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Happy Back to School Help for Families and Kids

Happy Back to School Help for Families and Kids

Every Fall, there is a rite of passage for kids aged preschool through college which involves preparing to go back to school. Usually, this means gathering school supplies, going school clothes shopping, registering for sports and activities, Meet the Teacher Night or visiting the school before the start date. These are all part of the back to school transitions which help kids and parents physically and mentally prepare.

The worries and fear of the unknown are real and can lead to feelings of worry and uncertainty. While these feelings are normal there are things that can be done to help children emotionally prepare for a successful year!

Parents play an influential role in helping children cope, encouraging a positive back-to-school transition and helping to reduce children’s anxiety and worries. These mini yoga brain breaks can help.

Enjoy the Following Back to School Help and Tips

Have Honest Discussions

It is important to sit down and really talk to your child. It doesn’t matter their age. Spend some time talking about how things may be different. As them if there are are specific things they are worried or concerned about, and talk these through with them.

Talk to them about what they can do to stay safe such as hand washing, using hand-santizer, keeping their distance from others avoid touching their face.

Get a Routine in Place

This is very important for children! Kids thrive on routines in place because they know what to expect and they feel like they have control.

Have your children wake up at the same time and follow a morning routine such as eating breakfast, brushing teeth and getting dressed for the day. Packing lunch the night before also helps minimize morning decisions and chaos.

Plan on certain places to keep masks easily accessible such as on hooks by the door. Have children help prepare the night before with homework completed and packed into a backpack, lunch prepared and in the fridge, and school clothes laid out. These simple steps will save so much time in the morning and really help with building a routine.

Children ages 3 and older are also old enough to have chores and to contribute positively to the family. Chores such as putting away dishes from the dishwasher, watering plants, walking the dog, taking garbage out, all help build responsibility and community within a family.

Establish a bedtime routine as well. These structures will help create rhythm and flow to the days.  Try these yoga and mindfulness tips that can be done together as a family.

While levels of anxiety and stress may be high, parents play an influential role in back to school help. These mini yoga brain breaks can help kids focus.
Enjoy physical activity together every day

Focus on the Positive

It’s important to acknowledge children’s worries, but parents also need to encourage their children to focus on the things that are positive and they are forward to.

Before school starts, you can ask, “What are you looking forward to about school school?” or “What have you missed about school?” Once school starts, you can ask, “What was something great that happened today?”

At dinner, we like to take turns sharing something positive about our day. With so much negativity going on, it is important to truly be intentional about looking for the positive.

Be a Role Model

Children are watching and looking to us. They are noticing how we are responding to the changes and new challenges. Children even pick up on the nonverbal with our facial expressions.

It’s OK for us to feel uncertain and worried. However, as much as possible, try to model calm and confident attitudes about returning to school for your child and use cheerful, positive messages.

Please take the time to care for your own well-being and mental health. Be kind to yourself and one another. Seek out help if you needed. You are not alone. Make time for what makes you happy.

Conclusion:

While this year’s back to school is different, we can help children feel optimistic by listening to their worries, helping them feel confident by establishing routines and coping strategies.  Our kids need us to lead the way for a successful back-to-school transition and to develop the lifelong skills they will need in the future.

go go yoga for kids books
See our E-Store for immediate access to all kids yoga lesson plans, games, and poses

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Get Your Free Kids Summer Olympics Yoga Guide

Get Your Free Kids Summer Olympics Yoga Guide

Bring the Summer Olympics to you! Get children fit, focused and Olympic ready with this free Go Go Yoga for Kids Summer Olympic Guide. Swim, row, and vault your way to a Gold Medal…olympic-rings-on-hands kids yoga style!

Download your FREE Kids Summer Olympics Yoga Guide Here

Need more kids yoga ideas and lesson plans? Check out our bestselling Kids Yoga Guides.

teach yoga to kids books

Kids Yoga Lesson Plan Books

Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids

Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Lessons for Children

Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for Children

go go yoga for kids books

These resources gives teachers, parents and yoga instructors EVERYTHING they need to teach yoga to kids. Included are lesson plans, creative games, breathing and calming strategies, mindfulness exercises, yoga poses and much more. These ideas can be used right away to bring yoga into kids’ lives.

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How to Make Mindful Moments with Kids & Families

How to Make Mindful Moments with Kids & Families

I was honored to be a guest on the Mindful Moments for Families & Schools Podcast! We continued to crack the code on how to easily incorporate mindfulness and yoga into your children’s everyday routine. 

Get Ready to Discover:

  • Recommendations on how to get started with a yoga & mindfulness practice yourself
  • How to get started teaching yoga to children
  • Create mini mindful moments with Kids
  • How the Go Go Yoga for Kids books & resources came to fruition
  • The creation of The Kids Yoga Challenge App
  • How to easily connect with children
  • Favorite Kids Yoga teaching moments
  • How to build a passion into a business

Tune in for a lighthearted and spirited discussion that left me smiling way after we had parted.

 

go go yoga for kids
go go yoga for kids

 

Mindful Moments for Families and Schools Podcast

Host: Kelly Winkler

In today’s episode I chat with Sara Weis. Best-selling author Sara J. Weis is a creative and passionate teacher who has inspired children for over twenty years. In Go Go Yoga for Kids, Sara has combined her experience as a school teacher and a certified kid and adult yoga instructor to introduce children to yoga in engaging and child-friendly ways.

Sara is the author of Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids, Yoga Lessons for Children and Yoga Games & Activities for Children. She is also the creator of the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards, The Kids Yoga Challenge App and the online Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training, which has trained thousands from all over the world on how to energetically and effectively teach yoga and mindfulness to children.

Sara holds a master’s degree in education as well as bachelor’s degrees in early childhood and elementary education. She is a teacher for West Des Moines Schools and leads kids yoga classes for a nationally-known health and fitness club. Her Go Go Go Yoga for Kids Teacher Training and books are found in over 200 health clubs, gyms and schools across the US.

Listen to the full episode to hear all Sara’s wisdom about yoga for kids. 

kids yoga challenge pose cards

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
The Great Parent Slowdown: How to Be More Present from Yoga for Unity & Wellbeing

The Great Parent Slowdown: How to Be More Present from Yoga for Unity & Wellbeing

“How do you bring out the best from within you, to excel in this journey of parenthood? Are you plagued with questions like:- Am I a good parent? Why is it difficult to raise kids? Will my child turn out right? Learn how to be more present with this webinar!

This webinar also commemorates the United Nations Global Parents Day! Featuring Mary Wheatley and Sara Weis. Mary is a Conscious Parent Coach from Hawaii who is going to talk about the great parent slowdown during today’s pandemic times and she comes with her bag of tricks to help us all out in our individual personal journeys. Sara is a bestselling author and kids yoga instructor who is going to happily share with us a few dynamic yoga poses for us to connect with our kids.

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Yoga Games & Activities for Children: Join the Fun!

Yoga Games & Activities for Children: Join the Fun!

 

Let’s celebrate! Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for Children is turning 1! This fun-filled Kids Yoga Book has something for everyone!

 

Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for ChildrenGo Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for Children

“This book is so useful! As a kids yoga teacher, I am always looking for new breathing exercises, games, mindful activities, etc. to do each week so my students don’t get bored doing the same things over and over. It’s so easy to flip through the sections to find new ideas to mix up my class. There are different sections for teaching different ages and even family classes, which makes this a useful resource for classes of all ages.” Julie E.

 

 

“Finally a book that helps teaching yoga to kids fun and easy! As a mom I know how children love to learn through playing games. I love how Yoga Games & Activities includes such a variety of games for different ages and skills. I have already tried a few of the mindfulness games and balance games with my kids. Will definitely be a book that I refer to often for different ideas.” Angela F.

 

 

Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities Includes:

 

Over 150 yoga games, activities, poses, and challenges broken into categories and can be easily modified. Detailed descriptions for all activities including suggested age groups, needed props, ideal group size, and leader suggestions. These games and activities have all been tried, tested and kid approved!

  • Ideas for organizing engaging kids yoga classes and incorporating games 

  • Benefits children can receive from yoga, games, teamwork, and mindfulness

  • Characteristics of age groups and the types of games that best fit each level of maturity

  • Ways to incorporate challenges for older kids

  • Teaching tips for tweens and teens 

  • Breathing exercises for relaxation, mindfulness, and stress reduction 

  • Secrets to successfully teach yoga to children

  • Ideas for yoga-inspired crafts that can be used at home, school, camp or blub

  •  Ways to incorporate yoga into family time

Send a proof of purchase or screenshot to sara@gogoyogakids.com to Win Your Choice of:

Kids Yoga Challenge Bingo Cards

Digital Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards

Save 50% off your purchase immediately in our Go Go Yoga for Kids E-Store with code GOGO50

The Go Go Yoga for Kids books offers a user-friendly approach to create engaging yoga activities for kids of all ages.  I highly recommend these books to school teachers, yoga instructors, educators, and parents.

Teresa Anne Power

Author of The ABC's of Kids Yoga, Founder of International Kids Yoga Day