Yoga Games

Give Kids Hope on Earth Day

While planning my kids yoga classes for the daycare’s theme “Earth Day” I set to work looking for a book or some kind of visual for supporting material.

First I remembered a children’s book I bought a while ago but never used called, 100 Facts – Saving the Earth by Miles Kelly. Great, a lesson plan ready to go!

But when I flipped to the first page, there sat a message of doom and gloom: the earth in danger, the planet a mess, temperatures rising, extinction probable!

I quickly closed the book as if trying to put Pandora back into her box. The idea of the end of human existence simply wouldn’t do as a theme for Earth Day. I needed plan B – to share the message of hope and mindfulness about our big blue planet.

Now I’m curious if this negativity pervades kids attitudes about the Earth.

Getting to Know the Mind in Kids Yoga Class

The negative mind, as it’s called in Kundalini Yoga, is akin to the part of the mind that sees danger and helps you avoid getting into trouble. The negative mind is the first and fastest function of the minds, so it’s no surprise we are bombarded by information that feeds into our fears and insecurities. Marketing all around us tries to connect to that negative mind to get your attention.

The solution to counteract this way of thinking is to use the Positive Mind to cut through the negative. Then the Neutral Mind can weigh the negative and positive to make a decision.

In the Yoga Sutras it is called Pratipaksa Bhavana.

“34. When disturbed by negative thoughts, opposite (positive) ones
should be thought of. This is pratipaksa bhavana.”
Book 2.34, The Sutras of Patanjali, Translation and Commentary
by Sri Swami Satchidananda p. 120 -122

Use Your Curiosity to Teach Children about Mindfulness and the Mind

I’m curious about the level of negativity children experience when they think about the Earth. I’m going to start my kids classes by asking them what Earth Day means to them. I wonder if it will be negative or positive? The rest of the yoga class will flow from their answers.

We may become Earth Warriors to cut through the negative and find a positive.

Or maybe we’ll do yoga poses for all the earthly elements and animals that are happily named.

Whichever way it goes, we will to finish with hope and gratitude for all the Earth provides for the plants and animals on the planet (including humans). We can practice Pratipaksa Bhavana to combat the negative thoughts. Then Earth Day will be a reason to celebrate the hope the planet offers.

Kids Yoga for Earth Day, April 22, 2019

Earth Day parnter yoga coloring page for kids yoga — Earth Day Printable Colouring Page

Download the printable Earth Day colouring pages here:

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And if you’re looking for some Earth Day activity ideas for your kids yoga classes, you check out the links below.

Earth Day Warrior Printable Colouring Page for Kids Yoga — Earth Day Warrior Printable Colouring Page

More Earth Day Activities for your Kids Yoga Classes:

Kids Yoga makes a World of Difference!

Easy Breathing Activities for Kids Yoga

Children's Yoga Teacher Blows Bubbles and Kids try to pop them with their feet in the kids yoga teacher trainer certification

An Amazing Way to Get Kids’ Attention

It’s amazing how much use you can get out of a 99c bottle of dish detergent.

Picture a classroom full of young students, some eager to move and learn while others remain nervous or disinterested. A kids yoga teacher asks the kids to sit still and close their eyes, and when they are ready, the teacher reveals a bubble wand and soap.

The excitement is audible.

Students are directed to lie down beside each other, and the instructor blows bubbles above them encouraging them to pop as many as they can – with their feet. There isn’t an apathetic student in the room when they learn they’ll all get a try.

This method of getting kids engaged is shown towards the end of this video from the Young Yoga Masters Kids Yoga Teacher Certification:

While this simple prop introduction may sound insignificant, it promotes a safe and engaging environment while teaching incredibly relevant lessons. When kids pop bubbles by kicking the air, they get moving. More importantly, it prevents them from getting lost in the excitement, chasing after bubbles with minimal regard for their own safety, let alone that of the other kids.

Incorporating Bubbles into Kids Meditation

This activity is also a fantastic prompt for discussion. Think of the associations or lessons which could be learned by analyzing the use of bubbles:

Blowing bubbles requires a relaxed and smooth breath which requires practice and patience.
Students may notice how delicate and short-lived the bubbles are. They are present for a brief time, and we appreciate them while they last rather than focusing on the loss. The fragile and temporary nature of bubbles is an easy connection to detachment and the idea of letting go. This makes for an excellent meditation prompt, as students can be encouraged to slow down their thoughts and imagine themselves dismissing a negative idea with each bursting bubble.
Students may also be encouraged to visualize themselves filling each bubble with a positive thought and letting these go, too. This is an important practice for avoiding fixation on things, and finding contentment.
The simplicity of bubbles permits nearly anyone to easily sketch them, and thought-bubbles or charts are an excellent way to visually keep track of discussion points and ideas.

The opportunities are truly endless.

“I remember teaching at a retreat and giving children a choice of activities, they chose the bubbles. We went outside and spent a half hour blowing bubbles, without any other activity necessary. The adults were in a three hour workshop and so for the last half hour of our time with the kids we blew bubbles. I considered it thirty minutes of deep breathing, and we all felt incredibly relaxed by the end. It was an added bonus that after this activity the children returned to their parents super calm.”

– Aruna Kathy Humphrys, Lead Trainer, Young Yoga Masters

Nowadays, it is easy to forget that kids enjoy uncomplicated activities too, especially with the accessibility of video games and wide array of complex entertainment; simplicity can be refreshing.

Keeping kids safe and engaged can often be challenging for parents and teachers, yet it benefits all to stay creative with lesson plans and remember that even a small grocery store purchase can have an incredible impact.

Share your fun kids yoga breathing activities in the comments section below.

Upcoming Events

Kids Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Alliance Registered Childrens Yoga School — Click this link for all the upcoming Kids Yoga Teacher Certification courses

Kids Yoga Teacher Training is always a welcome adventure you’ll be glad you explored!

3 Quick Attention-Getters

It’s handy to have a few quick attention-getters for those moments when your yoga class is getting excited, maybe even too excited.

a boy smiling after doing a downward dog tunner — Attention Getters in Kids Yoga

I have used many different tricks over the years, I like to change it up to keep it interesting for the kids and myself.

So here are 3 of my current favorites.

Please share your favorite attention grabber, and for any bloggers reading, share your favorite blog post about getting attention. What do you do to help kids heads turn and start paying attention?

Reminder of Early Registration Deadline Today on Summer Kids Yoga Teacher Certification

Also, don’t forget that today is the super early registration deadline for the 95 Hour Kids Yoga Teacher Summer Certification, You can save over $270 if you register today. This summer get a thorough training with a Yoga Alliance Registered Children’s Yoga School, including practicum with actual kids classes, all in one training this summer. Check out the 2 locations and full details here (with all the registration buttons now working!).

This is the time we need to make deposits on our training location, so by registering early, you’ll help us get an idea of our numbers, and you’ll save by signing up early. Thanks to those who have already registered from around the world!

Now back to our tips:

Attention-Getter #1

Give Me a Hip, Give Me a Lip

This one is as simple as it sounds. You say “Give me a hip.” and put one hand on your hip. Then say, “Give me a lip.” and put your finger to your mouth like you’re saying ssshhhh.

Now give it some attitude: Give me a hip, give me a lip.

Oh no you didn’t! Oh yes you did! Even tweens like to do this one – especially with attitude.

Attention-Getter #2

The Big Old Alley Cat Looking for Mice

kids do child pose in kids yoga pretending they are a mouse hiding from a cat — Kids Learn Child Pose as part of a simple yoga flow.

For the younger yogis, I play on an activity from a short yoga flow we do using Cat, Dog, Snake, and Mouse pose. When we get to Mouse, we’ve got to stay very still because Cat is just around the corner. This big old alley cat is looking for some lunch. Stay very still so the cat doesn’t find you!

After we’ve done this game in a few classes, I can pretend I’m the alley cat anytime and the kids will quickly go into child pose and quiet down.

Sometimes I don’t have to say anything, I just do my alley cat walk and once the first child sees it, they react, and soon all the kids are doing mouse pose without even a word from me.

Attention-Getter #3

Breathe In the Big Me, Breathe Out the Little Me

a kids yoga teacher points to her nose as she takes a deep breath in and 4 kids follow along doing yoga breathing — Breathe In the Big Me is a Breathing Routine that Helps Kids Pay Attention

My classic yoga attention-getter is a big yoga breath. I call out, “Breathe in the Big Me” and you fill yourself with air and stretch your arms up to open up, your ribs too. When you are full of air you feel big and powerful! That’s the big me.

Then it’s time to “Breathe Out the Little Me” and exhale and let your arms float down. This is when you let go of anything that may be troubling you or making you feel small. It’s a way to let go of doubt and insecurity. Let the Little Me go out with each breath.

I use this breath to finish most yoga poses. I use it so much it may not seem like I’m doing it to get attention, but I know that it’s a routine that kids know and follow, and helps kids keep their focus.

Now Share Your Favorite Attention Getter

Please leave a comment to share your current favorite Attention-Getter. Do you stick with the same one or do you switch them up? What do you do to get the attention of your kids at home?

Upcoming Kids Yoga Teacher Training

Summer Certification Super Early Bird Pricing Ends Today

Register Early to Save!

Details Here.

Teachable Moments: The Story of the Teacher and The Student

A Kids Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Story

a boy holding a toy called a breathing ball, a ball that expands and contracts and helps kids understand deep breathing — A breathing ball is a great visual for showing how learning expands our minds. Everyone Gets a Breathing Ball with registration in the Branching Out Weekend in January

A student once asked a teacher, “How do I learn best?”

Without hesitation, the teacher said to the student, “Teach!”

So the student became a teacher.

The teacher then asked a student, “How do I teach you best?”

Without hesitation, the student said to the teacher, “Learn!”

To be an effective yoga teacher, learn as a student leans!

Imagine you’re a parent wanting to teach your child about obstacles in life and how to overcome them. You’ve probably had many experiences to draw from and different ways you’ve managed to rise above the challenge. You’ve had practice.

But for a child, how can you help them? How can you give them experience and practice or explain it to them?

We do an exercise in our kids yoga teacher training to teach you how to teach children this lesson at their level.

Yoga for Children: The Hula Hoop Game

While holding hands in a circle, we ask a group of students to pass a hula hoop from left to right around the circle trying not to let go of each others hands. Passing it is a challenge, just like the challenges we face in our lives. We use a game to practice overcoming challenges so that when we are challenged by real life, we are not overwhelmed or floored by it!

Yoga, meditation, and games are ways we can learn how strong we are in moments of challenge as well as moments of bliss and relaxation. In the Branching Out Module of Kids Yoga Teacher training, you would learn and practice games like this and more. We use games as a teaching moment.

Yoga Alliance Registered Children's Yoga School Seal — Young Yoga Masters is a Registered Childrens Yoga School approved to offer the 95 Hour Certificate.

Whether you are a parent, grandparent, school teacher, or already teaching kids yoga you can benefit from learning how to teach yoga in new ways that kids will understand. You’ll also be accumulating hours towards your 95 Hour Certificate through our Yoga Alliance Registered Children’s Yoga School.

No matter how long or short a time you have been doing yoga or teaching, like the story says, to teach kids best, you’ve also got to learn.

What’s your favorite story or game to teach kids about the value of learning? Share your ideas in the comments.

Announcing the 2015 Kids Yoga Teacher Training Schedule

Come have a good time and learn while you earn your certificates. Consider these options for trainings held over the weekend or at the Summer Certification programs.

Get 3 Kids Yoga Certificates Before Summer (Toronto, Canada)

January 17 – 18, 2015 – Get the Branching Out Certificate and learn about Family Yoga, Adult Child Yoga, Teen Yoga and Sharpen your Business Skills in this weekend training.
February 21 – 22, 2015 – Inclusive Yoga Certificate – you’ll learn to make your classes welcoming for children with special needs, boys, and all kids to share the gift of yoga
April 25 – 26, 2015 – What I See, I Can Be Certificate is packed with resources (books, poster, yoga cards, manuals, CD’s and more) for yoga in the classroom and living room

Announcing the 2015 Summer Certification Schedule:

Complete Your 95 Hour Certificate in Less Than 2 Weeks this Summer

Our Super Early Bird Special is now on! Save $376 when you register by Feb. 28/15:

10 Day Summer Certification in New Orleans from July 17 – 26, 2015. All 6 Modules condensed into 10 Days with 87 Contact Hours of Training and an 8 hour take home assignment.

12 Day Summer Certification in Burlington, Ontario from August 9 – 21, 2015, right after the Pan Am Games. This training gives you 95 Contact Hours (no take home assignment needed). It’s scheduled so you can take all 6 Modules in 12 days or you can sign up for individual 2 Day Modules.

Registration is now open for All Teacher Training Certificates

Get More Information On Earning Your Certificate Here

Teach to Learn, Learn To Teach! Namaste

6 Tips from 6 Kids Yoga Teacher Training Weekends

The Summer Certification is a popular way to get your 95 hour Certificate. It’s fast. It’s fun. It’s packed with information.

To give you an idea of what you’ll get, check out these 6 Tips on teaching yoga to kids. One tip from each of the 6 weekends of Kids Yoga Teacher Training.

If you are thinking of getting your Kids Yoga Teacher Certificate Here’s the link with all the details. We’d love to meet you there.

6 Tips from 6 Kids Yoga Teacher Training Weekends

Tip #1 from the Yoga Literacy Weekend

Yoga Alphabet and Storytelling: In the Yoga Literacy training the Yoga Alphabet turns any kid into a storyteller. Why? Because letters make up words and words make up stories. With our Yoga Alphabet we play all kinds of word games, but the favorite by far is Yoga Hangman (also known as Yoga Wheel of Fortune for some youth). The clues can be any words and phrases related to school curriculum, yoga themes, or pop culture. Choose what will interest your group. Now here’s the yoga part: before you reveal whether the letter is in the clue, everyone does the yoga pose. One game of Yoga Hangman can equal 10 or more yoga poses. Now that’s a good stretch for body and mind.

Tip #2 from the Inclusive Yoga Weekend

Yoga to Include Children with Special Needs: One mother described how difficult it is at school for her daughter because she didn’t have any friends. At eleven years old it can be a lonely world for a child with special needs. In the Inclusive Yoga weekend Kids Yoga Training you get lots of ideas to help kids feel they belong in a yoga class.One effective way is by creating a Yoga Obstacle Course. It’s basically a huge visual schedule that eases anxiety for a lot of children on the autism spectrum. The great thing is, all kids love obstacle courses. You set up stations around the room with different yoga poses and fun ways to get from one spot to another. Try hopping like a frog, walking in downward dog, or taking a human train. Leave a spot at the end for kids to rest when they complete the cycle. Start by going through the whole Obstacle Course as a group. That eleven year old girl will feel better when she is sitting in the resting spot just like all the other kids.

Tip #3 from the Ages and Stages Weekend

a paper drawing of human anatomy for kids witha brain made of macaroni - part of the kids yoga teacher training — Kids don’t mind learning Anatomy when it’s fun and neither do adults.

Anatomy and Physiology: Talking about bones is one thing, but bringing a skeleton into yoga class will take bones to the next level to capture kids attention. You can look for an anatomically correct skeleton, the kind a doctor or chiropractor uses. Or you can look for a big skeleton at Halloween time and you won’t have to be so careful transporting it to and from your classes.

Tip #4 from the What I See, I Can Be Weekend

Yoga In the Classroom: This weekend includes so many tips on how to include Yoga in the classroom. One of my favorites is what course author, Janet Williams, of Childrens Yoga Books.com calls a Two-For-One. This is what you get when you teach two topics at the same time. Not only does it help a teacher get through their curriculum and fulfill their daily physical activity requirement, it helps children get much appreciated kinesthetic learning opportunities.

Tip #5 from the Themes and Dreams Weekend

kids yoga class with a teacher talking to a child doing yoga — Seeing Eye to Eye with Kids in Your Class

Classroom Management is a big concern for many kids yoga teachers. Each teacher must discover how to get to the heart of classroom management and better connect with kids. For instance, if you present your lesson plan and a child protests, there are a number of ways to deal with it. First and foremost, the teacher strives to not take the protest personally. Just like when we meditate we try not to add energy to thoughts or distractions, we let them float by. It is equally important for a teacher to focus on the yoga class and refrain from arguments or power struggles. When a teacher does not react it is easier to figure out what to do. One of my favorite responses when a child says they don’t want to do something is to sincerely and energetically ask them, “What do you want to do?” Their answer gives me a big clue about how to manage the situation. Sometimes you find out they are sick, tired, or they have something else in mind. You can use the information to adjust your plan accordingly. Sometimes you can turn the protest into a positive, by involving the child in your lesson plan. Just like in life, we want to develop a yogic mind, a neutral mind, and become a role model for children.

Tip #6 from the Branching Out Weekend

Branching Out to Family Yoga: finally here’s a very sweet meditation that I call the Stroke of Genius Meditation. I wrote about it here and it is a wonderful way to help parents and kids connect in a family yoga class. You’ll find this tip may help your mornings go a little smoother too.

These 6 tips from our 6 kids yoga teacher training weekends are just a small part of a comprehensive course registered with Yoga Alliance.

If you’ve thought of becoming a kids yoga teacher, full time, part time, in your classroom or living room, take a look at what you get with the Young Yoga Masters training.

Register early to take save your place and take advantage of the early registration rates. Here is the link to the information.

Kids Partner Yoga Tip, Free Webinar Replay, Free Kids Class

Three things today…

Free Kids Yoga Teacher Training Webinar Replay is now live
Free Class for Kids
Free Partner Yoga Tip

1. Free Kids Yoga Teacher Training Webinar Replay

Young Yoga Masters hosted a free webinar on the new Standards in Children’s Yoga. So if you’ve been thinking of getting kids training, you may want so give this a listen. This explains how the Yoga Alliance Registered Children’s Yoga School came about:

Even though we are in the Information Age, the “Superhighway” got shut down for me when my internet cut out. So unfortunately the questions did not get included. But there is lots of good stuff there, especially for those interested in become a Certified Children’s Yoga Teacher.

2. Free Kids Yoga Class

Kids ages 3 – 12 are invited to join us this Sunday from 2 – 5 pm for a Kids Yoga Camp in Toronto Canada. The camp is free for kids because it is part of the Kids Yoga Teacher Training Practicum. Children will get lots of yoga, fun and games all under the supervision of the teacher trainers and the Faculty. The upcoming dates are here.

3. Free Kids Partner Yoga Tip

How to Match Kids in Partners

A great tip for partner yoga comes from Janet Williams of Children’s Yoga Books. She mentioned this in the webinar above, but it was such a good tip I want to make sure you saw it because it solves a problem I have faced many times doing partner yoga with kids. It’s the problem of matching kids up with partners.

If you let the kids match themselves it sometimes works out where everyone has a BFF (best friend forever) to parnter with. But most of the time, there are a few kids who don’t know who to go with, or one kid who is left behind, who others don’t want to partner with, and it ends up feeling generally yucky, like they are being forced to do something they don’t want to do

Janet’s wonderful suggestion in the Webinar above is to use cards, like the Yoga Match cards, to create the partners.

yoga-match-kids-yoga-game — The Yoga Match Cards – Great for Concentration Gama and Choosing Partners

Here’s how:

Pull out cards from the deck so you have pairs equal to the number of children you have in attendance (eg. for 10 children use 5 pairs). When there is an odd number, try a wild card, that joins the group closest to them, for a group of 3 kids.
Give each child a card, then tell the kids to find the children with the matching card
When the children find their match they do the yoga pose
For a follow up, each set of partners can then lead their pose to the rest of the class and everyone does that pose
OR collect the cards and hand them out again to get new random pairs and new poses each time

Matching new pairs becomes a fun game and not something you are making the kids do.

Thanks Janet for the great tip! Janet will be offering many, many wonderful tips like this in the What I See, I Can Be Certification this weekend.

Kids Yoga Teacher Training Certification

Last, but not least….

You are invited to come for the next Kids Yoga Teacher Training.

Come get this new Certificate in Kids Yoga Training and leave with a rewarding weekend and tons of resources. You’ll be glad you did!