I love introducing yoga to children and have been thrilled that Go Go Yoga for Kids has gotten to be a part of many fun family events as well as author events this past year.
I feel uncomfortable just sitting behind a table, and I would much rather interact with the children and introduce them to yoga through a variety of ways.
Often when Go Go Yoga for Kids does an event, I will teach a kids yoga class, or offer mini yoga sessions so the children can get an opportunity to try yoga in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.
This past weekend we had an event at a zoo so I was ready with zoo animal yoga poses and our popular Off the Zoo Kids Yoga Lesson Plan.
A new favorite kids yoga game to play is the Yoga Dice Game. For this game you need a giant dice. I found a fun inexpensive blow up one on Amazon.
Use packing tape or clear tape to attach the poses to the dice.
I also printed out labels for the poses. This step isn’t necessary as the pose cards already have the names of the poses on them.
Each player takes a turn to roll the dice. Whatever pose comes up, the player does that pose.
Continue rolling the dice until all of the poses are mastered.
See another fun way to play the Kids Yoga Dice Game here.
For the Zoo Kids Yoga Event, I had animal stickers to give the children when they tried the pose. It is not necessary, however, as the kids just had fun rolling the giant dice.
I also love that you can continue changing the poses on the dice so the game continues to be fresh and fun. It also works great for all ages. Have fun playing the Yoga Dice Game!
Introducing young children to yoga for preschoolers through games, poses, and props is one of my favorite things to do.
This young creative age group loves to try new things and is up for any new adventure. Through yoga, we can teach mindfulness, patience, cooperation, and much more.
Stillness and Savasana definitely becomes a favorite part of any kids yoga class. Be as still as a starfish or quiet as a mouse in this pose. Kids love it. Get your tips here on how to easily get kids still and quiet.
Learn how to Teach Yoga to Young Children in our fun and easy to follow online course. Discover how to introduce kids to yoga through breathing exercises, poses, games, and calming techniques. This course is designed for those that want to change the lives of children. Perfect for home, preschools, nursery schools, day cares, camps and clubs.
What is one job that almost any kid would love to have as their full time grown up job? I am pretty positive that a toy designer would top the list. I am very excited to introduce you to someone who is doing just that. Meet Erica Golub of Backyard Yoga.
Read on to win of Erica’s latest kids yoga products: Roll-a-Pose Wintertime Dice Game
I had the pleasure of meeting Erica at the National Kids Yoga Conference in Washington D.C. last Fall. I was intrigued about what she was doing and creating to help maximize the power of play in children to incorporate movement, meditation and mindfulness.
Read on to find out more about Erica’s creative process and Backyard Yoga.
GGYfK: What was your favorite toy as a kid?
Backyard Kids Yoga: I’m not sure I had just one. I was a big fan of combining all my toys. Legos, Voltron, He-man, Rainbow Brite, Care Bears and My Little Pony all mashed together in one crazy narrative. When I look back, most of my time was spent outdoors. Some of my fondest memories as a kid are playing outside with my brother and neighbors making up games.
GGYfK: We love the name Backyard Kids Yoga as it seems so friendly and accessible to all. How did the name originate?
Backyard Kids Yoga: It literally originated from my backyard. I was searching for local kids yoga classes that would fit in our summer schedule, and allow both my 3 and 6 year old to attend together. One day I got tired of searching and decided to create it. I set up Backyard Yoga Playdates and invited friends. The private Facebook group has grown now to over 20 families and I still hold one every month during the summer. The have become my ambassadors and you can find them highlighted here.
GGYfK: Being a toy maker and designer sounds so amazing. What was the first thing you ever designed and sold?
Backyard Kids Yoga: My first product to hit the market was the Peaceful Planet Waterball that I designed while interning at Fisher-Price in 1998/99. A fun fact is that it had a cameo in the movie Under The Tuscan Sun, I think seeing my toy on the big screen may have been cooler than seeing my first toy on the store shelves.
GGYfK: Where do you get your inspiration?
Backyard Kids Yoga: Play. This is why I am such an advocate for play. Being curious and learning about new things will always fuel us and help us to grow. When you are learning new skills or just playing around, things will connect in the most unexpected ways. Getting my 200hr yoga certification started as a way for me to reconnect with myself again after my first child was born. I had no idea at the time the path those 6 months, 6 years ago, would put me on.
GGYfK:. What is the biggest challenge in designing unique products?
Backyard Kids Yoga: It depends on the space I’m designing in. If I’m designing a new stacking toy, that becomes pretty difficult since so many have been done before. With Backyard Yoga it’s a bit easier. As you know there are not a lot of resources out there for kids yoga, which is why you wrote Go Go Yoga for Kids. My toy design background coupled with my yoga experience provides endless ideas. The bigger hurdles revolve around resources.
GGYfK: Tell us about the next product you have in mind that you are excited to share with others?
Backyard Kids Yoga: Right now I’m pretty excited about a family of products coming this Spring. They focus on breath and meditation. Breathing Buddy Eye Pillows are character themed eye pillows with satin tummy’s filled with flax seed. They will be accompanied by a song I co-wrote and developed with super talented friends of mine. The song is my take on belly balloon breath. If you want to read more check out my article at MindBodyGreen.
The eye pillows and song will be followed by a picture book illustrating the words in the song.
These particular products are near and dear to my heart because they grew out of being a mama to an anxious little girl. The narrative in our belly balloon meditation was developed through some pretty tough bedtime talks. Sometimes little kids feel like they need to burden the weight of the world…and I will do whatever I can to create tools for kids and parents to help reconcile those feelings.
Leave a comment below Backyard Yoga’s newest products!
Roll-a-Pose Wintertime
INCLUDES:
A laminated pose card showing 10 winter themed yoga poses
2 10-sided dice in dice
Game play ideas and pose descriptions
Leave a comment below by February 10th with your favorite yoga pose for a chance to win this Wintertime Roll-a-Pose Game!
If I ever had my own bookstore, I would love it to be just like this! Plot Twist Bookstore is such a cozy and charming gem. Our new kids yoga mats fit in perfectly and the kids had so much fun learning new yoga poses and playing games. If you are ever in the area, it is definitely worth a stop!
