Yoga Stories for Kids
November 19, 2007I just wrapped up my six week kids yoga session last week, and thought I would share some ideas for all the parents out there needing constructive, active things to do with their kiddos over the holidays. My class consisted of 3-6 year olds, but these would be good for older kids as well. [This also assumes that the parent or adult is already familiar with basic yoga poses.]
Poses with sound effects
As you know, many poses in yoga are named after animals or nature. Why not add sound effects to the pose? Moo like a cow, meow like a cat, roar like a lion and don’t forget be quiet as a mouse — these are great fun and keep your kiddo’s attention and focus.
Yoga Story Time
Once you and your child have a general understanding of the poses, you can create storytime. Tell a story using yoga poses throughout the story. When your child hears the pose name, they come into the pose. An example beginning might be:
A little boy was walking through the forest and saw a big, tall Tree. (Tree Pose)
Don’t worry — you don’t need to be a professional storyteller — just have a general idea of the poses you and your child both know, and let your creativity go from there. After a few times, ask your child to help you with the story and eventually switch places and let them tell the story.
Relaxation Time?
The most asked question I get when I mention that I teach kids yoga, is whether they sit still at the end for Relaxation. And the answer is yes, they do. The key is to start small and make sure the yoga class has been pretty active prior to relaxing at the end. Start with just a minute or two — and give your child/children options — lying on their back, or side or sitting tall. Let them know the boundaries — this is a quiet time, but allow them to find their comfortable position. Give them options on what to think about — focusing on their breath might be too difficult. But, they could imagine they’re in their favorite room of their house, or on their favorite vacation, etc.
Yoga has so many benefits for all of us — including kids. It helps their breathing, muscle tone and fitness. It helps their concentration, focus and ability to handle stress. What a great thing to do together…
The yoga story time is amazing! I will use it when my little one gets bigger
Great post! My little one is only six month, any ideas how to practice yoga with him!
Thanks! Six month olds are natural yogis! He’s probably already showing you Happy Baby (on his back holding his feet, sometimes putting his toes in his mouth) and Sphinx (on his tummy, holding himself up). You might also try laying him on his back and moving his legs to one side and then the other — it’s a gentle twisting motion that helps digestion, builds strength, etc., and is a fun interactive time with Mom…Have fun!
Hi, Nice blog, good ideas. Thanks for having me on your links. I’ll try to put you on mine too.
T
[...] http://yogaxoga.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/yoga-stories-for-kids/ [...]