Go Go Yoga for Kids was thrilled to be a part of of the 4th annual National Kids Yoga Conference (NKYC) which is held in the Washington DC area each Fall. This year the conference was held in Alexandria, VA, which is a quick 15-minute metro ride or car ride from Reagan National Airport.
This conference is designed for adults to bring yoga and mindfulness to our next generation. This is done through sponsors, keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and vendors.
This year was a bit different for me for a couple of reasons compared to last year’s NKYC conference. First I was a sponsor and vendor which allowed me to have a different experience and perspective.
I also traveled completely on my own from Des Moines, Iowa, by plane, train (metro), and automobile (Uber). This truly allowed me to have an appreciation for different opportunities to try new things.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to meet and connect with so many different people from all over the US, Canada, and beyond. It made my weekend to hear the positive comments from others who have used our resources with the Go Go Yoga for Kids Guide, the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards or had taken one of our Kids Yoga 101 online courses.
It was an incredible feeling to be able to put real faces with names and hear about how they were using it with children. Hearing their stories really made all of the time, effort, and energy all worthwhile.
Teresa Power, the brain and energy behind International Kids Yoga Day is just as amazing and kind in person.
I loved meeting with the founder of International Kids Yoga Day, Teresa Power. I have been a yoga ambassador with this incredible event for the past two years. She amazes me with how much she has done to introduce yoga to children all over the year. She has also been a big supporter of Go Go Yoga for Kids so it was wonderful to actually meet in person.
Susan Verde and I agreed that we are definitely fans of one another’s work.
Susan Verde, bestselling author of I am Yoga, was also there with her beautiful new book, I am Peace. She is the true example of bringing yoga and mindfulness to children in kid-friendly ways. Susan has also so kind to appreciate Go Go Yoga for Kids from our very beginning.
The people at the National Kids Yoga Conference are the real deal as they are kind, caring and inspiring. The breakout sessions are amazing, but it is truly about connecting with one another.
It made my heart happy to be surrounded by so many individuals that truly care about children and strive to give them the tools and techniques to be calm, mindful, and healthy leaders for our future.
My friend, Kerry Wekelo, founder of Zendoway and her amazing daughter, Aubrey showing off some partner poses.
How to Teach Yoga to Kids Using Mindfulness Picture Books:
Learn about the secret power of reading aloud to children while doing yoga poses to help give the greatest benefit to kids. As a teacher and reading specialist, I understand the importance of reading aloud to children while keeping kids mindful, active, and learning to achieve great benefits. When you read aloud to children and combine it with yoga poses, you have children that are becoming mindful, fit, and literate! In this video you will discover some of the best books to read aloud to children and learn how you can easily incorporate movement and yoga poses into these read aloud times. A full kids yoga lesson plan that you can use with kids at home or school will also accompany this video.
Benefits:
Children who are read aloud to get a head start in language and literacy. It increases their vocabulary and opportunity for comprehension practice. Combine that with yoga and you have children moving and stretching their bodies while increasing their focus and balance while having fun! When kids are moving it helps enhance their understanding and retention of what they have learned. This is called kinesthetic learning and it is perfect to use with those busy wiggly kids that need to move their bodies during or after those long school days of sitting.
Find your copy of the Brown Bear Brown Bear Kids Yoga lesson plan here.
Kids love this familiar book by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle. It’s repetitive style builds confidence with reading in ages 2-6. I love the bright vivid animal illustrations and how this book ties in perfectly to kids yoga. Learn how to teach yoga to kids with this classic read aloud.
Read this book aloud and enjoy this preschool and Kindergarten Brown Bear Kids Yoga Lesson movement and yoga lesson plan. It is perfect for home or school.
Get your free Brown Bear kids yoga lesson plan here.
Get your own copy of the classic Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See? book here.
Are you interested in learning how to teach yoga to kids? This is truly our passion. We have you covered!
Option 2: Enroll in our Kids Yoga Teacher Training online course. Use You can take it anytime at your convenience. This course includes the best props, books, and resources to use with kids yoga. Learn more here.
Option 3: Take advantage of both. Entirely new content, ideas, resources, and the best practices for introducing yoga to kids.
Welcome to the Go Go Yoga for Kids Family. We are happy to have you be a part of it!
We would love to see you at the Des Moines Public Library Author Fair on Sunday, October 8 from 1-3 pm. Enjoy snacks, door prizes, and meet local authors. See here for more information. See you there!
Go Go Yoga for Kids loves all opportunities to bring yoga to children in fun and different ways. Toega is the perfect yoga game to play with all different ages.
What is Toega? It is yoga for your feet! Kids love this simple exercise and it is good for them as well. Feet are often scrunched up all day in shoes and socks, and Toega allows children to stretch their toes and build flexibility.
All you need are some colored pom pom balls and bare feet! It is fun and easy to play.
How to Play Toega
Scatter the pom pom balls on the ground.
Try picking up the colored balls with your toes.
Then place the balls on your yoga mat or another flat surface.
When I play with Toega with kids, I like to change it up a little by having different challenges for the children. Sometimes I will challenge the older to kids to collect balls of the same color or size. Or I will have a time limit to see how many they can gather in 1 minute with their toes.
After the children have gathered up their pom pom balls, I like to bring a connection or close to the activity by having the children sort them in groups or “families”. I leave it open-ended and it is neat to see what they come up with for ideas. They will often sort by size and color, but once in a while I get an expected response and that is lots of fun.
By the way…I just LOVE my new Toega mat that I found here. It just makes it extra fun to play Toega.
ride or car ride from Reagan National Airport.
year’s NKYC conference. First I was a sponsor and vendor which allowed me to have a different experience and perspective.
and beyond. It made my weekend to hear the positive comments from others who have used our resources with the Go Go Yoga for Kids Guide, the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards or had taken one of our Kids Yoga 101 online courses.
