22 Mar 2019
3 Creative Ways to Do Yoga with Toys
TOYS! What child doesn’t love them?
Puppets, stuffed animals, dolls, toy trains, planes & trucks, the list goes on and on…
I’m sure your child got an assortment of toys for the holidays that they have been enjoying playing with.
But, did you know that toys are a perfect prop for teaching children yoga, focus, and relaxation?
As a yoga teacher, I have experimented with different kinds of props and have found that some of my most popular lessons have been using simple toys to spark a child’s imagination. I have my very own collection of stuffed animals and puppets which I love using in my classes.
Here are three ways to use what’s in your child’s toy chest or play room to teach your children positive, healthy yoga and movement activities while having FUN!
1) Toys are great for exploring Yoga Poses and Movement.
Grab your child’s favorite stuffed animals, dolls, trucks or puppets and go on a yoga adventure with them. A toy can be a wonderful prompt to MOVE and BE like the animal or object which the toy represents. Bark in Downward Dog Pose, Fly in Airplane Pose, Arch your Back in Cat Pose, Squat in Frog Pose…You don’t even need to be familiar with the yoga poses to enjoy this play time with your child. Just ask your child how a snake, a butterfly, or a car or truck moves and then stretch your body this way or that. Recently, a parent shared with me that once a week her 2 year who is in one of my preschool yoga enrichment classes would lay out a blanket and her stuffed animals and pretend to be the ‘yoga teacher’!
2) Toys are wonderful props for developing focus and concentration.
Whenever I bring out my bag of finger puppets, all my students get excited and are ready to explore our yoga poses together. They all watch and listen in anticipation as each child chooses a puppet from the bag and leads the class in a yoga pose! Doing yoga with a toy helps children focus while trying some of the more challenging poses. For example, ask your child to hold the puppet or toy out in front of them or place it on their head when doing a Tree Pose, which helps keep their attention on standing still and steady in the pose.
You can buy a set of adorable plush animal finger puppets for your child on my shop by following this link HERE or clicking on the image below.
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3) Stuffed animals or beanie babies are a fun breathing or relaxation ‘buddy’.
Your child’s favorite stuffie is the perfect companion for breathing exercises or relaxation time. Place the beanie baby or stuffie on your child’s belly as they are lying on the ground or snuggled up in bed. Have your child close his or her eyes and breathe in and out, slowly as they give their stuffed animal friend a gentle ride on their belly. The kids love this! This breathing exercise can be done right before bedtime so children can enjoy a restful night’s sleep.
For more creative ideas on using props for yoga, look at some of my other posts:
Fun Finger Puppets as Yoga Props
12 Aug 2020
Creating a CALM SPACE for Kids
Children, especially toddlers and preschoolers, have BIG FEELINGS.
When kids feel overstimulated or “flooded with feelings”, they don’t know what to do with them. That is why they usually ACT on them or ACT OUT- by screaming, throwing things, hitting, biting, or some other physical way to release their feelings.
It’s our job as parents to teach them how to regulate their feelings. This takes patience and practice. We can model how it’s done by remaining calm, taking a deep breath and offering them an alternative to having a meltdown or tantrum.
One way to promote mindfulness and emotional regulation is by setting up a SAFE SPACE for kids to calm down and manage their feelings in a healthy way. You can call it a Calm Space, Calm Down Spot, Cozy Corner or Tune In Nook. This offers a more gentle option than Time-OUTS by giving them a safe space to take some Time-IN and move through their feelings in a way that is free from blame or shame.
It’s never too early to make room for a Calm Space. You can introduce your baby to a quiet corner with soothing music and sensory objects like stuffies and a blanket, then continue to build on its use as your child grows by adding tools for mindfulness.
5 STEPS TO CREATING A CALM SPACE FOR KIDS
1. Choose an area in your home that is QUIET and not too busy. It could be an cozy corner or area in their bedroom, playroom or family room.
2. Delineate the space by setting up a tent/teepee, hanging a canopy or curtain from the ceiling, using a soft comfy chair, or simply laying out a cozy blanket or rug. Make the space COZY and welcoming with pillows, a floor cushion or blankets. Let your child make the space their own by adding their own items like a favorite blankie or stuffie.
3. Create a CALM DOWN KIT ( like the one below) for your child to use when they are feeling stressed or upset, Fill a bin or basket with mindfulness tools and items that will help calm them down. A few favorite books (yoga and mindfulness books are a plus), play dough, affirmation cards, breathing props such as feathers or a pinwheel, an eye pillow for relaxation, some coloring sheets with crayons and a stuffed friend to hold and hug.
4. Practice using the space by having a daily routine of spending time there together. Choose a daily affirmation card, practice taking deep breaths, do a yoga pose together, color mandalas or journal together if your child is a bit older. Let them know it’s their special place where they can go when they need break or some time to calm down. You can also have some items for YOU to use in the calm space with your child, like an eye pillow or mask for relaxation.
5. When you notice your child is starting to get frustrated or upset, remind your child that it’s ok for them take a break in their Calm Space.
If you would like a MINDFUL ME KIT like the one below, click on the image below. It comes with a set of adorable animal puppets to prompt yoga poses, bubbles and feathers for breathing, pom poms to play “TOE-GA” and choice of lavender flax seed eye pillow- in yoga cats and dogs or yoga monkey pattern- all in a handy drawstring bag for kids to take their mindfulness tools on-the-go! An instruction sheet of the activities is included.