Calming but Wild Yoga

This fun activity can be done indoors or outdoors. Yoga can be relaxing, build self awareness, and improve coordination. Your child will love mimicking animal poses or making up their own!

Age: pre-K to adult

Doing Yoga Enhances Many Skills:  

• Coordination 
• Body Awareness
• Self Regulation
• Balance
• Motor Planning

Supplies Needed:

• A yoga mat, blanket, or nice patch of grass
• Yoga flash cards or pictures of positions (lots of free printables online, see resource links below for some ideas)
• Relaxing music to add another calming element to the activity

Tips for Yoga with Kids:

• Decide whether you want the yoga session to be calming or alerting.
  • Calming ideas: speak in low/ hushed tones, discourage talking among the children, soft peaceful yoga music, and low lighting (little battery tea lights work great)
  •  Alerting ideas: use bright lights, use partner poses so children can socialize & work together, encourage talking, acting out the poses (moo during cow pose, etc.) or singing, count out loud to see how long you can hold poses, set a visual timer, use engaging games with an animated voice, or play music with a fast pace or beat.
• Stretch before starting yoga
• Think about what the child can do independently? What level of difficulty should you start at?
• With children, emphasize that their eyes need to be focused in order for their bodies to remain balanced. Provide a visual cue for them to focus on (i.e. a little animal cutout placed on the floor).
• Repetition and continued practice will build strength.

Below are a few examples of animal poses. Feel free to be creative and make up your own.

Resources:

http://mothernatured.com/2014/03/25/animal-yoga-for-kids/

http://www.missjaimeot.com/teaching-yoga-children/

TheraPLACE Learning Center is offering FREE developmental screenings on three Saturdays this summer. Do you want to make sure your child is on target with developmental milestones? Do you have concerns about possible delays? Physical, occupational, and speech therapists will be present to screen children 1 year and up.

WHEN: July 22nd from 9 to 11am; July 29th from 9 to 11am; August 5th from 9 to 11am

WHERE: TheraPLACE Learning Center located at 4121 Shelbyville Rd. Ste 7 Louisville KY (between Big Lots and Lazer Blaze)

WHAT: Screenings will last from 15-20 minutes per discipline and are first come first serve. Parents/caregivers will be asked to fill out a short intake form.

Please feel free to take a picture of this post and share to social media or to keep as a reminder 🙂

WHAT EACH DISCIPLINE MAY SCREEN FOR:

Physical Therapy: Strength, coordination, endurance, and range of motion

Occupational Therapy: Drawing, writing, coloring, dressing, self-care, attending to task, sensory processing difficulties, cognitive development, executive functioning*, and feeding concerns

Speech Therapy: Expressing language, pronouncing letter sounds, understanding language, interacting with peers, cognitive development, executive functioning*, oral motor and swallowing skills

*Executive function includes skills related to working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control.