After the first part of your Kids Yoga Class which is The Welcome, the next portion involves helping your students slow down and become aware of their breath and how their bodies feel. This is not as easy as it sounds!
Breathing Exercises
When I first started practicing yoga, I used to believe yoga was only about the movement and holding poses. I quickly learned that your breath is actually more important than the poses. If you can hold the pose, but aren’t taking the long deep breaths, then you are actually not doing yoga. It is the breathing that makes it yoga. On the other hand, you could lie in Child’s Pose and breathing for an entire yoga class and that would be yoga.
Breathing with purpose during yoga lets you hold the pose longer and feel stronger while holding it. In addition to this, breathing deeply and consciously helps to strengthen the nervous system, calm anxiety as well as settle into the class and be in the moment.
Kids, however, do not care about any of the above! Therefore it can be difficult to teach children to become aware of their breath. Kids are busy and wiggly, so it is important that you bring these breathing exercises to their level and interest.
Make breathwork fun and engaging with kids by using a variety of props.
Do not worry, we have you covered! There are several ways to practice mindful breathing in a yoga class, but the main goal is to make the children aware while slowing down their bodies and their breath. This is done through child-friendly breathing exercises.
Spending just a few moments ( it doesn’t need to take long!) slowing down, being mindful, and teaching children to pay attention to their breath will become easier and easier with practice.
Our bestselling Kids Yoga books below include dozens of ideas to make breathwork NOT boring for Kids!
Are you ready to learn how to plan quality and engaging kids yoga classes? Developing a structured and well-thought-out lesson plan is indeed essential for creating a positive experience for children while teaching them yoga!
Welcome to our How to Easy Plan the Best Kids Yoga Class Free Training
In this Kids Yoga Training, you will Learn…
Importance of Having a Lesson Plan: Children thrive on structure and routine. Having a lesson plan in place before teaching a kids’ yoga class helps you be intentional, organized, and prepared. It allows you to take advantage of the limited time you have with the children and ensures that you cover the necessary components.
Flexibility Within Structure: While it’s important to have a lesson plan, it’s also important to remain flexible and adaptable. Unexpected events may arise during the class, and having a plan in place helps you handle them more effectively while still staying present in the moment.
Attention Span and Variety: Children have shorter attention spans compared to adults. To keep the class engaging and effective, incorporate a variety of props and activities. This helps maintain their interest and allows you to make the most of the time you have.
Go Go Yoga for Kids Lesson Plan Format:The Go Go Yoga for Kids Lesson Plan format is a proven formula for teaching yoga to children. It encompasses various components that contribute to a successful and memorable kids’ yoga class. While the format is designed for a 45-60 minute class, you can tailor it to your needs while understanding the purpose of each component.
Flow and Purpose: The lesson plan format guides you through each stage of the class, from warm-up to cool-down. Each part of the lesson plan serves a specific purpose in creating a satisfying and memorable experience for the children. The goal is to create a class that children will enjoy and want to participate in again.
Remember, teaching kids’ yoga requires creativity, enthusiasm, and a genuine passion for working with children. As you continue to develop your lesson plans and gain experience, you’ll find ways to adapt and refine your approach to meet the unique needs of your students.
My hope is that once you complete all our How to Easily Plan the Best Kids Yoga Class Training, you will feel like Courtney S. one of our recent graduates!
“I just finished your Kids Yoga Lesson Planning 101 youtube videos! I enjoyed it very much! While I watched your videos I made my first lesson plan to use! I also completed not too long ago your online kids yoga teacher course also, so its game on! lol. I personally enjoyed learning the different ways of active movement, and the idea of getting the kids hearts pumping right before actually getting into yoga poses, and savasana will ALWAYS be a favorite for me to learn, teach, and do also lol! It is such a good way to soak up the benefits of the poses. I cant wait to connect with the kids in the way you say in your videos while performing and coming out of savasana, I obviously know what it feels like, and I’ve taught my own children, but to connect with kids that aren’t yours is truly magical and in this day and age, they need all the positive role models they can get. I’M SO EXCITED! Thank you so much for the videos!” Courtney S. Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training Graduate
After years of research, lesson planning, and teaching thousands of children yoga, I have completely cracked the code on teaching yoga to kids.
Please understand, I am not trying to be overly confident or show off. Believe me it took a long time to get to this place. Lots and lots of time. In the beginning, I would spend hours and hours planning my kids yoga classes before I felt ready to teach it.
For those of you who love going to adult yoga classes, you may be wondering how hard can it be to plan a kids class. It seems like it should be easy enough. Teach the kids some poses, flow them together for a bit and end up in Savasana. That’s all you need, right?
Wrong. Well not, entirely wrong! Kids yoga and adult yoga are similar in the fact that both include learning and practicing poses, and both end with relaxation. That is where the similarities end, though.
While planning my kids yoga classes, the teacher in me definitely comes through. I absolutely understand the importance of planning and sequencing kids yoga classes so they are appropriately paced, memorable, and kid-friendly. My classroom experience, knowledge of kids, and leading countless kids yoga classes have allowed me to figure out all of the necessary parts of a memorable kids yoga class.
Today I want to share those secrets and lessons learned with you so you will be able confidently to give children the lifelong benefits and fun of yoga.
You may be surprised at some of my findings, but these are success secrets that have worked for me time and time again.
1. Kids Yoga is Different Than Adult Yoga
Children are not mini adults that will follow your every movement in a structured 60-minute vinyasa flow class. They are busy, energetic, and have infinite imaginations and ideas all of their own.
2. Have a Plan, but Be Flexible
Kids yoga classes can be unpredictable, so be ready for anything.Teaching yoga to kids is learning how to live in the moment and demonstrating how to be mindful with yourself and others. That said, there does need to be a plan in place and I am here to help guide you through exactly what to do.
Be prepared, but flexible: This may sound counter-intuitive, but having a lesson plan in place with a theme, related poses, a complementary game, and read-aloud book will send the message that yoga is not a free for all, but something that is important and progressive.
At the same time do not be tied to your lesson plan in a rigid binding way. Kids are not robots. They have energy and varying needs and abilities. Knowing what you want to accomplish with the kids, but being flexible allows for a greater experience for all.
3. Let Go of the Alignment
Yes, it’s true. Your job is to introduce children to yoga in kid-friendly ways. Are they going to care of their left knee is at a perfect 90-degree angle in Warrior 1? No. Demonstrate proper form and ensure their safety, but keep in mind, if children are moving, trying, and having fun; they are learning.
Yoga, after all, is a life long journey. Nobody ever “perfects” yoga. That is why yoga is called a practice. A life long practice.
4. Keep it Moving
End the game on a high note meaning everyone still wants to play. Playing a yoga game over and over again is the surefire way to suddenly have kids that “don’t want to play anymore” or start wandering around and acting up. The recommended Go Go Yoga for Kids amount of time to play a game is 7-10 minutes. Leave them wanting more. I promise the game will be even better received the next class when you announce you are playing it.
5. Join the Fun
If the kids are meowing and mooing from Cat to Cow Pose, be sure you are right there with them. As they practice balancing beanbags on their heads, you better have a bean bag on your head as well. Dancing and skipping around the room? Yep. When kids see you having fun with yoga they will want to have fun with it as well.
As a teacher and a parent myself, I understand that more than anything that we want to help set our children up for success. We want our children to be prepared and confident at school, sports, activities, and at home.
We desire for our children to be in a collaborative, creative, calm and supported classroom environment. That is the kind of classroom I strive to provide for my students and you can be sure that is the kind of environment I want my own children in.
The good news is that we can help our own children and students be successful in their experiences. By incorporating easy breathing exercises, mindfulness, and simple stress-reducing yoga poses into brain breaks, kids will become more focused and attentive. That will then help our children to develop greater empathy toward one another and feel more confident and successful themselves.
Kids Need Brain Breaks
Yoga for kids is becoming more common throughout schools, clubs,and activities. With only a few moments each day, you can help kids achieve the benefits that yoga provides. These can be done at home, school, camps, or clubs.
I am a firm believer that children need active brain breaks throughout the day to learn best. Research has shown that students learn best by taking a break or moving their bodies every 15 minutes. Sadly, recess and physical education times are already being reduced in schools, which takes away the active movement that children need.
When using yoga with children, it does not need to be in a structured class with objectives and benchmarks. You are simply allowing the children to move their bodies in good and healthy ways. It doesn’t need to take long and can subtly be incorporated into what you are already doing.
Favorite Kids Yoga Brain Breaks:
Pick a Card Any Card:
When children are waiting for the next activity or standing in line, fan out the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards and select one child to pick a card. Everyone then practices the pose. This is perfect to use during a transition time when you only have a few moments.
Practice fun breathing exercises. These techniques reduce stress and improve focus before tests, transition times, or during an activity that you know will require concentration and focus.
Waiting quietly in line for the next activity can definitely be a challenge for children. Make the time pass quickly by selecting a balance pose from the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards. The children will then hold that balance pose while counting by 5’s or 10’s. I also like to have them count to 10 in another language.
