Move and Pose
By Ashlee Steward
With the International Day of Yoga 21st June fast approaching, have you considered including Yoga activities
into your daily routine with the children?
A simple way of introducing this is selecting some simple yoga poses, appropriate for the age and ability of
those children in your care. You can print these on paper/card and laminate.
Choose a suitable area for the children; either inside or out (depending upon if you have access to a shaded
area given the temperature is currently soaring!) Ensure you have access to a laptop/tablet/phone or other
device to play music.
Place giant dots on the floor with the yoga pose card next to it (you can also make variations, including
placing the card beneath the dot for the children to find). Play classical music as this will introduce a new type
of music to the children different to their usual nursery rhymes. Play the classical music and have the children
move to the music. When you stop the music, each child can find the closest dot and practice the pose on the
yoga card.
This activity will also help you encourage their language and communication skills as they have to listen to
the music, the directions and learn the names of the yoga poses.
If your children enjoyed this activity you could also try a Yoga race. This game doesn’t involve running, instead
it incorporates their listening and attention skills as they have to watch your actions. (This game will work
best with older children.)
How to play:
You or your teaching assistant will start by standing at the end of the classroom (or outdoor area). The
children should stand on the opposite end. When you turn back to face the wall, the children should walk
towards you. When you turn around, you should shout out a pose; choose simple ones that you have already
introduced to the children. The children will have to stop where they are and quickly get into that pose. You
will continue this each time, until the children reach you; the first one to get to you is the winner – you can
then ask them to lead the game in the same way.
Happy International Day of Yoga.
Namaste!