eagle pose

bear walk

tree pose

dancer pose

camel pose

rock the baby pose

downward dog

lizard on a rock

double boat pose

Be inspired to do yoga wherever, whenever the mood strikes. The park, the playground, the botanic garden, on the beach, or at the cabin…get your yogi on and strike a pose, or two, or ten. Happy summer!

For more information on yoga for kids and teens be sure to subscribe (RSS or e-mail) and get updates directly to your reader or inbox. You can also find YIMS on Facebook and YouTube.

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Yoga Jenga

Take a jenga game and write a different pose on each block. I took inspiration from the 60 poses included in Once Upon a Pose writing the English pose name on one side and the French name of the other thereby creating a bilingual game (the name in Sanskrit, Spanish, German, etc. would be equally as effective – See Language Learning Thru Yoga).

Have a couple of kids set up the game by stacking three blocks across three blocks until a tower is formed.

Choose a child to carefully remove a jenga block.

Perform the yoga pose written on the block.

You can place the block back on to the top of the jenga tower in order for it to continue to build. If you don’t want to repeat any poses during the class simply place the used jenga blocks off to one side. As well we more often than not simply run out of time long before the tower comes down.

Choose another child and repeat until all children have had a turn, class is over, or the tower falls over.

Visit the Yoga Games page for more engaging yoga activities to use in your class. Also join us on Facebook and check out our YouTube Channel where there is always lots of great content to keep your kids and teen yoga classes fun and inspiring.

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Yoga Poses with Parachute

Space children evenly around the edge of the parachute. Perform various yoga poses while holding on with one or two hands. Some fun poses include: mountain pose, tree pose, warrior I and II, dancer and chair pose.

Popcorn

Place a number of balls (pingpong balls, tennis balls, beach balls, etc.) on top of the parachute. Everyone makes waves with the parachute and bounce the balls like popcorn. See if you can keep them all on the parachute or, alternatively, bounce them all off.

Mushroom

Everyone crouches down on the ground holding the parachute. On the count of three everyone stands up and raises the parachute above their heads. When the instructor says “Go” everyone brings the parachute down behind them to the ground and they sit under the parachute on the edge. You can tell a joke, riddle, or story while under the parachute.

Cat & Mouse

Pick two kids to be cats and two kids to be mice. Cats stay on top of the parachute, crawling trying to find the mice, who are crawling under the parachute. All other children are holding the parachute making waves to conceal the mice. Once the mice are found, it is time for new cats and new mice. Remind the cats that pouncing will end their turn.

Shark Attack

Chose 2-4 lifeguards and 2-4 sharks. Have the remaining children sit on the ground with their legs extended under the parachute and make waves with the parachute. The sharks crawl under the waves and try to drag children into the sea by pulling gently on their feet. When a child feels a shark attack he/she must yell for a lifeguard to save him/her. If the lifeguard gets there in time they can pull them out from under the parachute and they remain shaking and making waves. If the shark is successful the child becomes a shark. Remind children to not pull legs or arms very hard and to be careful under the parachute to avoid crashes.

The Grand Ole Duke of York

A song with actions

The Grand Old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill (Parachute Up)
And he marched them down again (Parachute down)
And he marched them to the left (Walk to the left)
And he marched them to the right (Walk to the right)
And he marched them up (Parachute Up)
And he marched them down (Parachute Down)
Oh what a silly sight (Shake the parachute really fast)

The Yogainmyschool.com Yoga Games page has a complete listing of fun and interactive games that will take your yoga class from good to great!

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Spanish Language

Teach some of the pose names in Spanish. (Since I don’t speak fluent Spanish I used my iTranslate app. Very handy.)

tree=árbol, mountain=montaña, warrior=querrero, boat=barco,etc.

This will help children to broaden their cultural horizons and appreciate the marvelous diversity which makes up the world. For more information on second language learning in the yoga classroom listen to this interview with Beth Reese of Yogiños.

Burrito Roll (Sushi Roll)

This is a great sensory activity which makes kids feel safe and secure and stimulates the proprioceptors (the neurons which relay the information of one’s own body position and movement).

Have child lie across the end of a yoga mat with their head off one side.

With their arms down by their sides, roll them up in a mat (include a favourite stuffed animal if desired).

Unroll them.

Sometimes kids like to do this themselves by grasping the mat up near their neck and rolling and unrolling repeatedly as they desire. I have one autistic student that does this whenever he feels the need during class which will often inspire the rest of us to join him.

Mexican Hat Dance

Have all the children make a giant circle while holding hands. Place a sombrero in the center of the circle. Begin to play some Mexican inspired music and have the children walk to one direction around the sombrero. When the name of a child is called, that child leaves the circle and dances around the sombrero until another child’s name is called when they rejoin the circle. Continue until all children have a chance to dance in the center.

Buenos Amigos

Provide each child with a paper and pencil. Have each child write as many nice things about their classmate (amigo) to their right as they can in a given amount of time (5 mins). Suggest kind things about how they act, think, play, work, etc. Give the paper to the amigo to take home.

You could also include a craft like paper plate maracas or colouring page of children in traditional mexican costumes.

What are some ways you enjoy celebrating Cinco de Mayo with your kids yoga classes?

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1. There will be tears – The trigger could be being overtired, or not getting to lead the game, or feeling overwhelmed, or that somebody ran into them during Yoga Tag, or they are frustrated at not being able to do their favourite pose precisely when they wanted. Tears are part and parcel of kids learning about their emotions and how to handle life. After school yoga classes are especially prone to this response as kids have already put in a full day of learning, may not have had an adequate after-school snack (low-blood sugar often causes emotional melt-downs), or may simply need a little TLC whereas the rest of the class wants to burn off excess energy.

2. Classes are noisy – Laughter, chatting, roaring, barking, singing, energetic chanting and more are part of a yoga class for kids. Once a Grade 5 teacher asked me how to get her students to be quiet during yoga. My response: “Don’t.” Kids need to express themselves using all their senses and they will at every opportunity. I believe that happy noise is productive to learning. One rule, however, when the instructor talks everyone else listens. That way explanations and instruction can be given, and then activities can be fully interactive. So have fun, make some noise!

3. You will be interrupted – Imagine half the adults in your yoga class expressing out loud the first thought that comes to mind every time the teacher begins to explain a pose or activity. Imagine being half way through a story only to be asked, “Can I go to the bathroom?” Imagine hearing all about someone’s fish that died on the weekend, a favourite TV show, the type of cake that was served at a friend’s birthday party, or the nasty comment that Mommy said to Daddy when he came home late from work…again. Now you are at a kids yoga class.

4. Classroom management is an essential skill – You will need to possess some classroom management skills to keep Bobby from constantly playing with the gong, Sue from cuddling with her best friend, Joey on task, and Beth from using her yoga mat like a sled. Kids generally know how to behave but will take advantage of any opportunity for chaos. Every kids yoga instructor needs to find their own style of classroom management so that the environment stays conducive to learning and growth. Remember you are in charge.

5. When you mess up, you’ll be told– Adults are generally rather polite when instructors make minor mistakes, stumble over their words, or fall flat on their faces. Kids – not so much! They love pointing out your shortcomings, faux pas, and inconsistencies. Instructors have two options: 1) achieve perfection 2) develop a sense of humour. Since perfection is a far way off for me, I find laughing about my blunders a lot more fun. In addition, the way in which adults respond to error helps kids to see how to handle their own mistakes in positive, life affirming ways.

6. Classes are similar to herding cats – Each group has a variety of ages, physical, mental and emotional abilities, and maturity levels. Add to that the fact that kids’ attention spans can be measured in minutes and you have an interesting challenge on your hands. Establishing a class routine and making sure the themes are kid friendly will lengthen the amount of time kids will spend on any one given activity. Kids yoga instructors, however, had better always have a few fall back activities & yoga games in mind to keep everyone engaged and having fun.

7. It’s not about you – Kids love classes which focus on THEIRinterests. WebKinz, Hannah Montana, Star Wars, Creepy Crawlies, Princesses, Spiderman, and more all come to yoga class. When the instructor incorporates a yoga inspired activity which plays off the students’ favourite things then you know you’ve got a great thing going. As well each holiday from Valentine’s to Halloween provides fodder for fun. So don’t be surprised if you spend time wondering how to incorporate leprechauns or superheros into your next yoga class.

8. Props, props, & more props– For an adult yoga class most instructors use a mat, an mp3 player, and if you are lucky an eye pillow. Iyengar classes will add a strap, a block, a blanket, and possibly a chair. For any given kids yoga class, take that basic list and add books, puppets, feathers, scarves, pompoms, parachutes, stuffed animals, musical instruments, hula hoops, card decks, hoberman spheres, rocks, balls, bean bags, craft supplies, colouring sheets, and more. Be sure to have some storage space available.

So there you have it: the inconveniences, traumas & reality of teaching yoga to kids.

There is a flip side however. If you take pleasure in providing tools for kids to be happy and healthy the rest of their lives, enjoy genuine sharing, approach life with curiosity and creativity, want to end each class with a sense of satisfaction, and love to receive spontaneous hugs, then teaching yoga to kids is for you.

Be sure to subscribe (RSS or e-mail) to Yoga In My School to receive fantastic content to keep your yoga classes for kids and teens fresh and interesting. If you are on Facebook, become a Fan of Yogainmyschool.com and receive additional links and updates.

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Absolutely love her enthusiasm, her clarity of thought, her quest for a brighter tomorrow.

Go Adora!

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Young children can benefit greatly from practicing yoga. They have seen their parents take out their mat at home or head off to yoga class and are eager to participate just like Mom or Dad in their own yoga session. Lazy Lizards Yoga offers a DVD, yoga mat and clothing specifically designed for ages three and up.

My five-year-old was thrilled the day her mat arrived. She eagerly unwrapped it on the kitchen floor and immediately starting doing the poses printed on it. A few days later she proudly brought her mat to Kids Yoga class where the other students checked it out throughly, again imitating the poses conveniently displayed on it’s surface. This yoga mat made her feel like the coolest kid in the class.

Some poses are given child-friendly names which was somewhat confusing to my child as she has been doing yoga for years and was somewhat confused when Tree Pose (vrksasana) was called Flamingo Pose. Yes, it does look like a Flamingo, but I always make an effort when teaching children to let them know the real pose names as well as any adaptations we’ve created. Renaming yoga poses, however, is nothing new to yoga for kids as the process (movement, breathing, looking inward, etc.) is more important than the label.

The program’s principle focus is obviously the children. Throughout the DVD, fun, creative poses and activities are taught at age appropriate levels. A sense of play and exploration prevails as the instructor gently leads children through a warm-up, mat poses, and additional activities in an outdoor park setting. My personal favourite was making a pizza which focused on forward bends. The DVD also gives adults a good sense of what a yoga class or practice will be like with pre-schoolers, and how to encourage them to try the poses and stay on task.

 The combination of DVD and mat help make practicing yoga an independent activity. Children are able to take ownership of their yoga practice which builds self-esteem.

Based on the Radiant Child Yoga program developed by Shakta Kaur Khalsa, Karen Allaire’s Lazy Lizards Yoga is a fun introduction to yoga for young children.

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I love Sesame Street and so was thrilled when YogaDork posted this video and have been singing “Doing the (coo, coo) pigeon” all day. So press play and enjoy doing Pigeon pose with Bert. He now joins the ranks with Kermit as a true yogi. Can’t wait for Oscar the Grouch to find his bliss while doing Warrior pose.

I would love to have a pose-able Grover to take to classes. Already have a Babar which I have to wrestle away from my children, but I think Grover would be super flexible and lots of fun. Which childhood character would you like to see doing yoga and what would be their favourite pose?

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Recently Rolighetstoerin posted the Piano Stairs social experiment on Youtube.

I love what this says about human nature. There is a child in all of us waiting for fun, for play, to be amused and entertained.

This is one of the reasons I love teaching kids yoga. They don’t get interested if there isn’t some type of play involved. Their energy level, attention span (or lack thereof), and desire for a complete mind/body activity demands playing yoga with the whole heart. Making the practice fun and meaningful is what kids yoga is all about.

Maybe as adults we should spend a little more time ‘playing’ yoga rather than always ‘practicing’ yoga. Smile a little, maybe even laugh at yourself. Enjoy the poses and the miracle that is the human body. Allow yourself to make mistakes and explore the world.

What is your approach to yoga? Serious? Playful? Inquisitive? Relaxing? Next time you find yourself getting a little too serious about your practice remember sometimes its about Fun and allow yourself to play.

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