Basic Kids Yoga Outline

YOGA FOR KIDS -Sequence

1. GATHER (greet each other)

Come with me, come with me,

Lets all sit with our hands on our knees.

Come with me, come with me,

Lets all sit with our hands on our knees.

2. BREATHE (pranayama-center on own breath)

- Easy pose (sukhasana-happy pose) inhale/gentle
Let's all sit in Easy Pose,
We'll breathe in and out through our nose.
Legs are crossed and your back is straight,
Breath with me for the count of eight.

3. STRETCH

Stretch with me, Hands in the air

Count to three...Hold it right there

Now Stretch up high up to the trees

Stretch out wide-- fly in the breeze

look up to the ceiling, then down to the floor

Then side to side slowly From the wall to the door

We've just warmed up. so Are you ready today? 

Are you ready To love and play?

lets greet each other: hands together and say....

(What's the special word?)...

namaste. (The spirit in me greets the spirit in you)

3. SUN SALUTATION ( greet the sun)

-2x as story

Now it's time to explore a new pose. 

Watch my body as it bends and folds

And I transform into what, you suppose?

.....(new pose name)

4. ASANA (new poses to explore)

Now it's time to relax and rest.

Lets feel our hearts and think our very best.

So quiet now until we are through.

Lets find our inner space. The space inside of you.

5. DYANA (close/focus/relax)

- meditation/breathing practice: 

a) inner space (story and rhyme)

b) sun and moon

c) humming bee

- focus: 

a) object (color, texture, shape)

b) number cards (1-10, reverse. 30 seconds)

c) candle (2 minutes; blow out and visualize. Repeat)

Circle-Time Ideas

Circle-Time is a time for the children to be together and learn how to cooperate. It is generally done during the beginning to get the kids focused and to get a little energy and participation pumped into the room. Here are a few simple ideas: (I will indicate age group after I compile the list of ideas, so I can organize the list better)

Develop Virtues
Assertiveness - volunteer, make choices
Consideration - help all be involved
Courtesy
Enthusiasm
Friendliness - know names, communicate with others
Joyfulness
Orderliness
Responsibility
Tolerance
Trust/Trustworthiness
Unity/Cooperation - win-win

Through following principles (activites)
Participation
Observation
Attentiveness
Listening
Coordination


Participation/Cooperation
1. Pass the Bean Bag (song: quick/slow)
2. Pass Right (story: left/right)
3. Question and Answers (good for children participating)
    a) Adult asks a question; children answer then pass to another child to answer (popcorn style)
        Ex: What is your favorite color
    b) Children ask question and toss the ball to get an answer, then continue
        Ex: Have a list of favorites that each child can pick one of those questions to ask someone
4. Bullfrog Hands
Everyone puts their right hand open faced on top of their neighbor's open-faced left hand and they sing this song as the leader starts clapping his right hand to his left and sending a clap wave around the circle until the song is done. ("Down by the banks of the Hanky Panky where the bullfrog jump from bank to bank with a Hip-Hop-Hippity-Hop. And the bullfrog gets you with a big 'Ker-plop!'")
5. Hand Tapping
Everyone puts their hands down on the floor and lays on tummy. Cross right hands with neighbor's left and vice versa, with palms face down. Leader starts by tapping his hand once and the next hand taps once to keep the movement going in a clockwise direction. Once someone taps twice the direction reverses. (taps can only be one or two).


Observation
1. Button, Button, Whose Got the Button: Everyone cup their hands together as if there was a bug inside. Put the button into someone's cupped hands and have them pass or pretend to pass to each person on their left and right, then then proceed to pass or pretend to pass to the next. When the adult says "stop" (or when music stops) the children keep their hands cupped in front of them and have to guess who has the button.

2. Ring on a String: Everyone put both hands on a string with a ring on it (the string size is the same size as the sitting circle). Play some music and have the children slide their hands back and forth to their neighbors as if exchanging the ring. When the music stops, children have to guess.

Fable day: friendship

Fables:

Lion and the Mouse - help others

Lion and the Bullocks - stay true to your friends (protect each other)

Songs/finger plays:

Little Mousie

Going on a LioN Hunt

Yoga poses: 

Child's pose (mouse)

Cat/cow (bull)

Lion?

Games: 

Sharks and Minnows (lion and bullocks)

Duck, Duck, Goose (bull, bull, lion)

Activities:

Cut paper friend people attached (write closest friends names and something nice about them and one way they can help them)

Make a lion

Snacks:

Season: spring, summer, autumn

Fable Day: North Wind and the Sun

Focus: agency vs. force (gentle and kind...let people choose)

Yoga poses: flower, tree, mountain (then have the wind blow each and see which move); sun, sunrise/sunset; sun salutation

Song/finger play:

Sundial

Games:

Mother May I

Race (blowing ball across the floor, or sailboats across water)

Activity/craft:

Making sailboats to blow/race in water

Sculpting with clay

Season: spring, summer, autumn

The Months

January brings the snow,
makes our feet and fingers glow.

February brings the rain,
Thaws the frozen lake again.

March brings breezes loud and shrill,
stirs the dancing daffodil.

April brings the primrose sweet,
Scatters daises at our feet.

May brings flocks of pretty lambs,
Skipping by their fleecy damns.

June brings tulips, lilies, roses,
Fills the children's hand with posies.

Hot july brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers.

August brings the sheaves of corn,
Then the harvest home is borne.

Warm september brings the fruit,
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.

Fresh October brings the pheasents,
Then to gather nuts is pleasent.

Dull November brings the blast,
Then the leaves are whirling fast.

Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire, and Christmas treat. 

by Sara Coleridge

---------------
I like the simplicity of this poem, but it's not totally relevant for my children, so we are going to tweak it once my kids are old enough, so they will love it and more easily memorize it. We will talk about picking our cherries in July and our apples in fall. We will talk about sledding during winter and planting peas in march. I just haven't made it up yet. :)

Jump or Jiggle

Frogs jump
Caterpillars hump

Worms wiggle
Bugs jiggle

Rabbits hop
Horses clop

Snakes slide
Seagulls glide

Mice creep
Deer leap

Puppies bounce
Kittens pounce

Lions stalk---
But...I walk!

by Evelyn Beyer

----------
This is a good simple poem about how animals move. You can act them out at the end and test recall. Or act them out between to try different movements and coordination.

Leap Frog

Leap frog, leap frog,
Easy as can be,
I'll leap with you,
And you leap with me.

Leap frog, leap frog,
On your lily pad.
You can leap father,
And you're so glad.


---
This is great for a leap frog game.

Mr. Sun & Mr. Moon

Mr Sun, Sun...Mr. Golden Sun, (make big circle overhead with arms)
Please shine down on me. (point to self)

Oh Mr. Sun, sun...Mr. Golden Sun, (make big circle overhead with arms)
Hiding behind a tree. (hide behind two hands)

These little children are asking to (put hands to mouth like yelling)
Have you come out and play, so they can play with you. (motion "come here")

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun...Mr. Golden Sun, (make big circle overhead with arms)
Please shine down on Me. (point to self)


OR

Oh Mr Moon, moon, great big silvery moon, 
please shine down on me

Oh Mr Moon, moon, great big silvery moon,
hiding behind that tree

These little children are asking to
Have you come out because the day is through.

Oh Mr Moon, moon, great big silvery moon,
Won't you please shine down on me.

------------
This is great for summer and talking about the sun and it starting the day.
Or the moon how it starts night time.

Shape Song Moving

to the tune: Twinkle Twinkle little star

Put your circle in the air,
Hold it high and keep it there.
Now put it behind your back,
Then in front upon your lap.
Put it down upon your toes
And now please hold it on your nose.

--------
This is great to use for any shape: circle, square, triangle, star, etc.

Wiggly Worm

Wiggly is an itty bitty worm, (hold up finger)
Who wiggles everywhere. (wiggles finger)
Can you keep you eyes on it,
As it wiggles here and there? (wiggle left, then right)

Wiggly starts down at my toes, (wiggle finger near toes)
And wiggles way up to my nose. (wiggle finger near nose)
IT wiggles back down without a peep. (wiggle finger down to waist)
Creeps into my pocket and goes to sleep. (pretend to sleep)

Ten Fat Peas

Ten fat peas in a pod pressed (make fists with both hands)
One grew, two grew, (hold one finger up, then two)
And so did all the rest. (open hands)
They grew and grew and did not stop, (raise hands over head)
Until one day the pod went pop!  (clap hands)


----
This is great for talking about planting a garden in spring...especially planting or harvesting the peas!

Mr. Groundhog

to the tune of "10 Little Indians"

Where, oh where is Mr. Groundhog? (hand to forehead)
Where, oh where is Mr. Groundhog?
Where, oh where is Mr. Groundhog?
...Sleeping in his burrow. (pretend to sleep)

Shh, he's peeking out of his hole. (hold index finger to mouth)
Shh, he's peeking out of his hole.
Shh, he's peeking out of his hole.
Now what will he do? Oh no! (put hands to head)

Mr. Groundhog sees his shadow. (look behind at your shadow)
Mr. Groundhog sees his shadow.
Mr. Groundhog sees his shadow.
Six more weeks of winter. ((hold up six fingers)

Pass, Pass, Pass Song

to the tune of "Row, row, row the boat"

Pass, pass, pass the _______________
Pass it round and round.
Pass, pass, pass the _______________
Now place it on the ground.


----------
This is a great on to use for any item for a circle or group song/game.
Valentines: pass the heart
Halloween, pass the pumpkin
Winter: snowflake
Christmas: gift
generic: pass the ball or bean bag, etc.

Snow, Snow, Snow

to the tune of "Row Your Boat"

Snow, snow, see the snow, (hold hands high)
Falling to the ground. (flutter fingers down)
Take some snow and pack it tight, (pack pretend snow in hands)
And make it nice and round. (form circle with hands)

Roll, roll, roll the snow, (roll hands)
Roll it on the ground. (roll ball of snow along floor)
Stack it tall, don't let it fall; (stack a big snowball)
A Snowman in a mound. (form circle shape with arms)


-----
Great for winter

The Turkey Strut: Hokey Pokey

"Hokey Pokey" adapted for Thanksgiving...

• You put your right wing in...
• You put your left wing in...
• You put your drumstick in (leg)
• You put your stuffing in... (tummy)
• You put your wattle in (head)
• You put your tail feathers in (backside)
• You put your turkey body in (whole self)

For playing in a circle.

The Witch on Halloween

to the tune "Farmer in the Dell"

The witch o Halloween, the witch on Halloween (stands in center of the circle)
Heigh-ho, let's trick-or-treat, with the witch on Halloween.


The Witch chooses a Goblin, the witch chooses a Goblin... (the witch pulls a person inside the circle)
Heigh-ho, let's trick or treat, the witch chooses a Goblin

1. The Goblin chooses a Bat... (pull another person inside the circle)
2. The Bat chooses a Cat...
3. The Cat chooses an Owl...
4. The Owl chooses a spider...
5. The Spider chooses a pumpkin...
6. The pumpkin chooses a scarecrow...
7. The Scarecrow chooses a ghost...

------

This is a group circle song/game for Halloween.

Halloween Imitations

• fly like a bat
• roll like a pumpkin
• crawl like a spider
• prowl like a cat
• sway like a scarecrow
• fly like a witch
• hoot like an owl

It's great to incorporate movement into the holiday activities. Here are some Halloween themed movements that imitate animals and other things relevant to the holiday.

Elephant Went Out to Play

One elephant went out to play (act like an elephant)
Upon a bright and sunny day
He had such enormous fun...
He called another elephant to come. (join hands and keep building as you repeat the song)

----
This is a great group song to get them joining together and following someone. You really could use this with any animal too. I changed the words because I didn't like the playing on a spider web part.

Squirrel, Squirrel

Squirrel, Squirrel... (flip hand up and down like paws in front)
shake your bushy tail. (wiggle bum)

Squirrel, Squirrel... (flip hand up and down like paws in front)
shake your bushy tail. (wiggle bum)

Wrinkle up your little nose, (wrinkle nose)
Stick it down between your toes. (bend over and look between legs)

Squirrel, Squirrel... (flip hand up and down like paws in front)
shake your bushy tail. (wiggle bum)

------
I learned this at girls camp growing up. We'd have to do it in front of everyone whenever we'd left something and it got put in the lost and found....in order to get it back. Pretty funny. My three year loves it...no lost and found needed.

Squirrel Play

Here's a squirrel with eyes so bright, (form circles around eyes with fingers)
Hunting for nuts with all it's might (shade eye with hand and look around)
Here's it's hole, where day by day (cup one hand to make a hole)
Nut after nut it stores away (poke finger into hole)
When winter comes with the cold and storm (arms across chest shivering)
Squirrel sleeps curled up, all snug and warm. (head on hands, eyes closed)

--------
This would go along great with the squirrel song and How Many nuts counting finger play. And is great for winter and snacking on nuts you can crack together.

How Many Nuts?

Two little squirrels, (two fingers up)
Scampering through the wood. (make running fingers)
Two little squirrels, (two fingers up)
Looking for food. (shade eyes with hand and look around)

Bushy Tail found ________. (hold up the number on fingers)
Bright Eyes found _________ more. (hold up the number on fingers)
How many nuts were there for their winter store? (count out loud up to the number)


---
Ethan loved doing math this way! And it's easy to change the animal or the food if you want to tailor the song.

Ten Little Leaves in the Tree

Ten colored leaves up in the tree, (hold up ten fingers)
Waving all about, happy as can be;
Along comes the wind blowing all around, (blow at your fingers)
And one little leaf falls to the ground. (flutter hand and put one finger down)

Continue song...taking one finger down each next time you sing it.


-----
Great for autumn and falling leaves, but could even do for fruit that is ripe and falls (cherry, apple, peach, pear, apricot, etc.)

Out in the Garden

Out in the garden under the sun, (form circle with arms above head)
Grew some [insert food], and [Child's Name] picked one, (pretend to pick one)

Out in the Garden under skies so blue, (hands in the air)
Grew some [insert food], and [Child's Name] picked two, (pretend to pick two)

Out in the Garden near a big oak tree, (hands outstretched like branches)
Grew some [insert food], and [Child's Name] picked three, (pretend to pick three)

....

We took those [food items] and washed the whole bunch (washing actions)
Then we sat right down, (sit on floor)
and ate them for lunch (munching motions)
Munch! Munch! Munch!


--------------
The original song was carrots, but I like the idea of using whatever vegetable you want. Good for Spring or summer or even harvest.

And Ethan thought it'd be fun to make up a verse for each of us and it had to rhyme with our age. IT was pretty creative.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin

Halloween fingerplay to tune of "twinkle, twinkle"

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (crouch down)
How'd you get so big and round? (stretch arms to side, then in big circle)
Once you were a seed so small, (pretend to hold small seed in fingers)
Not you are a great big ball (put arms out in big circle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (crouch down)
How'd you get so big and round? (stretch arms to side, then in big circle)