This week The Kids Yoga Podcast is joined by Sara Weis, Founder of Go Go Yoga for Kids. They discuss how a running injury led Sara to yoga and how she became inspired to teach kids yoga and start her own company.
Our world is changing, and our kids face different challenges and commitments then they have in the past. There are many demands on kids’ time and pressure to do well at what they are involved in. This includes school, family, friends, sports, quickly changing technology, and other interests. That leaves us with kids who have a lot going on as they try to figure out a way to balance it all.
Not only that, but we know that our world has changed with the pandemic. It is important to continue to help continue to connect with one another (online or in person) as well as teaching them the yoga and mindfulness tools that can carry them into adulthood.
Kids need to learn how to responsibly handle the world we live in. Yoga and mindfulness are skill that can benefit all kids no matter what activities they are involved in or what their interests and abilities are. Yoga meets everyone at any stage and provides incredible extrinsic and intrinsic benefits. Discover the Super 7 Benefits of Yoga for Children here.
Kids that practice yoga are getting stronger mentally and physically. They are healthy, strong, and more confident. Not only this, but it can help them in school, in their extracurricular activities and absolutely in their day to day lives.
#2 It is Easier to Teach Yoga to Children Now More Than Ever
When I first started teaching yoga to children there were not a lot of resources available about the best ways to teach children yoga. Since children learn and respond differently than adults I knew yoga had to be taught differently than in adult classes. Discover 3 Things You Didn’t Know About Teaching Yoga to Children here.
Our growing and changing world has helped us rethink how to can best teach yoga and mindfulness to children.
I used my background in Early Childhood and my Master’s Degree in Education as I reviewed and researched child development and the best ways that children learn. I had to figure it out and spent hours and hours researching, writing kids yoga lesson plans, trying them out with kids, and modifying to know exactly what works for teaching yoga to children.
I wanted these kids yoga lesson plans and classes to be engaging, beneficial, and memorable for kids.
Go Go Yoga for Kids prides itself on making yoga for children doable and FUN for the kids AND you to teach. I want you to succeed in teaching yoga to children.
I am excited to share 20+ years of teaching kids compiled for you into our popular online Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training. I spent years figuring out what works and what doesn’t work for teaching kids yoga. I researched, tried, and tested during hundreds of kids yoga classes until I figured out what really worked! Stop wasting your time trying to piece random things into something that works.
I want to make this easy for you. I want you to be able to completely go into any kids environment (studios, camps, clubs, classes, at home) and confidently introduce children to yoga. I know you can give those children quality and inspiring classes. It is so exciting and truly makes such a positive difference.
#3 It is About Making a Difference
There is nothing like seeing the kids faces full of contentment at the end of Savasana (Discover how to easily get children into Savasana here). It is also about watching the kids master a pose after working on it for weeks. It is about seeing a child take a few deep breaths before starting a test or before a soccer game. These kids are in tune with what their bodies need and that is so important. It is all about giving children the tools that they will have for life.
Our online Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Trainingwill help with this. You can make a difference. I will show you exactly how to do this every step of the way.
Want to learn more about how to develop age appropriate content and resources to teach yoga to children? Check out my Facebook Live Interview here with the step by step process!
The Kids Yoga Challenge App includes 40 yoga poses, partner poses, mindfulness affirmations, and games & activities.
Who doesn’t love slime?!💚 Learn to make slime at home for kids of all ages to enjoy.🌸⠀ ⠀ Learn how to make your own slimiest of slime! Our newest book Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for Children includes over 150 Yoga Games & Activities for Children!
Select which Go Go Yoga for Kids book you would choose.
Winners will be announced through email on August 18th, 2020!
Which Go Go Yoga for Kids book is right for you?
Our three Go Go Yoga for Kids books all build upon one another and each serve a different purpose based on the varying needs of how to introduce and teach yoga to children at home, school, camps, clubs and online classes.
Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids
Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids is perfect for those that want to teach yoga to children in a school, studio, camp or club setting. It offers a breakdown of how to prepare for your classes and what to do and say throughout the class.
Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids breaks down the step by step parts of an engaging kids yoga class. It also includes detailed lesson plans, yoga games, breathing exercises, partner yoga poses and yoga challenges for children ages 3-16. This book also details how to teach yoga in schools, teaching yoga to children professionally as well as how to teach yoga to teens and tweens.
Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Lessons for Children is perfect for those wanting to teach yoga to children ages 3-11. It includes 35 ready-to-use, step-by-step lesson plans that will engage children right from the start and get them excited about yoga.
More favorite components of this book include the best (free or inexpensive) yoga props and read-aloud books with ways on how to incorporate yoga and movement. Popular with readers are the additional Quick and Easy No-Time-To-Plan Kids Yoga Lesson Plans as well as the downloadable games including the Go Go Yoga for Kids Bingo Cards and Poses.
Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for Children
Each game is broken down into the recommended ages, group size, and leader notes. These games include categories such as large group yoga pose games, mindfulness games, balance games, breathing exercises, and more. This book is a perfect resource for those who work with kids in any capacity. Bonus items of this book include the Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Pose Memory Game and game templates.
Kids love playing yoga games and they are a great way to get kids moving in good and healthy ways while practicing yoga poses and building strength.
Games are also perfect for allowing opportunities to work together as a team and practice yoga poses in fun and engaging ways.
Below are a few of our Featured Favorite Kids Yoga Games.
CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY
Kids Need Yoga More Than Ever
Kids need yoga. Our world is changing, and our kids face different challenges and commitments then they have in the past.
There are many demands on kids’ time and pressure to do well and be successful at what they are involved in. This includes school, family, friends, sports, quickly changing technology and other interests.
Conclusion:
Kids need to learn how to be able to work through these demands in healthy and responsible ways.
Yoga is a skill that can benefit all kids no matter what activities they are involved in or what their interests and abilities are. Yoga meets everyone at any stage and provides incredible extrinsic and intrinsic benefits.
By introducing yoga to children through playing games, this helps create high interest and engagement. The children will better retain the poses and skills they have learned, will practice teamwork and leadership skills while having a lot of fun!
How to Play Quiet Ball: A Mindfulness Game for Children:
Number of Players: 4+
Materials: Small ball (or other seasonal type balls; beach ball, soccer ball, etc)
Recommended Ages: 5 and up
How to play
Have the children sit in a circle. Depending on the ages of the kids, determines how far away everyone sits. The younger the ages, the closer they sit together.
One child gets to toss the ball to anyone they wish as long as that person is quiet and paying attention.
The ball is continually passed around the circle with each person making eye contact to the person they will pass it to.
The ball cannot be passed to someone who is not paying attention because they will may not to catch it.
See how long you can keep the ball going without it being dropped.
Leader Notes:
If I am playing this game at school, I would allow the children to sit on top of their desks or tables. How often do they get to do that? That alone ups the fun factor for sure!
To sometimes change the game up, I also have the class count aloud to see how many times we can catch it in a row without dropping the ball.
This doesn’t necessarily keep the game quiet, but it does provide a change in pace and definitely keeps everyone paying attention.
More Favorite Kids Yoga Games
Are you ready to learn to more about how to easily & effectively Teach Yoga & Mindfulness to Children?
Our online Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training will completely prepare you to teach yoga to children ages 3-15. Join thousands of others from all over the world in this fun and engaging training that will empower you to make a difference in the lives of children.
