Yoga for Kids-Get Started to teach Kids with confidence

Best Practises for Kids Yoga

Important things to know for Teaching Yoga to Kids

Build Connections with them

Always start your class by building connections with kids, you can ask them simple questions on how they are feeling today or discuss any topic to bring everyone together

Make it Fun

When it's Kids, it has to be fun. In their growing years, we have to introduce Yoga to Kids & make it fun for them so that they can follow this when they grow up. You can always combine yoga with dance, art & craft, sports, gardening or any other activity you may feel comfortable with

Make it Interactive

Interact with them, ask them questions on their experience in every pose, maybe ask them to give a different name to the pose, let them create yoga poses etc. This will be different for different age groups and differ from class to class

Bring them together

Create opportunities in the class to bring them together through yoga games, teamwork, partner yoga poses, etc. You can may be ask them to sit in a circle so everyone feel part of the class

Co-Create the Class

If you involve the kids in the class and make it their class too, children will be more interested in the class. Let the kids explore their creativity & give them options during the class e.g. making some rules for class with them etc.

Don't Judge kids & Don't judge yourself too

Let your approach be non-judgemental, give kids space to practice in a positive environment that encourages them to be themselves. Also, don't judge yourself as a teacher, some days can be rough while some days it will be fun. Most importantly “Enjoy the Journey” and “Have Fun” !!

Yoga is not a competitive sport for Kids

Every Kid is different & unique and it's not about looking perfect in the pose but how they feel in different poses. Let them just be themselves & enjoy practicing Yoga as part of their learning process

Praise them

Use positive language in the class and praise kids that will build self-confidence in kids e.g. Great Job, Well Done, Wow, that's a great idea, I love your creativity here

Vibrate higher than their energy levels

In Kid’s class, our energies have to be higher than kids to make the class exciting for kids else you might lose them. Ground yourself/ do your own practice before the class so that you are full of energy when we are with kids

Plan your class as per the age group

It's very important to plan your class as per the age group or else you will feel totally lost in the class with kids not responding to yoga activities. In this training, we will learn age-appropriate teaching techniques & tools

Don't get stuck on one thing & don't expect them to follow every instruction

if it's too difficult or any game is boring you see kids not engaging, switch to the next activity. Its not about you, its about them

Have simple rules for class & keep them firm

Kids will always try to test their limits. Make sure you define your rule at the beginning of the class and stick to it. Make 1-2 rules and keep it simple for kids to follow. Don’t talk to the walls! Never give instructions when no one is listening. Always gather the children’s attention first, and only then give instruction. E.g. Ring the bell, use the singing bowl, Clap, etc.

Start from where they are

Go with the Plan but never get too tied to your Plan. Observe Kid’s energy levels and go with the flow. Each Kid is different and their progress will be different. If you want to be good kids yoga teacher, it's important to understand every kid is unique

Build Relationship with Kids & their parents

Interact with Kids, listen to their stories, find out about their likes & dislikes and engage with kids during the yoga practice. Kids will love it and find it more enjoyable. Bond with Kids and they will look forward to coming & attending your classes always. Share with Parents activities you are doing in Kids Yoga classes. If possible, give customized feedback about kids once in a while too

Prepare for your class in advance

Always make a plan of what you intend to do in your class but like we said before don’t get too tied up with the plan. It's good to have a broad layout for your class. Take multiple prop options when you conduct a class so you always have a backup if one thing doesn’t work

Set your intention

Set your own intention for the class and give an opportunity to kids to create an intention. Try to remind them about their intention during the class and maybe towards the end too

Language

Positive language and never get too personal in your language with kids. For teens, have a commanding yet invitational language & not instructional especially for older kids always listening to instructions so they might appreciate invitational language.

In the end, don't take anything personally as a teacher, it's not about you but it's about kids. You are trying your best.

Manage your kids yoga classes with fun, ease & control. Setting the right expectations & guidelines for Kids. Giving them freedome with in boundaries and more.. Watch the short video to learn more.

Kids Yoga Tips !!

Here are a few tips that work really well for me to keep kids engaged in the yoga classes be it online or in-person

1. Make it Interactive

2. Be Creative

3. Use Props

4. Build Connection

5. Have Fun

Here is a class structure that normally works but please feel free to experiment and see what you as a teacher are comfortable & feel confident about. You have

to meet kids where their energies are, please feel free to customise

Watch this video to understand basic structure for your Kids Yoga classes. This structure is to guide you to plan your classses

Belly Breathing for Kids-Breathe Deeper-Breathe Right! Help your kids breathe deeper with a balloon breath- Deep Breathing will help them relax & focus matter

Here is something I have put together- 7 fun ways to practice breathing with your kids :) Check it out and hope you will enjoy this time together.

Explore Fun Sacrf breathing for Kids

Learn some  creative ways to breathe deeper. We will check with our feelings too and choose happiness over everything else. We have a fun warm-up based on all animal movements. We will end the practice with creative visualization for relaxation, mindfulness & quiet time.

We will work on  Sun Salutation for overall body strength, boost immunity & improving focus & concentration.

Find Link to Kids Yoga Games in the resoruces section

Learn 5 basic Yoga poses  to build the foundation for Kids yoga practice. These are one of the most common yoga poses to keep our bodies healthy. These poses will energize your body & relax your mind.

Its very important to keep in mind to teach yoga poses to kids thats suitable for their age according to development stages.

1. 2-4 Yrs. Old- Keep Yoga Poses simple with simple instructions. Demonstrate to them and use  visual props, story books, yog cards, pictures, songs etc. Make Yoga interesting & engaging. Dont do advanced postures

2. 4-6 Yrs Old- Creative & imaginative, use their curoisity to plan your classes. Take them on travel yoga journeys and do different yoga themes. They are really energetic so vibrate higher than their energy levels

3. 6-12 Yrs Old- Poses now can slightly more advanced and we can use verbal instructions to guide them in the poses. Keep yoga classes interesting with age appropriate yoga themes ( Self-love, Self-Confidence, Resilience etc.) Plan team activities with partner yoga & games.

Teens are going through transition phase. Let us help them connect with themselves through Yoga.

Check 20 Minute Gentle Yoga for Teens

Try 3 Minute Meditation & let your thoughts pop away.

Meditation doesn’t mean always to sit still or sit for 20 minute or longers, some times even few minutes are enough. Check this 3 Minute Positive affirmation for kids to help them feel positve & calm. ? It’s about helping kids to focus on one thing that will soothe their nervous system and is relaxing for their whole body.  There are different kinds of relaxation & meditation techniques that we can practice with kids to self-regulate according to their age, learning abilities and energy levels etc.

3 Minute Monkey Mind Meditation. Our mind is like a monkey jumping from thought to thought like monkey jumps from one tree to another tree. Let us bring our monkey mind to our body and feel releaxed & present