Airball
FAMILY & KIDS
To Explore the Breath
Airball
This group activity can be adapted to fit any space or group size . Choose either a race or a cooperative group challenge whichever fits your needs . Each child needs a drinking straw and a cotton ball . In this race players use the straws to blow cotton balls from one side of the room to the other . The breath must be controlled and steady or else the cotton ball will fly willy-nilly . If competition is not appropriate for your group it can be a cooperative game . In the cooperative version had students lay on their bellies in a circle . Starting with one cotton ball for young children and up to three for older kids players must pass the cotton ball around the circle using only their breath and straws . Again the breath must be controlled and steady to pass the cotton ball to one person to the next .
Conclusion Remember to present these exercises as fun and as a game . Children learn through play . Introducing the concept or exercise while children are feeling positive and engaged will allow them to access their self regulation tools when they feel anxious or sluggish . Whether you utilize the following exercises in a class environment or during a challenging experience at the grocery store you and your young person will find connecting with the breath helps move from anxious irrational thinking to calm and rational thinking . ■
CANDICE H . BAGGETT Candice H . Baggett , RYT 200 , has worked as a music educator for nearly twenty years . She holds degrees from the University of Indianapolis and Butler University . She now uses her education experience to make Indiana a more mindful state through the Indiana & Yoga Magazine .
INDIANA & YOGA MAGAZINE ISSUE 2 53