of a lion. We use this in our "Sanskrit Fun Segment." The children can copy the sample we have given, or better yet, make up their own image!

Materials
Page print out
Black markers and/or crayons


सिंहः
simhaḥ
lion


Click on the image below and then print.
Be sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.


Connect the Dots: Duck

This is a fun page for children to practice Sanskrit numbers (1-20) with. Make sure to have them practice counting aloud as they work to complete the drawing. And don't forget to have them say कादम्बः a few times while they are admiring their finished artwork!

We used this page to accompany our story "Quick and Quack" for "O is for Obendience."

कादम्बः
kādambaḥ
(duck)

Click on the image below and print.
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.


Little Yash is Happy Right Now

Written by Nishita Chaitanya.
Artwork by Anand Chodankar and Sugandha Kaneka.
Chinmaya Bala Katha, Chinmaya Publications.

This is a great book for helping young children understand that "happiness" is an attitutde. We use this in our kindergarten class when we do "H is for Happiness." By the time we finish reading the story, the kids feel really confident that they have grasped this complicated concept. Our young friends give this book a "four thumbs up!!!"

The Empty Pot

by Demi

1996, Henry Holt and Company, New York
Paperback edition
ISBN-13: 978-0-8050-1217-0

This is a beautiful story of how the Emperor needed to find a successor for his throne. He had a hard time choosing someone, so he thought he'd let the flowers decide!


Flashcard Sets

Here are some Flashcard sets for you and your child to explore. The aunties like to use these to study for class :-) and we thought we'd share them for your enjoyment.  To view our different subjects just click on the title below. Be sure and try the "Scatter Game" and "Test Yourself."


Cards Sets (Sanskrit)
Animals (with pictures)
Colors (with pictures)
Numbers 1-10
Numbers 11-20
Fruits and Vegetables (with pictures)
Verbs
Gods and Goddesses (with pictures)


Also, these sets can be downloaded to your iPhone, iTouch, or iPad. You will need to purchase the "Flashcards Deluxe" app, which is a great app to own! You can "study on the go," edit the cards − and here's the best part: you can even record sound for each card ... which means your child can use their own voice in their studies :-)

Once you have the applet:

1. click on the "+" icon (in the upper right hand corner).
2. Click on "Quizlet Flashcards"
3. Click on the magnifying glass (search icon) in the upper right corner.
4. Click on "Creator"
5. Type in "jqg" and then hit "search"

At this point you will see all of our study card sets. You may download any (or all). We will be adding more sets throughout the Balavihar year − so check back every now and then.

Connect the Dots: Cow

This is a fun page for children to practice Sanskrit numbers (1-20) with. Make sure to have them practice counting aloud as they work to complete the drawing. And don't forget to have them say धेनु a few times while they are admiring their finished artwork!

धेनु
dhenu
cow

Click on the image below and print.
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.


Connect the Dots: Elephant

This is a fun page for children to practice Sanskrit numbers (1-20) with. Make sure to have them practice counting aloud as they work to complete the drawing. And don't forget to have them say गजः a few times while they are admiring their finished artwork!

गजः
gajaḥ
elephant

Click on the image below and print.
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.


Learn Colors (Sanskrit)

Numbers 11-20 (Sanskrit)

Numbers 1-10 (Sanskrit)

Gods and Goddesses

Colors in Sanskrit

This is a short animation teaching the basic color names in Sanskrit. Click here for video

Learn Animal Names (Sanskrit)


Rangoli/Mandala

Some of our kindergarten friends have been asking for more rangoli/mandala pictures to practice their likhita japa with. So here is another one .... have fun!!!

Materials
Crayons/Markers (colors)
Print out (see below)

Click on the image and print.
Make sure to adjust your printing size and brightness, if necessary.


Shiva Lingam Mandala (Likhita Japa)

We use this in our likhita japa journal workshop. The children color the Shiva Lingam and then write ऊँ नमः शिवाय (om namaḥ śivāya) around the border.

Materials
Black and red crayon/marker
Writing pen

Click on the image to print.
Make sure to adjust your printer's brightness and page size, if necessary.


ऊँ नमः शिवाय Tracing Sheet

This is a tracing sheet to help the children practice writing ऊँ नमः शिवाय (om namaḥ śivāya) with.

Click on the image and print.
Make sure to adjust your printer's brightness and page size, if necessary.
Click on the video below to see the
writing strokes for ऊँ नमः शिवाय

श्री रामः (śrī rāmaḥ)

आपदामपहर्तारं दातारं सर्वसंपदाम् ।
लोकाभिरामं श्री रामं भूयो भूयो नमास्यहम् ।।

āpadām-apahartāraṁ
dātāraṁ sarvasaṁpadām
lokābhirãmaṁ śrī rāmaṁ
bhūyo, bhūyo namāmy-aham

(I offer my prostrations again and again to Lord Raama, the remover of all misfortunes, the giver of prosperity, and the beloved of the world.)


रामाय रामभद्राय रामचन्द्राय वेधसे
रघुनाथाय नाथाय सीतायाः पतये नमः

rāmāya rāmabhadrāya
rāmacandrāya vedhase
raghunāthāya nāthāya
sītāyāḥ pataye namaḥ

(Salutations to the husband of Sita, Rāmacandra, Rāmabhadra, who revels in all living beings, who is the incarnation of Viṣṇu, and who is the Lord of the Raghu clan.)

Turtle Drawing

Print the image below and draw a turtle. We like to use these activity sheets during our "Sanskrit is Fun" segment. Feel free to copy the sample given — or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayons

कूर्मः
kūrmaḥ
turtle

Click on the image and print
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.


Bird Drawing

Print the page below and draw a bird. Feel free to copy the sample below, or better yet, create your own image!

Materials
Print out (see below)
Black marker/crayon

खगः
khagaḥ
bird

Click on the image below and print.
Make sure to adjust your printing size, if necessary.


August 1, 2010

Creative Likhita Japa and राम

December 5, 2010 Class
click here to view photos

Creative Likhita Japa and राम

November 21, 2010 Class
click here to view photos

Spinning Tops for "Enthusiasm"

November 14, 2010 Class
click here to view photos

"I Love Dad" Cards

November 7, 2010 class.
Click here to view photo album.

Likhita Japa Drawings

October 17, 2010 Class
click here to view