Are you ready for a new and fun idea that will get kids to listen? The Listening Game is one of my favorite new mindfulness games to use in my kids yoga classes. This simple game works like magic in getting your student’s attention while helping them be quiet and mindful.
I have used this with kids ages 2-16 and it is amazing how it completely calms and focuses them.
This is also a good game to use as a teacher to transition from a loud large group activity to a more calming and mindful time.
This chime is also the perfect size for popping into my kids yoga bag to take to class or in my teacher bag to use at school.
What I Would Say to the Kids: How many of you think you are really good at listening? Children raise hands
Great! We are going to see what great listeners we can be and play The Listening Game!
Sit up nice in tall in your seat with your hands resting in your lap. Now I am going to play a chime. I want you to listen for as long as you can. When you do not hear the chime anymore than raise your hand. Are you ready?
Play the chime once. Notice when the children raise their hands when they cannot hear the chime anymore. They can also open their eyes.
Oh, you are such great listeners AND you look so relaxed!
Have the children take two or three rounds of breath together and then play again. A note from experience, remember to not overplay this game so it will not lose its effectiveness. 2-4 rounds is enough at one time.
Want more Spring Family Yoga fun? Let’s celebrate Spring and our Earth with our fun Family Spring Yoga Sequence. This is a sequence of Spring yoga poses that will help get us ready for Spring and all of the changes happening outside!
How to Teach our Spring Sequence to Kids:
What is happening outside right now? The grass is getting green. Trees and flowers are growing and sprouting their leaves. Baby birds are hatching and animals are coming out of hibernation. There are many plants and animals that are changing by the day at this time of year! It is very, very exciting with all of the things that are happening with our Earth during Spring.
This Spring Yoga Sequence can be done with kids of any age. You can also practice this yoga sequence by yourself. It just feels good in your body for sure and a fun way to celebrate Earth.
You do not need any materials or resources just a place to move your body! I will be using our Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards that have yoga pose visuals for the poses we will be practicing. It is always good to have visuals when practicing yoga with kids.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards will challenge you and children with balance, flexibility, mindfulness, and more. This card deck includes 40 poses including partner poses, confidence-building pose mantras, and fun games to play together using these cards.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards include:
40 progressive yoga poses including partner poses
Empowering pose mantras for beginners and meditation
Poses rated from 1-5 stars based on difficulty
Easy to follow poses to create many original yoga flows
15 Bonus Games to play using these pose cards
Tested and proven yoga poses to bring most mental and physical benefit
Takes only minutes each day to gain lifelong skills and health benefits
“She is constantly disrupting the flow of the class.”
These are just a few of the statements that I hear from many of you time and time again. I hear you! I understand. Teaching children is all about how to keep kids interested, engaged, challenged, and motivated. This means they are not acting up and spoiling it for the other kids. I get that. I have been there!
After 20 years of teaching in the school classroom and leading thousands of kids yoga classes, I have a pretty good idea what works for keeping your class running seamlessly.
How to Keep Children Engaged in Yoga Class
Keep the Energy Level Varied
When I teach yoga to children, my lesson plans include activities for varied energy levels. That is a good thing! I promise! I like to begin my classes at a low energy level which means settling into class, focusing on our breath and being calm and mindful.
Next, I move into the next parts of my kids yoga lesson plans which include Active Movement, Themed Yoga Poses, Yoga Games, and Yoga Challenge which require a mid- to high-energy level. Finally, I like to bring the level back down with our Community Building, Mindfulness, Savasana. Kids do really well with this type of pacing in a yoga class and this helps quite a bit with any classroom management issues. If you want to know more about the exact breakdown of my Kids Yoga Lesson Plan, our bestselling Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kidstakes you through the exact step by step lesson planning breakdown and no-fail formula.
Keep Things Moving
I cannot stress this one enough. There is a reason that there are 9 components in the Go Go Yoga for Kids yoga class plan. That may seem like a lot, but each component only lasts a few minutes each. Each part is done specifically with a purpose. It begins with welcoming the children to class, introducing the themed yoga poses, and community building. Each part is important to the overall structure and flow of class and this definitely helps engage students. Plus familiarity and routine help build confidence with kids. That is what we want…confident kids!
Continue moving forward. I know class management can be the number one challenge in working with kids, but always continue learning and revamping. By having a plan in the place will help you stay on track, but remember to be in the moment and have fun with the kids as well. Stick with it. Keep coming back and learning and growing. Just think of the difference you are making in the lives of the children you know and love.
This offer is good for both Amazon.com and UK! Get all your kids yoga lesson plans, breathing exercises, and yoga games galore for less than a dollar.
Grab your copies of these kids yoga books now. Share with a friend. They will thank you!
If you already have your copies, please follow the links below and leave a review. It takes only a minute and truly helps others find and learn about these resources. It is so very appreciated!
I understand. I am right with you! You love yoga. You enjoy kids. What could be so different about teaching yoga to children compared to taking or leading an adult yoga class? There are definitely similarities between the two with breathing exercises, poses and ending with rest and relaxation, but that is where similarities end. Kids yoga is busy. We are moving, breathing, and interacting with one another pretty much the entire time.
Read on for three important things to keep in mind while introducing yoga to children.
Here are just a few secrets about teaching yoga to children:
Kids Yoga is Not Adult Yoga
Kids are obviously not adults, and they will not behave like adults. As obvious as this may seem, I really want you to understand. Kids are not going to follow every pose in a structured Vinyasa flow type adult class. Kids are busy, spontaneous, and they love engaging with one another. My kids yoga lesson plans always contain 9 proven and important components. That may seem like a lot, but this keeps the kids active, engaged, learning, and in the moment.
Ease Up on the Alignment
Don’t take this the wrong way. Above all, be safe but not picky. Demonstrate the pose yourself or with yoga pose cards. But be aware that if you spend a majority of time making sure Venya has a complete 90 degrees with their leg in Warrior 1 or that Dylan’s Plank Pose includes a perfectly flat back, you will lose the attention and enthusiasm of the kids. Yoga is a continued practice. Children, like adults, will continue to learn and grow with the poses and their practice.
Yoga is a Life-Long Journey
There is a reason that yoga is referred to as a practice. There is no such thing as perfection in yoga. By introducing yoga to children you are helping to give them the skills they will have for life.
I know you can do this. Are you wondering how you can even begin? If you are ready to dip your toes into learning about how to teach yoga to children, then I recommend Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Children. This book covers in great detail about the important 9 components of a successful kids yoga class. It will completely prepare you to teach successful and memorable kids yoga classes.
If you are ready to dive in deeper with your learning, our online Kids Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher Trainingis the perfect place to find out everything you need to know about teaching yoga and mindfulness to children complete with teaching videos, guides, class management, lesson plans, yoga pose cards and much more. Learn more here.
