I accidentally discovered toddler yoga one day when I was planning a lesson for Music and Movement with my preschoolers, and it has been a fan favorite ever since. I had been trying to find something new to add to our movement routine because I found that after dancing with our scarves and jamming with our rhythm instruments, I was having trouble getting them to refocus for the end of class. Honestly, I don't remember how I came across yoga as the solution, though it was probably Pinterest, aka God's gift to teachers. We tried it as a wrap-up before we sang our goodbye song, and the class LOVED it. They immediately asked to do it again the following week so, of course, I quickly added this to our routine.
Now, you may be asking, "But why yoga? Isn't that kind of difficult?" According to a 2013 article from Parents.com, there are five key areas from which kids will benefit by practicing yoga:
•It enhances physical flexibility.
•It refines balance and coordination.
•It develops focus and concentration.
•It boosts self-esteem and confidence.
•It strengthens the mind-body connection.
My main goal with my preschoolers was to develop their focus since that was where our classroom issues were. However, it was a music and movement class which meant that many of the other benefits were being met as well.
There are several different YouTube channels devoted to children's yoga, but I've found Moovlee's channel best captures the attention of toddlers and preschool-age children. It's important to note that my preschoolers ranged in age from 3-5, but I've also used Moovlee with my two-and-a-half-year-old son at home. Favorite videos for this age group were Alphabet Yoga A-Z, Toddler Yoga: Animal Poses, and Superhero Yoga for Kids.
Alphabet Yoga is great because there's a pose for every letter of the alphabet. Not only are kids getting a fun monkey avatar to show them the poses, but each pose has the letter, the written word, and a cartoon drawing of the word so toddlers can practice letter-picture association and school-age children can practice letter-word association. This is my son's personal favorite. He has done it so many times that he memorized which pose goes with which letter and he gets so excited that he knows it ahead of time.
The animal pose video has a fun element where the monkey interacts with the actual animal that the pose is based on. Each animal is revealed beneath a crate, and the kids get really into trying to guess which one comes next. This one is neat because kids get to see how the yoga pose correlates with how each animal moves.
Superhero Yoga has the hardest poses out of the three and takes more coordination. I haven't tried this one with my son yet, but even some of the younger preschoolers struggled with this one. So, I would suggest using this video for older preschoolers and even students in kindergarten and first grade. But who doesn't love superheroes?!
Moovlee's channel has many other videos that I haven't tried yet, most of which are more traditional yoga sessions like full-body stretching and strength and balancing videos. These types of videos would be great for kids at home to add movement to your daily routine or to give virtual students a brain break. There's one video in particular that I'm eager to try called Calming Down after Big Emotions, which seems terribly useful during such a time as this. Below is an excerpt from the video's description.
In young children, the most effective way to help them manage stress is by being their safe space and providing them with unconditional love and affection. When children find their emotions overwhelming, they rely on the adults in their lives to help them calm down and feel safe. ... The aim of this video is to be a tool that you can try with your little people to help deactivate their stress response.
My method of instruction with the above-mentioned videos was to try my best to keep the kids quiet. The quieter they were, the more they were able to concentrate and hold the poses for a longer period of time. The same would be true for an adult yoga class. Quiet and calm helps to keep you centered. I reassured the students that it was okay if they couldn't do a particular pose, but that they should try their best. If they fall out of it, just try again. I made it all about being a fun activity to move our bodies in different ways and downplayed the pressure to actually achieve the pose. Some kids would get really frustrated when they couldn't get it so by adopting this attitude, I was making it a safe space for kids to try and fail and try again. Once they had done the video a few times, they would get the hang of it and be so proud of their accomplishments. I would recommend this approach for parents wanting to do this with their kids at home. With my son, I make it a special event by putting down a blanket as a yoga mat so he has his own space to pose. We take off our shoes and end each session with a"Namaste."
I'm no yoga expert, but it is my belief that most, if not all, of the poses in Moovlee's videos, are actual yoga poses that are modified for a child's coordination abilities. That being said, when I taught these in class as well as when I put this on at home for my son, I do the poses along with the children so they have a second leader (and one that's not an animated monkey) to look to for guidance. My son also has a tendency after a while to "watch yoga" so by doing the poses along with him, he is more likely to continue participating. Let me tell you it is just as much of a workout for an adult! You, too, can benefit from Toddler Yoga!
Have you tried any of these videos? Feel free to comment with your favorite one!
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