So you want to be a Kids Yoga teacher? Good choice. It's the BEST way to change the world. Check it out: Kids are honest and open - you know what they really think about the class As a teacher that started out leading adult yoga classes, I’ve sometimes walked away...
When most people think of yoga, they typically picture stretching the body in funny shapes and chanting OM in Lotus pose. But as you may know, there is so much more to yoga than that. In our own practice, including the time we spend teaching kids, we can bring in the...
This lesson plan is perfect to use with in-person classes or in virtual classes! “An example is a clear bulb or a colored bulb. If the bulb is colored, it gives colored light. But you wouldn’t say the electricity inside is also colored.” -Swami Satchidananda, The...
There are plenty of TV programs that are so wildly popular, that sooner or later you’ll see the characters all over the place, like at birthday parties or when you shop at Target or another major store. PJ Masks is one of those shows. My daughter has gotten so caught...
When it comes to flowers, there’s more than just lotus pose in yoga. Think of the whole life cycle of a flower, from seed to sprout to flower, then back to seed. It just begs to be done as a poetic variation of a Sun Salutation. Not to mention all the things...
Can kids meditate? My answer to this is, yes, absolutely! I was pleasantly surprised the first time I realized I could just sit and meditate, however brief, even as my daughter played with her toys nearby. She came and sat down to imitate me and looked like a pro; she...
I remember a group of kids I taught that loved to fall! They were 2-4 years old and whenever I asked them to balance on one foot, they’d go, “Wha-, woe, woe, whoa, whoaaaaa!” and come crashing down dramatically as if they were trying to balance on a bucking bronco....
Have you ever read a book to a group of kids who could not sit still? Fortunately there is a growing genre of kids yoga books for all those young yogis who just want to participate in some action while the book is being read. Three of the books below can be read as...
You may have heard the quote, “Yoga is 1% inspiration and 99 % perspiration.” I like to do a spin off that and say kids yoga is 10% inspiration, 40% perspiration and 50% imagination! In looking for ways to stretch our conceptions of downward dog (literally and...
The transformational power of imagination Have you ever seen a kid play happily with a simple cardboard box for 30 minutes? What about kids who love to drum on anything from empty Quaker oats canisters to cookie tins? When it comes to props, so much can be done with...
The darker days and colder temperatures of winter make us all want to hibernate, right? Well, maybe. Sometimes when kids have less outdoor time during the winter months, they get restless! One way to deal with this is to let them get their energy out so they are ready...
If you have ever taught kids around the Halloween season, chances are that you’ve noticed the effects of too much sugar and too much anticipation on a group of kids. Other common times for kids to feel hyper is when they come back from vacation or just...
You might wonder how pumpkins and yoga could possibly be related. Think of how we transform pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween: it’s the light inside that makes all the difference! This conjures up a natural connection between jack-o-lanterns and the idea of...
“Spring is in the air,” is more than just a saying. When the seasons change and days start getting longer and warmer, there is a change in the air as well as in our moods and emotions. In yoga we often think of the breath as the air element. Many yoga teachers...
Earth Day presents a great opportunity to teach kids about appreciating their connection to nature and the earth. I taught an Earth Day themed kids' Yoga class recently and came up with some great activities to share: Astronaut Breath: Pretend to go into outer space...
Watch at your leisure!
Watch at your leisure!
