Welcome to our Kids Yoga Lesson Planning 101 Free Training! Throughout this training we have learned how to put together engaging, successful, fun, and memorable kids yoga classes. Now we will learn how to build community.
Get all caught up here with the Most Important Parts Every Kids Yoga Class Needs:
Building Community comes toward the end of your kids yoga class. Everyone has had fun, learned a lot, and now it is time to bring the energy level down a little.
How to Build Trust and Community in Your Kids Yoga Classes: Building Community
As a teacher, I know that it can be tempting to skip or rush this portion of class if you are feeling short on time. I encourage you to really make time for this building community portion of class. It is a very important part for your students as well as for you, their teacher.
As you begin to bring your yoga class to a close, it is important
and beneficial to reflect on all that you have learned and accomplished during
class. It makes the students feel stronger and more united as a class.
This is personally one of my favorite parts of class as it ties everything
together. The children share what they have learned and what they have enjoyed.
I love hearing about their favorite parts and often times I am surprised. Many
times it is not what I think such as mastering a difficult pose, but instead it
might be how they felt or how they connected with another student and maybe
made a new friend.
Here are a few of our favorite ways to Build Community in your Kids Yoga Classes. Give them a try. They love it and it truly begins to bring your class to a close.
Although the official Opposite Day has been declared on January 25, kids love to celebrate Opposite Day anytime. A fun way to do that is with The Opposite Yoga Pose Game and dog pose.
Kids love this yoga game and it really stretches their minds as they think creatively and move their bodies in different ways. Kids don’t necessarily need to have an understanding of all the yoga poses to be able to play. Use The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards to help this game be even more successful and fun for kids.
Have the child think of an opposite yoga pose for it. For example; Down Dog Pose could be Boat Pose. Or Frog Pose would become Happy Baby Pose and the opposite of Mountain Pose is a Headstand.
The next child then selects a card and everyone demonstrates the opposite of.
Continue around the circle until everyone has had a turn.
**If the child cannot think of what an opposite yoga pose, he or she can make one up or the group can help them think of one.
How many more opposite yoga poses can you think of? It is okay if the children (or you) do not know the name of the poses they are making. Just make them up and have fun!
A helpful tip is to look at the pose card and see what they can come up with. This is a fun game that allows collaboration and teamwork within the group. It is the simple act of moving their bodies in creative and different ways that will produce many benefits.
Congratulations! You have made it to the main part of your yoga class where you can introduce and teach poses to your students. Kids enjoy learning new yoga poses and often get excited about adding new ones to their repertoire.
Boat Pose at the Park: Yoga is a Great Exercise for All Ages
How to Teach Yoga Poses to Kids
When teaching yoga poses to kids, I have found it helpful to group the yoga poses together by a theme. It is also helpful to only introduce 4-6 yoga poses per class. This really gives children the opportunity to practice the yoga poses and remember them outside of class.
I have found that concentrating on fewer poses in class allows the children to truly focus, pay more attention to correct form and achieve success. They will feel themselves getting stronger, longer and more flexible as they become more comfortable with the poses. Your theme-related yoga poses are also a great way to differentiate and accommodate for the varying needs of your class.
How to Introduce the Yoga Poses
When introducing the yoga poses, it is important to be excited about the poses and build anticipation. This is a great technique and you will have the kids in the palm of your hand and so excited to learn what the next pose will be.
Gather the children in a circle
Have some sort of seasonal bag or prop (colorful gift bag, basket, stocking cap, sand pail) that you have placed the 4-5 pose card visuals. I use The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards.
Call on a child to come and “draw out” the next pose.
Everyone practices the pose. Discuss what parts of your body you feel working and getting stronger.
Call on another child to draw out the next pose and practice.
Continue in this format until all of the poses have been drawn.
I like to give the students a “test.” Since I am a teacher they find this highly interesting and engaging. I call out a pose that we have learned and the students must get into it as quickly as they can. For younger ages, it is fine to show the Kids Yoga Pose Card to help them find success.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards include 40 yoga pose cards. Partner yoga poses, yoga games, and mantras for mindfulness are included.
How to Teach Yoga Poses to School-Aged, Tweens, and Teens
After learning and practicing the yoga poses with older students, we will flow the poses together. Our yoga mats are already placed in a circle and I then place the yoga pose cards (that we just learned) in the center in the center in the circle and also order that we will flow. The children really enjoy this and they feel very grown-up.
They are definitely not too grown-up, however, when the Yoga Flow ends and it is time to practice the poses with a Yoga Game! Kids never ever want to pass up a yoga game!
Stay tuned for our favorite Kids Yoga Games in our Kids Yoga Lesson Planning 101 coming up next!
This offer is good for both Amazon.com and Amazon UK! Get all your kids yoga lesson plans, breathing exercises, mindfulness activities, and yoga games galore for less than a dollar.
Grab your copies of these kids yoga books now. Share with a friend. They will thank you!
Go Go Yoga for Kids: A Complete Guide to Yoga with Kids
If you already have your copies, please follow the links below and leave a review. It takes only a minute and truly helps others find and learn about these resources. It is so very appreciated!
Hello and welcome! I am so happy you are joining us for The Kids Yoga Lesson Planning 101 Training for sun salutations for kids. Find your printable workbook here.
1. We covered the importance of why you NEED to have a lesson plan when you teach yoga to children. Watch the training video here.
Now, grab your Kids Yoga Lesson Planning 101 Guide and jump right in!
Part 3: Sun Salutations for Kids & Connect With Breath
After you and your students have focused on their Breathing Exercises, you can begin Part 3 of your Kids Yoga class with Sun Salutations.
The Sun Salutation portion of a yoga class and is wonderful for warming up the whole body. It is also exciting because your kids yoga students are now ready to connect their breath with this movement.
Keep it Familiar
I like to keep
the Sun Salutations relatively similar for each class. Familiarity builds
confidence. Similar to adults, kids like to feel as if they are in control and
can really pay attention to their breath and movement during the Sun
Salutations if they are comfortable and familiar with the flow.
Sunrise to Sunset
I like to use the analogy of sunrise to sunset with I introduce Sun Salutations to kids. They breathe in and raise their hands above their heads for the sunrise and the dive forward on the exhale over their toes for the Sunset.
At the end of our Sun Salutations, we talk about how we feel stronger, lighter and more focused. This simple exercise is a wonderful way to get their bodies warm and ready for the next Active Movement portion of the class.
Sun Salutations with Kids During our Barnes and Noble Prince & Princess Event
Kids love to go camping! Try our free Let’s Go Camping Yoga lesson plan with kids. It has everything you need minus the bugs! It will be an adventure for sure!
Included in our Let’s Go Camping Kids Yoga Lesson Plan:
Practice Smore Breath
Sunrise to Sunset Salutations
Go on a Bear Hunt
Learn Yoga Poses such as Tent, Canoe, Fire, and Compass
Play the fun Bears in the Forest Yoga Game
“Create a Campground” group challenge pose
Make a Campfire with yoga mats
Rest and restore on your yoga mat sleeping bag
Included are step by step directions on what to do and how to play. Enjoy your yoga camping adventure with your friends and family!
