by sara | Jun 20, 2016 | Kids Yoga Lesson Plan
Go Go Yoga for Kids is passionate about getting you equipped with how to introduce and teach yoga for kids!
You don’t need to have a kids yoga certification or hours and hours of training and research. If you have a heart for kids and yoga, then you can definitely positive influence and make a difference in kids’ lives through yoga. The benefits for the kids (and you!) are life-long!
More good news for kids and yoga is the research on the benefits of yoga and children keep pouring in. Yoga for kids is on the move. Don’t miss it!
Our bestselling guides Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids and Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Lessons for Children will take you step by step in planning and implementing fabulous lesson plans and ideas to get kids excited about yoga.
If you are interested in Kids Yoga Online Training, check out our online How to Teach Yoga to Kids Courses here. Use code TEACHER here to enroll for only $10.
by sara | Jun 17, 2016 | Kids Yoga Lesson Plan
Here are 3 easy Kids Yoga Poses that you can do with your kids. Anywhere! Anytime!
When many people think of yoga they imagine standing very still, holding a pose, and attempting to breathe. That is yoga, yes, but yoga is also full of active movement and strength building!
Plank Challenge:
Holding Plank Pose can be a love/hate relationship. With regular practice, endurance does build up and it can be a lot more tolerable. Plank Pose is truly the perfect exercise as every muscle in your body is working and will get stronger including your arms, core, and legs.
Begin by making sure you and your children are holding that perfect Plank Pose. This means having a straight line from the top of your head and all the way down your back. I like to tell my yoga students to pretend they have an imaginary glass of water on their back and they do not want it to spill. Hands should be directly below the shoulders.
Begin by holding The Plank together for 15 seconds. Count and make it fun. Build up to 30 seconds and finally, work up to a minute. This will happen over time and will become easier with daily practice. I like to give tips such as squeezing everything tight on your body including your legs and stomach. This will make you feel lighter and be able to hold the pose longer. Remember to breathe!
Plank Challenges are a wonderful exercise to do with someone else as we are better and stronger together!
Down Dog Hover:
This is another great exercise that will work many muscles. Hold a Down Dog Pose, then bring your knees to a hover without touching the ground. Next, extend out to Plank Pose, hold and then find your way back to Down Dog. Repeat this several times and notice the difference in how your body feels each time.
Wheelbarrow Races: 
Remember these from long ago? Kids love them it and it is certainly an exercise that has been forgotten over time. Is this exactly a yoga move? Not entirely, but it incorporates the Plank Pose and is lots of fun! Have your child go into Plank Pose. Hold their legs and start walking. If you want, attempt to switch positions. This exercise is sure to bring a few laughs.
Have fun with yoga poses with your kids and being active together!
Looking to do more yoga with your kids? Try some of our calming yoga poses yoga poses for kids.
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by sara | Jun 12, 2016 | Kids Yoga Lesson Plan
Maybe the word “sneaky” sounds too conniving and calculated, but after an energetic and fun-filled kids yoga class or a busy day out and about, there is nothing better than settling children into a state of relaxation or savasana. Anyone who has ever worked with or been around kids for approximately 30 seconds, knows that quieting kids is not always an easy task to do. These calming yoga moves for kids at home or in a kids yoga class!
Read on for some simple tips that can make that important last bit of a kids yoga class all the more refreshing and relaxing. This is the perfect time that children can reap the benefits of the yoga moves for kids working and moving their bodies in such a good and healthy way.
- Turn the lights down low if possible.
- Play slow and calming music.
- Have children begin to lie on their backs as slowly as possible while counting down from 10.
- Have them bring their knees to their chest give themselves a big hug. They love this!
- Allow the kids to lay however they feel most comfortable; on their back, stomach or curled into a ball.
- Use phrases like, “be as still as a statue, ” or “quiet as a mouse” to help give kids a mental picture of how to pose and act.
- Depending on the situation, lightly rub the children’s’ backs. It is amazing the calm it brings and how much they respond to this little touch.
Call it a success, if you get stillness for even 10 seconds from your class or child at first! Savasana is something to build on with kids. Over time the duration will lengthen. It really does become a favorite part of class or nightly routine at home as they get to lie there and “do nothing.” The act of being totally present brings about so many benefits for kids.
by sara | Jun 10, 2016 | Kids Yoga Lesson Plan
Parents are busy. Kids are busy. Here is how you can get your yoga workout in AND have fun making memories with your kids. Sounds like a win-win situation to me! If you want more easy ideas on getting your kids involved with yoga see here.
Partner Up
There are many fun child yoga poses that can be done with adults and children. Look here for fun Partner Pose ideas that can be done with your kids.
Watch a Video
Not feeling too creative or need some fresh ideas? Check out a You Tube video. There are some fun videos you can find related to kids yoga. While there Subscribe to Go Go Yoga Kids for updates. We will be up and running there soon!
Use a Story:
This is one of my favorite ways to practice yoga with kids. I love reading aloud to my kids and I know how important that is. By reading a story to them they will receive the benefits of reading aloud AND practicing yoga! Here are some of my favorite read alouds that allow opportunities to try some yoga poses.
Feel like you have those ideas mastered or need some additional inspiration? For more ideas look at our post on even more ways to incorporate yoga, kids, and home.
by sara | Jun 5, 2016 | Benefits, Breathing Exercises, Games, Kids Yoga Lesson Plan, Yoga Poses
If you are already teaching kids yoga or even if you are just beginning to learn some yoga poses, you have probably already experienced, read or heard about the benefits of yoga for all ages. Why wouldn’t you want to introduce it those you care about most? Your family and loved ones need to know about this!
I love how yoga actually lets you connect with your child and is something you can actually do with them as opposed to being a spectator to such as soccer games, dance recitals, piano recitals, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I love cheering my kids on at any of their sporting events or competitions, but the memories are made when you actually do something with them.
It doesn’t need to be a big orchestrated event, just get down on the floor and be engaged. They will love it!
Easy Ways to do Yoga At Home With Your Kids
- Make it a Routine: Doing some yoga poses together does not need to take long. Incorporate some little ways to use yoga at the same time every day. It could be first thing in the morning or by doing some bedtime calming stretches each night. These are good places to start!
- Use Props: Grab some beach towels or yoga mats to lay out and sit on. Kids love having their own space and this will give them boundaries and a sense of ownership. Include your child’s favorite stuffed animal and have it participate along with you.
- Pick a Card: I love these Yoga Pose Cards and they are great for providing a visual. Let them pick 3-5 yoga pose cards at a time to learn, practice and have fun with. Make sure that you participate as well and gain all of the benefits too.
Teaching kids yoga at home doesn’t need to take long. Just have fun with yoga together and make it a part of your life. There is no right or wrong way, but the simple fact that you are together, learning and moving will create lasting memories with your children!
For more ways to teach yoga to your kids visit here.
by sara | May 31, 2016 | Games, Kids Yoga Lesson Plan
One of my favorite things to do is to develop creative new yoga games out of classic favorites. Kids love this as it gives them the opportunity to play a game that they are already familiar with and can learn and practice yoga poses, while working together, and having lots of fun.
The bestselling book Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Using Yoga with Kids includes over 50 fun and creative yoga games to play while l
earning about yoga and having fun!
I would love to share with you one of my favorite: Yoga Jenga.
How to play Yoga Jenga
- Before playing write the names of yoga poses on Jenga Blocks in a permanent marker.
- Set up the Jenga Blocks as if playing a normal game.
- Each player takes a turn carefully drawing out one block out at a time being careful not to let the tower fall
- The player will read aloud the pose and demonstrate it. Everyone then practices the yoga pose.
- The player places the block onto top of the tower.
- Continue around the circle with each child selecting a block. As per normal Jenga rules, when the blocks fall, the game is over.
Kids and adults of all ages enjoy Yoga Jega. It is a fun way to learn and practice many many poses.
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