Jump into a life sized yoga game packed with poses, meditations and practices that will enrich and empower while teaching turn taking and packed with fun. This game is ideal in large spaces, especially outside on a driveway or patio, as well as for kids yoga day camp, but will require some preparation time to layout the grid/game board (20 mins)   . The fun factor is definitely worth the extra time. This is a fabulous way to incorporate numerous yoga concepts and practices into one activity and the players will love becoming the game pieces which move around the giant board.

Gaint Yoga Board Game

Using sidewalk chalk create an over-sized game board with squares that are at least 18″. Alternatively use carpet samples from carpet retailers who discard samples regularly. Create a game board using a circle, oval or figure eight: this makes it less competitive as there isn’t a start or finish. You will need double the number of squares as participants, minimum. If you have a class of 10 kids then your game will need at least 20 squares.

Make one or two over-sized dice out of cereal boxes, the bigger the better. Paint them white, or cover with white paper, and add dots. You can use one die if you have a smaller group or want to make a smaller game board. Using two dice requires a looping game board with 24+ squares.

You can vary the game squares according to age and ability of the players. Little ones will be happy playing and moving. Using photos clues (picture of a tree for tree pose) helps pre-readers and those with special needs. Older players will want more of a challenge.

Some suggestions for game squares include:

• poses – tree pose, warrior pose, mountain pose – standing poses work well as no mat is necessary
• create a pose
• chant ‘om’
• trace a labyrinth
• color a mandala
• sun salutation
• draw a flower, tree, rainbow, superhero, etc.
• move forward 2
• move backward 3
• roll again
• chant “Sa Ta Ma Na“
• gratitude – write things you are thankful for in a notebook
• volcano, flower power or bunny breathing
• blow bubbles
• yoga card deck
• stuffed animal yoga
• Babar does yoga – I have a pose-able Babar figure that kids love to move into various asanas. Check out his vinyasa flow sequence.
• pebble pickup – pick up small rocks or marbles with your toes putting them into a container
• mindful eating – use raisins or other small, tasty, healthy, non-allergy snack
• singing bowl
• hoop yoga
• self massage – hand or foot massage works well
• eagle pose with a feather
• balance on a yoga block
• read a kids yoga book
• trivia challenge – various cards with yoga related trivia (Who is BKS Iyengar? What does ‘yoga’ mean? etc) question on one side, answer on the reverse.
• trade places with another player

How to Play

To begin have every child stand on a different square. Choose an order for turns (youngest to oldest, whatever works). Whoever is first rolls the dice and moves the required number of squares. Once on the new square they perform the action. Child #2 takes their turn, followed by child #3, etc. I try to create squares which allow for the child to continue the action while everyone else has a turn so they don’t have too much down time or get bored while waiting. If two players land on the same square let them share and perform a bonus partner pose or bump one forward.

Play the game until children lose interest or time is up. Be sure to include time for savasana so that players are able to integrate and reflect upon their experience before sending them on their way. Everyone is a winner!

If you enjoyed this post be sure to subscribe (RSS or e-mail) to get new content and ideas on teaching yoga to kids and teens direct to you. You will also want to explore our Yoga Games page which has loads of fabulous ideas.

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Well known storyteller and children’s yoga expert Sydney Solis joins us to share her wealth of knowledge on teaching yoga through story telling. Founder of Storytime Yoga and author of numerous award winning children’s yoga books, Sydney has a tremendous impact on the kids yoga community world wide. Explore the magic that happens whenever you combine oral storytelling and yoga as children unleash their creativity, develop listening and literacy skills and connect with their inner selves.

Original Air Date: July 6, 2011

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Connect with Sydney via Storytime Yoga, the Storytime Yoga Facebook Page and @StorytimeYoga on Twitter.

To sample Sydney’s work see Aesop’s Fables with a Twist: The Farmer and the Fox and The Lion and the Mouse.

To download this or any of many other interviews with leaders in the field of yoga and mindfulness visit Yogainmyschool.com on iTunes.

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idea submitted by Alicia Watins

with additions from Yogainmyschool.com

The Fourth of July is Independence Day in the United States of America and is usually feted with fireworks, BBQs, picnics, parades, fairs, concerts, family reunions and all manner of fun summer activities. Red, white and blue and the stars and stripes abound in decorations, clothing and food choices. If you are looking for a fun and healthy addition to your 4th of July celebrations be sure to chorale the kids for this inspiring kids yoga sequence.

Fun Children’s Yoga Poses for 4th of July

Star: start as a baby star and grow big, reaching arms and legs wide. Twinkle hands and toes. Alternatively practice star pose.

Stars & Stripes: have children stand in a row side by side, an arm’s distance apart. Every other child is a star and the others are the stripes (mountain pose, tadasana). When you ring a bell they switch. Like half jumping jacks.

American Eagle: eagle pose (garudanasa)

Statue of Liberty: mountain pose (tadasana) with appropriate arm actions to imitate the torch (right hand) and tablet (left hand). Mantra to repeat: I stand for Liberty, Peace, Democracy.

Golden Gate Bridge: bridge pose (setu bandha sarvangasana)

Swimming: lie on stomach and imitate breast stroke and front crawl. Pause for a moment then reach the right arm and left leg away from one another. Rest. Reach the left arm and right leg away from one another in a lateral stretch. Rest. Reach the right arm, left arm, left leg & right leg, lifting everything then relax completely and bask in the sun, floating on your stomach or back.

Yoga Picnic: in groups of 3-5. One person can get into table top pose (hands and knees or like a crab with belly up). Other kids sit is hero’s pose (virasana) around the ‘table’ and pretend to have a picnic. After a few ‘courses’ (the children say what foods they’d like at a picnic) they can switch places and another child can be the ‘table.’

Lemonaid Squeeze: children sit up and hug their knees into their chests and squeeze everything (hands, feet, belly, face) – this is the squeeze part. Then, let all the juice flow out as they lay back on the mat to release and relax. Repeat 3-5 times.

Apple Pie: wide angle seated forward bend (upvistha konanasa), sit with legs extended and wide apart making a piece of pie triangular shape. Mix the pasty dough, roll it out. Slice apples and spread a nice thick layer. Season with cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, etc. Layer top crust evenly making sure to touch toes and crimp the edges. Brush with cream. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake (lean forward putting your pie in the oven). Count down from 10 until your pie is done and you can eat it all up.

Two Scoops (of Ice Cream): a partner variation of child’s pose (balasana) where one child is the bottom scoop (does child’s pose) and the second child does child’s pose on their back becoming the second scoop. Decide what flavors of ice cream you are depending on the colors you are wearing ex: green = mint chocolate chip, pink = strawberry/bubblegum, turquoise = blue raspberry, etc.

Fireworks: squat down into a ball and jump up high, arms and legs extending out. Don’t forget to shout “Boom! Pop!”

Rocket Fireworks: tree pose (vrksasana) with arms overhead in temple mudra (clasp hands, intertwining fingers, index fingers extended like a steeple)

Hot Dog: roll kids up in their yoga mats for final relaxation (savasana). Be sure to let them choose their condiments first.

Guided Visualization: imagine you are a firework, waiting until the perfect moment on a clear summer evening to burst forth, showing the world how amazing and incredible and beautiful you are. Decide what type of firework you will be. One that is loud, booming high overhead. Maybe one that dances and spins with light spilling in all directions. Maybe you shoot higher than all the others. Or pop and crackle quickly, sparkling in the night. Imagine what color you are as you burst across the sky: red, purple, yellow, orange, green, blue, silver. Hear everyone ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ in delighted amazement at your intensity, brilliance and splendor.

Ignite the light and let it shine, just own the night like the 4th of July

Cause baby, you’re a firework, come one show ‘em what you’re worth

Baby, you’re a firework, come on let your colors burst

~Katy Perry

If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out our other holiday inspired kids yoga class including Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Cinco de Mayo.

Alicia Watins is the founder of Wee Warriors Yoga Playtime in NYC. She has trained with Karma Kids, Every Kids Yoga for Children with Special Needs and Post Partum Yoga with Baby Om. She has a passion for sharing the benefits of yoga with children while stimulating their imaginations.

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What to expect when you attend kids yoga summer day camp

Children are often intrigued by the idea of yoga camp. However they and their parents may not have any idea of what they are really going to be doing during their time at camp. Here is a list of some activities you can expect from a well organized kids yoga camp.

Yoga Poses: Children will learn numerous yoga poses and spend time each day practicing physical yoga. In doing so they will develop strength, flexibility, balance and confidence. However, many camps are half day, or about 3 hours long. Logic, and a child’s attention span, tells you that children will not actually be practicing yoga poses the entire time. What else happens at yoga camp?

Mindfulness Activities: Learning to tune into your mind with awareness and compassion is an essential skill to developing emotional and social intelligence. Mindfulness activities may include meditation, mindful eating, mindful listening, mindful movement, breathing exercises, communication games, and more.

Yoga Games: There are numerous yoga games ideal for camp environments. Games teach social skills, patience, turn taking, reinforce concepts, and provide oodles of fun. Some of my fave yoga games include Yoga Jenga, Musical Mats and Swami Says. Visit the Yoga Games page for a full listing to make your yoga camp the best ever!

Stories: Children love a good story. By combining physical movement with creative story telling the stories take on new dimensions, fully explore meaning and integrate learning. Yoga Adventure Stories, children’s literature classics and creative story telling all find a home at kids yoga camp.

Environmental Appreciation: Part of practicing yoga is learning to appreciate and care for the environment. Many of the yoga yamas and niyamas support eco-conscious living including ahimsa (non-violence) brahmacarya (conservation) and tapas (self-discipline). Re-duce, re-use and re-cycle will be taught in word and deed.

Crafts: Imagination and creativity abound at kids yoga camp. Crafts teach fine motor skills, reinforce themes and develop a sense of accomplishment. They also form a link between the child’s camp experience and home where children can share what they have learned and proudly display their crafts.

Music: From chanting to expressive movement and much more music is an integral part of yoga. Mantra yoga is the yoga of sound. Kids yoga camp may use a Tibetan Singing Bowl, drums, and other instruments to create sound or have numerous songs on a kids yoga playlist to encourage creativity & self expression, teach rhythm & coordination, and improve mood & well-being. Discover the benefits of music in a Kids Yoga Class.

Relaxation: Imaginative relaxation helps children to de-stress and increases self-awareness. They may float on clouds, drift down a river or imagine their favourite colour. Each day of yoga camp will include some form of relaxation leaving children refreshed and renewed.

This summer Yogainmyschool.com is offering week long Kids Yoga Camps at The Water Garden at The Enjoy Centre. Running July 11-15 from either 9:00-12:00 or 1:00-4:00 children aged 5-11 can experience a yoga intensive made just for them. Call 1-780-504-5022 to register.

For more information on kids yoga camps visit Benefits of Kids Yoga Camp.

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Discover how to take a basic yoga tree pose (vrksasana) and make it into something playful, creative and interesting. From tree pose with namaste hands to tricky tree and beyond you’re sure to find inspiration for your next kids yoga class in Ten Trees. All these versions of tree pose build balance, focus and concentration while increasing creativity, poise and grace. And best of all they’re FUN!

Which is your fave?

How many varieties can you come up with?

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Aesop’s Fables are well loved the world over for their entertainment value and moral education. Here Sydney Solis adapts The Farmer and the Fox into a yoga story perfect for kids yoga classes. See also The Lion and the Mouse from last week.

From Sydney Solis of Storytime Yoga – See original post Mercy or Revenge? Aesop Stories and Yoga for Children

There was once a farmer who had a large wheat farm. One day he discovered that a fox had been eating some of his chickens. Furious, he vowed revenge. “I’ll get that fox!”

The farmer finally caught the fox.  ”Now you will pay for what you did to me!’ He soaked a rope in oil, tied it to the fox’s tail and set it on fire. The fox was aflame, but it squirmed and broke lose. It ran from the farmer and dashed into the wheat fields that were ready for harvest. All of the farmer’s wheat fields caught fire, destroying his farm and all of his crops.

Yoga Asana:

Who is this story about?

Farmer: Warrior I, virabrhadrasana I, II and III

Fox: Downward dog - adho mukha svanasana

What happens in this story?

Fire: Bound angle pose, baddha konasana

How does the story end?

Running through the fields on fire – Upward facing bow pose, urdva dhanurasana – then rolling side to side, spreading fire as you roll. Then run around the room!

Shavasana and Meditation:

See the farmer in your mind’s eye. See the fox. Think of someone that has harmed you and who bothers you. Smile at that person. Send love and forgiveness.

Discussion:

How are you like the farmer? Have you ever been angry about something someone did? What happened? What did you do? What was the outcome? How would you change what you did? How are you like the fox? Was there a time when you harmed another? What happened? What did you do to make amends for what you did? Is it ever too late to apologize or forgive? Does two wrongs make a right?

Think of a time when you were angry. Where do you feel the anger in your body? In your belly? Heart? Touch that spot. What is the emotion behind the anger? Were you shamed, afraid, betrayed?

How can we deal with the anger we may feel when we are wronged?

• Breathe
• Take a time out
• Talk about it with someone

For older children and teens: Contemplate and discuss the following quotes:

• “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” – Ghandi
• “Mercy is setting the prisoner free only to discover the prisoner was me.”
• “In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over he is his superior.” – Sir Francis Bacon.
• “If you are slapped on one check, turn the other too.” The Bible Matthew 5:43
• I mount the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Affirmation:

• I am peace in every step. I am peace in every breath. I am peace.

If you enjoyed this post and are looking for more check out Yoga for Literacy and the Language Arts Page. Be sure to subscribe (RSS or e-mail) or sign up for our newsletter to receive updates on this topic.

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