I just love the fresh start feeling of a new school year. As a teacher and a parent myself, I understand that we want our children to be in a collaborative, creative, calm and supported classroom environment.
The good news is that by easily incorporating some breathing exercises, mindfulness practice, and simple stress-reducing happy poses, kids will become more focused and attentive and will develop greater empathy toward one another. Yoga may help create that classroom environment that we all want for children.
Yoga for kids is becoming more common in schools and a few moments each day can help kids achieve the benefits that yoga provides. Children need active brain breaks throughout the day to learn best.
Work with a partner or small group to practice partner poses and achieve a goal together You can find many partner ideas and illustrations here.
Introduce a new yoga pose each week. Make it fun! For example, pick a certain word such as your school’s name. When you say that word everyone will stop what they are doing and hold that pose. Find yoga poses and ideas here with The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards
Count by fives and 10s while holding a balance pose.
Take a One Minute Vacation and allow students to shut their eyes, breathe, and visualize themselves in their favorite place.
Want more ideas on how to use yoga at school day? Yoga Lessons for Childrenincludes games, ways to reduce stress, yoga poses, and great read-aloud books with complete lesson plans.
Summer is here! Get ready to play a favorite Summer Yoga Game!.
One of my favorite things about teaching yoga for kids is that there are so many fun and creative ways to introduce poses. I love creating a yoga game for kids and Beach Ball Yoga is one of my favorite summer games to play wiht kids. This yoga game can be played with any size group of any ages. Family-friendly and fun! All you need is a beach ball to get started!
Looking for a little beach ball challenge? Have everyone sit in the circle and pass it around the circle again, but not with their hands – with their feet!
I like to explain how this is similar to a group Boat Pose. It is a good core workout as well especially with holding that pose and all the laughter.
Need hundreds of complete kids yoga lesson plans, games, and resources?
Check out our bestselling kids yoga lesson plans books:
Balance Practice: Use plastic gold coins to work on balancing them on your hand, head, knee, etc. The children will have lots of ideas on where they can balance their gold coins. You can also use these gold coins for balance relays which the kids think are lots of fun.
Try these five heart-opening yoga valentine poses with children this Valentine holiday. These heart-opening exercises are especially beneficial for kids and adults who spend the majority of their day slouched in desks at school and work or with their heads bent over screens and books.
These exercises take only minutes and will help improve posture and release back and neck tension as well as create openness in your body and mind.
Cat to Cow Pose: Begin on your hands and knees. Next round your back and tuck your chin into your chest as if you are a cat. Then look up, arch your back and open your chest into Cow Pose. This is a great way to strengthen your spine and begin to feel your heart-opening.
Updog Pose: Lie on your tummy. Place the palms of your hands next to your shoulders and lookup. Slowly straighten your arms and open your chest. It is okay to keep arms bent as well.
Bridge or Wheel Pose: Kids love trying to get into Wheel Pose, but this huge heart opener is not easily accessible for all. For an easier but still effective heart opener, try Bridge Pose. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Rest your arms alongside your body, tuck your chin into your chest, and lift your back to create a bridge.
Camel Pose: Take this pose slowly and feel your heart open. Get on your knees, lean back slowly, and place your hands on your lower back or ankles. Tilt your head back, open your chest, and breathe.
Bow Pose: Lie on your tummy, bend your knees, and lift your chest. Reach your arms back toward your toes and hold onto your feet. Let your heart shine!
Bow Pose becomes easier to try after practicing with The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose
Happy New Year! It has been a wonderful year for Go Go Yoga for Kids. We have loved bringing the joy and fun of yoga to thousands of others through our Kids Yoga Lesson Plan Books, Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards, App, and most importantly our online Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training. We have now certified over 3500 people from all over the world and are sharing the love and joy of kids yoga with others.
I have always loved reflecting on the year and thinking about how we can help even more others in the next year. I am also such a fan of “Year-End Reviews” and “Best of” Lists. So without much further ado…
Here are your Top Kids Yoga Favorite Posts from this year:
I just love the fresh start feeling of a new school year. As a teacher and a parent myself, I understand that we want our children to be in a collaborative, creative, calm and supported classroom environment.
Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Lessons for Children
