Admit it – there are days when your kids are wild with energy. Maybe they’ve been stuck inside, hiding from nasty weather. Or, they spent their entire school day having to sit still. And all you want them to do is calm down before they destroy your house! Tap into yoga’s magical union between energy and calm, wearing your kids out and restoring peace to your world – even if temporarily.

Joggin’ Thru the Jungle: Go for a jungle hike, meeting creatures like crocodiles and lions on your adventure. Kidding Around Yoga’s song is fast-paced to burn off excess energy and full of imaginative play. If you have a large group of kids, they can jog in a circle, or if you are limited for space, keep the jogging stationary.

Popcorn: Do you really need to get kids moving? This song is a surefire way to get heart rates up because it’s all about jumping. Start as popcorn kernels, squatting low and and hugging your knees. As the pan heats up, start bouncing, just a little at first. Then, when the music really kicks in, POP! You burst and begin popping all over the room. Challenge kids to jump higher, faster, and sillier. Spin and flail arms around. Keep popping and jumping until the song ends. Have children notice their heart beating and their heavy breathing. After a brief rest, check in again – how are they feeling?

Races: Most kids love to race, and you can make them as competitive or cooperative as your group’s age, goals and space allows.

• Crab Crawl – crawl on feet and hands (belly up), either forward or backward. For added challenge, balance something on your belly (a stuffed animal or ball)
• Inchworm – start standing, then forward fold. Walk your hands into Plank pose, walk your feet forward to a forward fold again. Then walk hands to Plank and feet to fold, over and over, inchworming across the room.
• Crocodile – start in Plank, lower down and leap forward, landing in Plank again
• Wheelbarrow – In partners, one person starts in Plank and her partner holds her legs while she walks on her hands. Switch roles on the next turn.

The Yogi Shake:  Another song to get the energy out and the calm in! According to Ayurveda, intentional shaking increases the circulation of blood and prana (energy). Scientifically, shaking also increases levels of oxytocin (the “love” hormone) which provides a sense of happiness. To read more about shaking, check out Sharon Gannon’s work in Jivamukti Yoga.

Sun Salutations: If all else fails, work through a few Sun Salutations. Kidding Around Yoga also has a song that playfully guides you through several variations of the classic yoga sequence. Try changing up the series by moving through it quickly, or in in super-slow-motion. Do the movements as a wave, or as mirrors to each other.

Like what you read here? There’s so much MORE to explore and learn with Kidding Around Yoga. Check out our website for our live and online teacher trainings, Yoga Alliance-approved 95-hour RCYT trainings, specialty online courses, original music, merchandise, and beyond! KAY even offers a 6-hour workshop designed to teach school educators and homeschool families how to bring yoga and meditation right into their classrooms (EduKAY).