What is The Starlight Squad?

• Introduce "BEAM and The Starlight Squad" as the new mindfulness addition.
• Emphasise providing children with the tools for movement, mindfulness, & moments of calm to empower them beyond the classroom.  

Why Superheroes & Mindfulness?

• Engagement: Superheroes are inherently engaging and captivating characters, making mindfulness more appealing and accessible, especially to younger audiences . 

• Relatability: Superheroes often face challenges and obstacles, just like everyone else, helping individuals relate to mindfulness and see its relevance in their own lives . 

• Role Modelling: Superheroes can serve as role models for mindfulness practices, inspiring resilience, focus, and calmness under pressure . 

• Empowerment: Incorporating superheroes into mindfulness activities can empower participants to take control of their thoughts, emotions, and actions, leading to greater self-awareness and self-regulation . 

• Fun and Enjoyment: Mindfulness activities that incorporate superheroes can be fun and enjoyable, making the practice more appealing and sustainable over time . 

• Overall Benefit: Integrating superheroes into mindfulness practices can make the experience more engaging, relatable, and empowering, ultimately helping individuals develop valuable skills for managing stress, enhancing focus, and cultivating overall well-being .

How We Integrate Superheroes into Every Class

Adventures with the Starlight Squad:

• Themed Superhero Stories: We utilise engaging superhero stories already available, and our team continually creates new adventures to align with special events and holidays throughout the year.

• Superhero's Favourite Stories: We love classic stories too! Our teachers are encouraged to incorporate children's favourite traditional tales, introducing them through the unique perspective of one of our Starlight Squad heroes . For example, a class might begin with, "This week, we're doing Jungle Adventure, it's one of Sparkle's favourite adventures!"  or "This week, we're exploring Jack and the Beanstalk, it's one of Beam's favourites because it's about a young boy trying to help his family.

• To deepen the experience, every storytelling session includes a specific warm-up, sun salutation, or breathing exercise inspired by the superhero chosen for that week.

Superhero Book Ends: 

• Sun Salutations: Each of our Starlight Squad superheroes has their own special Sun Salutation, reflecting their unique qualities, just like their individual breathing exercises and signature poses. These are accompanied by a themed song with clear instructions, making them fun and easy to follow. Teachers can choose a different superhero each week to introduce their story and use their specific Salutation and/or Warm-Up to begin the session.

• Warm-ups: Every superhero also has a themed Warm-Up that incorporates their special elements, such as a particular pose or breath. These warm-ups are also transformed into engaging songs, making them enjoyable for children. A superhero's specific breathing exercise can also be used as a warm-up.

• Affirmation Songs: For sessions focused on deeper mindfulness, we will soon be introducing superhero Affirmation Songs. These songs are themed around each hero's values and characteristics, designed to be simple for children to learn and repeat, helping to embed positive affirmations.

• Meditation & Relaxation: To gently conclude a class, a guided meditation may be included, which is often more suitable for older children (ages 5 and up, at the teacher's discretion). We are also developing individual hero-themed relaxation music to further support this calming part of the session.