ice breakers

If you teach the same kids class after class, you may not have the need for "ice breakers." But, sometimes you have a class full of strangers, or maybe even just a few new kids, and playing a game to relax everyone and make them all feel included and bonded is important.

Today I taught almost 30 "tweens" at a public library where I had never been before. I did not know a single kid and I'm sure most of the kids did not know each other. I needed something to bring us all together as a group and calm any nerves they might be feeling. 

With little kids, this isn't such an issue. Five and six year olds make best friends with just about anyone. But the ten, eleven and twelve year olds are more delicate. They are more insecure and unsure of themselves and others. So! We played a few ice breakers.

Who Am I?

I brought some post-it notes and markers with me to the library and I told each kid to write down the name of someone we all would know. An athlete. An actress. A president. A character from a book or movie. A cartoon character. My example was Santa Claus.

After each kid wrote down the name of someone, I gathered all the post-it notes together and mixed them up. Then I randomly stuck a note on each tween's forehead, so they could not see who was written on their head. They then had to find friends and ask a question that could be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" to help them determine who was on their head.

"Am I a man? Am I alive today? Am I a superhero? Am I an animal?" etc.

Here is a sample of some of the names the kids came up with:

This game had them laughing hysterically. It was a real winner. They were running all over to everyone to see what they had on their head.

Zip-Zap-Zop

I learned this game in my kids yoga training with miniyogis founder Shana Meyerson. 

Put the kids in a circle and have them stand with hands at heart center. Everyone looks and points to the person to their left and says "ZIP!" Then everyone looks and points to the person to their right and says "ZAP!" Lastly, everyone looks at a person anywhere across from them and says "ZOP!" Tell them it is like a game of catch or that when they point and say "Zip, Zap or Zop" it's like an invisible laser tagging someone.

One person starts and points to another, saying the appropriate "Z" word. Whoever has been tagged now goes and must point to someone else saying "Zip" "Zap" or "Zop" depending on the direction. This game is fun to get the brain all jumbled and fumbled and then (hopefully) focused. 

If you are playing this with littles, this may be enough. But these tweens got the hang of it really quickly, so I added in a second "Zip-Zap-Zop" to the mix. Now they had to pay attention to two lasers bouncing around the circle, and they had to make eye contact and connect with others to make sure the person knew that it was their turn.

Then, to make it even more silly, we changed the way we pointed. Instead of simply turning our bodies towards the person we wanted to tag and pointing with our hands, we balanced on one foot, bent the other knee and lifted that foot off of the ground. Then we grabbed the toe of the lifted leg with our two peace fingers and extended that leg in the direction of the person we wanted to tag. 

In yoga this pose is standing big toe pose:

relaxation for children

We always always always always end class with a Savasana. This may be the only quiet time that they get all day, and they need time to recharge. Two things I know about kids is that they need to play and they need to rest. A good yoga class will offer both of these to the children. We spend most of the class jumping and moving and stretching and singing. The last few moments of class provide time to rest.

 It is not always easy, but it's important to do it anyway. There are lots of ways to help the children settle their bones and calm their minds. First thing I have them do is lay down on their backs, legs relaxed, arms to their sides and palms facing up. I tell them to "Get floppy." I tell them to let go of all their strength and be like a floppy stuffed animal. Then I go around and pick up their wrists gently and wave their arms side to side, reminding them again to let go and get floppy. I do the same with their legs.

After everyone is fully flopped, I begin the relaxation time. Sometimes I have calm music playing and I ask them questions about the music. "Who is creating this music? What instrument is making this noise? Where is the person who is playing this music? On a mountain top? In a large building? At the beach? Is anyone else around? Is anyone dancing?" etc. 

Often times I create a scene, or "an imagination" as my daughter calls it. 

Imagine you are in a jungle, full of the tallest trees you've ever seen. Some of the trees have delicious looking fruit hanging from them. The jungle floor is soft and lush and flowers are everywhere you look. See the vibrant colors of the flowers. Smell the air. Hear the songs of the birds as they fly way up overhead. Imagine you start to walk and take a look around. Go explore. Maybe you find a river and you see bright pink fish swimming about. Maybe you come to a very still pond and you see a shiny green frog waiting patiently for a fly. Look around your jungle. What do you see? 

Then you let them lie still for a few moments in silence, imagining their way around their jungle.

Another one is Deer Island.

Imagine you are in the woods and there are Christmas trees and tall green grass all around you. You walk to a sunny spot and take a seat. Next to you is a calm river, full of cool crystal clear water. This is your favorite spot in the woods, because this is where the deer like to come. You have brought apples for them. You have a red, juicy apple in each hand. You see a mama deer with her two baby fawns off in the distance. You know just what to do. You lie back and keep very still. The only way these deer will trust you and come over to you is if you hold still. (Let the kids lie still now for a few minutes.) You hear the sound of the hooves get closer and suddenly you feel the soft silky warm noses of the deer nudge your fingertips. You smile as they gently take the apples from your palms. You begin to slowly move your hands and feet and the deer run off with their snacks. 

Any story works, as long as it is peaceful and the children have time to envision what you say. Tell them to see your words in their minds. 

Sometimes I do not create a scene, but we focus on the breath only.

Body Points:

Starting at the top of the head, breathe in.

Exhale down to the right leg.

Inhale back to the head. Exhale to the left leg.

Inhale to the head. Exhale to the back.

Inhale to the head. Exhale to the tummy.

Inhale to the head. Exhale to the heart.

etc.

Color Cloud:

Imagine a wispy, fluffy cloud and make it any color you choose. When you breathe in, imagine this color filling up the inside of your nose, then breathe it out. On your next breath in, fill up your nose and your throat. Breathe it out. On your next breath in, fill up your nose and your throat and your chest. Breathe it out. With each breath in, the color fills you up more. Each breath is fuller and deeper than the last, until your whole body is full of your color. And with every exhale, breathe the color out completely. 

Flower Heart:

Imagine a flower in your heart. What kind of flower is it? See the color. Smell the flower? With every breath you take, imagine the flower opening petal by petal. With every exhale, see your roots digging deeper into the soil. As you breathe in, the flower grows bigger and bigger with each breath. As you breathe out, your roots grow stronger and deeper down.

You can also tell them to imagine they are resting on a cloud and describe what this would feel like.

The cloud is so fluffy and soft. Feel this cloud under you. It's just like a little bed. A bed that is perfectly floating in the sky. Here on your cloud you have no worries. Nothing to do. The cloud gently floats through the sky, carrying you safely wherever it goes.

Or tell them to imagine they are laying on the sand at the beach.

Imagine you are lying on the beach. The big blue sky and warm sun are above you. Soft sand is below you. Imagine the sand filling up your toes and feet. Your toes and feet get so heavy filled with sand that they relax completely and sink deeper into the earth. You can't move your toes and feet. Imagine the sand filling up your ankles and legs. Your ankles and legs get so heavy filled with sand that they relax completely and sink deeper into the earth. You can't move your ankles and legs. Imagine the sand filling up your hips and belly. Your hips and belly get so heavy filled with sand that they relax completely and sink deeper into the earth. You can't move your hips and belly. Imagine the sand filling up your back and chest. Your back and chest get so heavy filled with sand that they relax completely and sink deeper into the earth. You can't move your back and chest. Imagine the sand filling up your arms and hands and fingers. Your arms and hands and fingers get so heavy filled with sand that they relax completely and sink deeper into the earth. You can't move your arms and hands and fingers. Imagine the sand filling up your neck and head. Your neck and head get so heavy filled with sand that they relax completely and sink deeper into the earth. You can't move your neck and head. You are so relaxed and heavy and peaceful. Let go and sink into the earth. 

Use your imagination. Just close your eyes and breathe and imagine. Describe what you see to the children. Take your time and speak softly. Do not point out who is moving if you can help it. Perhaps after class you may ask them what they were thinking of and why they had a tough time being still. 

When our relaxation is over, I tell them to wiggle their fingers and toes and return to criss-cross applesauce with eyes closed. Then I close the class by thanking them for coming and sharing their light with me. I always end with a "Namaste." Then we almost always color and most children will draw what they experienced in their minds during Savasana.

mat hop

Place mats in a horizontal line and put a yoga flashcard on each mat. The kids get on a mat and do the pose on the flashcard, holding the pose until you chime a bell. When the bell chimes, they HOP to the next mat, doing the next pose. 

The hardest part of getting kids to do yoga is getting them to hold a pose. It's hard for them to sit still and they like to quit easily if they are using muscles they don't normally use. Mat hop is a great way to get them holding a posture, because they can't come out of the pose until the bell chimes.

storytime yoga

How to use a story in yoga class:

With a little imagination, almost any children's storybook can be used in a kid's yoga class, because mostly the poses are already given to us. Think of how many yoga poses are already parts of a children's book: cat, dog, cow, lizard, snake, mountain, warrior, tree, dancer, eagle. The list goes on and on.

A class favorite is a game called Nature Walk. Here, everyone in class takes turns adding on to a story that I have started about what we see and where we go and what we do on a walk. As soon as a yoga pose is named, we all hop up and do the pose. The children love it because they are part of creating the story, and, really, they are very good at it. We have been on some wild nature walks when a child is the author.

Here we came across a chariot with wheels made of gold.

We were a pack of wolves, so naturally we did down dog.

Here's a little girl's beautiful interpretation of a cobra, coiling up and ready to strike.

I asked everyone to become their favorite animal. Here we have a rabbit, a giraffe, an angry bird, a dog, a dragon, a spider monkey, and cheetah, a wolf and a larva!

The book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle, is an awesome one to use in a yoga class. Every page has an animal that you can emulate. 

"Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?"
"I see a red bird looking at me."

We can use this page to do any bird pose we like. 
Eagle. Crow. Pigeon. Peacock. Bird of Paradise.

"Blue horse, blue horse, what do you see?"
"I see a green frog looking at me." 

Now we hop around like frogs or play leap frog while in Malasana (yoga squat). Or we can get into Bhekasana (frog pose). Just use your imagination.


Another book that I love to use is Good Thing You're Not an Octopus, by Julie Markes.  

This is a super cute story, and I was lucky enough to observe "miniyogis" founder Shana Meyerson teach to a group of kids during my kid's yoga teacher certification. (http://miniyogis.com)

The story starts like this:

"You don't like to get dressed in the morning? It's a good thing you're not an octopus. If you were an octopus you would have eight legs to put in your pants!"

After I read this page, we lay back and get into plow pose, then put our legs straight towards the ceiling and crunch up to touch our toes, pretending that we are putting one leg through our pants' hole. We do this eight times. 

"You don't like to put on your shoes? It's a good thing you're not a caterpillar. If you were a caterpillar you would have sixteen feet to put shoes on!"

Here, we get into downward facing dog, lift one leg high into the air, then lower it to the mat, stepping into a shoe. Then the other leg. Sixteen times for sixteen shoes.

On one page it talks about being lucky that we aren't birds, or else our mommies would feed us worms. Here is one beautiful junior yogi grabbing a "worm" from Ardha Chandrasana, or Half Moon Pose:

I also have The Little Book of Hindu Deites, by Sanjay Patel, Babar's Yoga for Elephants, by Laurent de Brunhoff and Storytime Yoga, by Sydney Solis that I use often. Not to mention The Complete Idiots Guide to Yoga With Kids! :) There are a LOT of resources out there if you only look.

yoga dice

A friend of mine, a mother of four, makes amazingly beautiful jewelry out of wood and copper and rope and other naturally found elements. I was looking through her etsy site, https://www.etsy.com/shop/averyrayne and I saw three wooden blocks that she burned images on and she was selling them as storytelling dice. There was a sun on one side, a moon on one, a house, a mushroom, some circles...and once rolled, whichever images came up, children could use the images as inspiration to create a story. So cute!

Then I thought, if they had yoga poses on them, what a fun game that would be. So I emailed her and asked her if she could make me some, and she created these: 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/167247260/wooden-hand-burned-yoga-game-dice-great?ref=shop_home_active_21

Each kid in class gets a turn with the dice. They roll them, and together, we all do whichever asanas show up on the dice. 

yoga soccer

You will need a small soccer ball for this game. Set up one goal against the wall on one side of the room and have one kid be the goalie. I usually just use a mat and let that set the boundaries of the goal. Then place the "kicker" in front of the goal, maybe six feet away from the goalie. The kicker gets into downward facing dog and places the soccer ball on the mat below them, somewhere between their belly button and chest.

Then the kicker raises one leg, bends their knee and "kicks" the soccer ball toward the goalie, hitting the ball with their knee. The kicker will need to move in to a plank like position to properly hit the ball and send it towards the goal.

Then the goalie tries to stop the ball.

The ball needs to be smaller than a standard sized soccer ball, or else it won't fit between their arms when kicking it to towards the goal. 

Hovering over the ball with one leg lifted in plank position is great work for their core. I usually give each kicker three times to kick, and then we switch players. Also encourage them to switch legs. 

ball pass

This game teaches skills like teamwork, turn taking and communication. It's also a sensory game, which gives kids a fun way to integrate their senses while moving the whole body. Ball Pass will get the kids using their core and leg strength, and will help develop balance and coordination.  

For ball pass you will need a light-weight rubber ball that their little feet can grasp. (I made the mistake of using a soccer ball once and this was too heavy. A little boy dropped it on his nose. Bad yoga teacher! He was ok...he laughed. But still, use a light ball.) Then have the kids sit in a circle with their feet towards the middle of the circle, sitting fairly close together. They will lay down on their backs and one child will start with the ball in between her feet. She will carry the ball with her as she does plow pose (halasana), and then will pass the ball to the child next to her. That child will then grab the ball with their feet, do plow pose and pass it on.

Need more of a challenge?

If the kids are getting this easily, you can add a second ball into the mix...a "hand ball". Any smaller ball that they can hold in one hand will do. They must pass this hand ball to one another in the opposite direction of the foot ball. Here is where communication really starts. The kids may be looking one direction at the foot ball that is nearing them, and may not notice the hand ball that is trying to be passed. They will need to say "Sara, hand ball!" or "Gabriella, foot ball."

Need MORE of a challenge?

Put a small wooden dowel or an unsharpened pencil between their toes! They will pass this in the same direction as the foot ball. Start the stick a few spots away from the ball, so a kid never has a ball between their feet and a stick between their toes at the same time.

Need even MORE of a challenge?

Make them do all of this with their eyes closed. The kids will need to memorize who is to the right and left of them, so that they can say, with closed eyes, "Melissa, stick!" or "Sam, hand ball."