Fall is in the air! One of the things that I love about living in the Midwest is the change of seasons. I truly do appreciate the changing trees and landscape that each new season brings. As soon as you get tired of the heat, snow, or rain, then the season begins to magically transform into a new one.
I love incorporating the change of seasons with my kids yoga classes. Kids enjoy the seasonal themes with the poses, breathing exercises, and yoga games. By having a theme, it truly helps the children connect with and retain with what they are learning.
Get your free Kids Yoga Fall Fun Lesson Plan below. Learn many Fall themed yoga poses, play yoga games, practice mindfulness, complete group challenges and much more!
For this kids yoga lesson plan, I use the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards. These pose cards provide a great visual for the yoga poses as well as the partner yoga poses.
Have you ever seen such a lovely Fall leaf? (Partner Pose)
It is much more fun to try to balance with a pumpkin on your head!
Interested in more kids yoga lesson plans? Our bestselling Go Go Yoga for Kids resources includes hundreds of kids yoga lesson plans, games, poses, mindfulness exercises and much more. Click to learn more.
Are you ready for a positive and engaging challenge that will improve balance, flexibility, mindfulness and more?
The Yoga Pose Challenge is kid and adult friendly and fun for all ages.
The Kids Yoga Challenge
I have worked with children for over 20 years and know that kids love to have a challenge! They feel like they have a goal to work toward and something tangible to accomplish. When completed, they definitely feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.
A physical challenge that can easily be done with yoga poses and was the motivation behind the creation of The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards.
You do not need to have the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards to participate in The Yoga Challenge, but it is helpful to understand how challenges can motivate kids intrinsically and extrinsically. Combine this with yoga poses which are so beneficial physically and mentally that it is a win-win all around!
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards challenge participants with balance, flexibility, mindfulness, and more. Our yoga card deck includes 40 poses. Each pose includes a starred level of difficulty.
How to Be Part of The Yoga Challenge
Each of the yoga poses are given a star rating for difficulty. For example starred Level 1 Poses would include Cat Pose or Mountain Pose while Level 2 Poses would be Horse Pose or a Partner Pose. Find some of our favorite Partner Poses that kids love to show off here. All of the Partner Poses are included in the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards.
It is important to use some kind of yoga pose visual when working with kids especially when working through the Yoga Challenge. You can find downloadable yoga pose posters, other pose cards, or our Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards Digital Deck. Simply assign a starred level rating to each pose for the kids to practice and work through progressively.
By practicing the yoga poses regularly, the Level 5Poses such as Crow Pose, Wheel Pose and Lotus Pose will become easier.
Go Slowly
It is important for children (and adults) to understand that they are not expected to master all of the Yoga Challenge immediately.
Yoga is a practice and not something that is ever perfected. By practicing a sequence of poses over time, they will become familiar in your body. This means that your body will become more fluid and flexible. The more challenging yoga poses will then come with greater ease.
Ease Up on the Alignment
Demonstrate the pose yourself or with yoga pose cards. But be aware that if you spend a majority of time making sure every child has a perfect complete 90 degrees with their leg in Warrior 1 or that their Plank Pose includes a perfectly flat back, you will lose the attention and enthusiasm of the kids.
Yoga is a continued practice. Children, like adults, will continue to learn and grow with the poses and their practice.
More YOGA CHALLENGE OPTIONS:
1. Balance Poses:
Select a single balance yoga pose for the children to work on. This could be Airplane Pose, Dancer Pose, Tree Pose or may others. We like to useThe Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cardsto help provide a visual. When placed on the floor, they also provide a wonderful focal point.
Kids love to work on balance in yoga class because it is fun and challenging. They often don’t realize that they are acquiring a skill that improves each time they practice. This is good news because studies have shown that our balance decreases as we age beginning at age 7. With practice, we can maintain this balance.
2. Inversions:
I understand that Inversions can sound scary to try…especially with kids. The great news is that Inversions do not need to be difficult to do and the benefits are enormous. Find out how to practice our favoriteKids Yoga Inversions here.
3. Partner Yoga Poses:
Kids love partner yoga poses! Partner yoga poses help teach children the importance of teamwork and working together plus they are fun to do and build trust and community with one another. Check out our all-time favoriteKids Yoga Partner Poses here.
4. Group Yoga Challenge:
This type of yoga challenges are some of my favorites. Do not overthink this, it can be anything from standing in a circle and passing a hula hoop without letting go of hands. It can also be a Group Tree Pose or a Down Dog Tunnel. The point is to get the children working together to achieve a goal while having fun!
Conclusion:
No matter how you go about it, have fun with the Yoga Challenge! There are many variations to get children interested and engaged so have fun trying them all.
If you are interested in learning more about being a Kids Yoga Teacher, I would love to tell you more about our popular online Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training.
This yoga card deck includes 40 poses including partner poses, balance exercises, confidence-building pose mantras, and fun games to play together using these cards.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards include:
40 diverse progressive yoga poses including partner poses
Empowering pose mantras for beginners and meditation
Poses rated from 1-5 stars based on difficulty
Colorful & multicultural
Easy to follow poses to create many original yoga flows
15 Bonus Games to play using these pose cards
Tested and proven yoga poses to bring the most mental and physical benefit
Takes only minutes each day to gain lifelong skills and health benefits
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards come in a sturdy burlap drawstring bag and are printed in the USA.
I use the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards in every single kids yoga class that I teach. The cards provide a wonderful visual while introducing yoga poses. I also use the cards during our Yoga Games, Partner Yoga Pose time, and with Yoga Challenges such as with balance or inversion.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards are available from Amazon US & Amazon UK.
What others are saying about The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards:
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards are an excellent product for parents, teachers, and kids yoga instructors alike! The illustrations are bright and colorful, and the cards can be used in so many different ways. My kids just love practicing the poses, and we can’t wait to try the suggested games. These cards are a great companion to all of the Go Go Yoga for Kids books, but can also be used on their own. Highly recommend! Erin Leach, Mom & Kids Yoga Instructor
These cards are awesome! Simple, kid-friendly pictures and an inspiring statement to go with each card. I used these in my Kindergarten classroom and was able to quickly and easily teach a handful of poses. There is a card with suggested ways to use the cards and suggestions for games to play with them, too. Will purchase more sets of these to use as gifts and give to fellow educators and parents. Kate Virgil, Teacher
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards & The Yoga Pose Bingo Game go perfectly together!
Learn how to easily incorporate fun and beneficial yoga poses as well as mindfulness exercises for some family fun and together time! This free mini Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Masterclass will include the most beneficial yoga poses for these young growing bodies as well as fun yoga games to practice these poses.
You will also learn the top mindfulness exercises that can help calm children and set them up for success and a growth mindset. This mini master class is perfect for parents, educators and caregivers.
Discover in this Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Masterclass:
How adult yoga is different than kids yoga
What ages can children begin yoga
The benefits for children who practice yoga
How to easily & effectively teach yoga to children
Family fun yoga games that all ages will enjoy
How to easily help children relax and reduce anxiety in minutes
What teens & tweens really need with yoga & mindfulness exercises
How to easily implement mindfulness at home with your family in small moments
Ideas for fun yoga poses and breathing and calming exercises to begin doing right away.
Welcome to our Kids Yoga Lesson Planning 101 Free Training! Throughout this training we have learned how to put together engaging, successful, fun, and memorable kids yoga classes. Now we will learn how to build community.
Get all caught up here with the Most Important Parts Every Kids Yoga Class Needs:
Building Community comes toward the end of your kids yoga class. Everyone has had fun, learned a lot, and now it is time to bring the energy level down a little.
As a teacher, I know that it can be tempting to skip or rush this portion of class if you are feeling short on time. I encourage you to really make time for this building community portion of class. It is a very important part for your students as well as for you, their teacher.
As you begin to bring your yoga class to a close, it is important
and beneficial to reflect on all that you have learned and accomplished during
class. It makes the students feel stronger and more united as a class.
This is personally one of my favorite parts of class as it ties everything
together. The children share what they have learned and what they have enjoyed.
I love hearing about their favorite parts and often times I am surprised. Many
times it is not what I think such as mastering a difficult pose, but instead it
might be how they felt or how they connected with another student and maybe
made a new friend.
Here are a few of our favorite ways to Build Community in your Kids Yoga Classes. Give them a try. They love it and it truly begins to bring your class to a close.
Now you are ready for Part 7 of the Kids Yoga Lesson Planning 101 Training:
The Kids Yoga Challenge!
Congratulations! Now you are well over halfway through with your yoga class. Your students have moved, breathed, learned a lot and had fun! Now it’s time for Part 7 of your Kids Yoga Class with The Yoga Challenge!
With the Yoga Challenge portion of your kids yoga class, your students will have the opportunity to work on a challenge by themselves or together with the group. Select one of the options below and spend 7-9 minutes having fun with the Yoga Challenge.
The Yoga Challenge Options:
1. Balance Poses:
Select a single balance yoga pose for the children to work on. This could be Airplane Pose, Dancer Pose, Tree Pose or may others. We like to use The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards to help provide a visual. When placed on the floor, they also provide a wonderful focal point.
Kids love to work on balance in yoga class because it is fun and challenging. They often don’t realize that they are acquiring a skill that improves each time they practice. This is good news because studies have shown that our balance decreases as we age beginning at age 7. With practice, we can maintain this balance.
2. Inversions:
I understand that Inversions can sound scary to try…especially with kids. The great news is that Inversions do not need to be difficult to do and the benefits are enormous. Find out how to practice our favorite Kids Yoga Inversions here.
3. Partner Yoga Poses:
Kids love partner yoga poses! Partner yoga poses help teach children the importance of teamwork and working together plus they are fun to do and build trust and community with one another. Check out our all-time favorite Kids Yoga Partner Poses here.
4. Group Yoga Challenge:
This type of yoga challenges are some of my favorites. Do not overthink this, it can be anything from standing in a circle and passing a hula hoop without letting go of hands. It can also be a Group Tree Pose or a Down Dog Tunnel. The point is to get the children working together to achieve a goal while having fun!
The Yoga Challenge is an important part of your kids yoga class for differentiation and meeting the varying needs of your students. Everything can be modified.
This challenge allows the children the opportunity to work on more difficult poses by themselves or within the group. This builds trust and community.