Playing games seems like simply child's play, doesn't it? You set up a situation, have pre-determined rules and a goal, and then go about reaching the goal, either competitively or cooperatively. Simple, right? Not so fast. There's an entire psychological theory that...
Self-regulation is an often overlooked, yet quite teachable, tool we can provide the littles in our lives. In all honestly, I feel like it’s only been my adulthood exposure to yoga that has really helped me develop the ability to calm myself down, think through my...
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...
You Are Special by Max Lucado is an amazing book, one to be considered for sharing in yoga class. I believe it will resonate wildly with your little yogis. If you haven't read this book, here is a brief summary from Teaching Children Philosophy...In a village, there...
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...
Imagine this: you walk into an empty room (maybe a classroom, a yoga studio, or a gymnasium). Well, it's not quite empty... there are 8 children scampering around, hopping from yoga mat to yoga mat, excited to start their yoga class with you! You better have a plan, a...
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....
Let's take an in-depth look at one of the most iconic yoga postures - Downward-Facing Dog! This is filled with potential for creativity and games! Pose: Downward-Facing Dog Sanskrit: Adho Mukha Svanasana (pronounced: AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna) Sanskrit...
Turn down the lights and turn up the fun! With a little planning and a lot of creativity, you can create a memorable yoga experience for the whole family. • Decorations: Of course, this means glow sticks! You can get them at most dollar stores, so load up. Some can be...
I am a scavenger - I love to find the treasures within the junk. I think of myself as an educational MacGyver. Give me some random object and I'll figure out how to teach with it. This habit (gift?) started when I was a student-teacher, finishing up my Elementary...
“Miss Julie, did you bring those things that cover our eyes today?” This question is often the first thing asked from at least one of the kids when they see my “bag of tricks” at the start of our Yoga class. My “bag of tricks” is fully-stocked and contain my staples:...
Pompoms might just be the perfect kids’ Yoga prop. They are inexpensive, colorful, lightweight, and have innumerable creative uses. I always bring a big baggie filled with pompoms to my kids’ Yoga classes to use in many ways: Pompom Poppers: Cup your two hands...
The yoga ideal of non-attachment... Can you even fathom how you would approach this concept in a kids’ yoga class? Non-attachment is called aparigraha in The Yoga Sutras (say that 3 times fast). It’s the fifth Yama, aka code of self-restraint. This code includes being...
I always begin my classes by having the kids lay face down on their mats in crocodile with their foreheads resting on their hands. Whenever your forehead touches something, it automatically sends a signal to your brain to calm down. I find that most children can...
We have all seen the cartoon images of a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, so it makes sense for us to have some inner voices as we work through situations, but why does it seem like there is SO much chatter up there?! Our conscious mind is taking care...
Watch at your leisure!
Watch at your leisure!
