As a kid, I loved to imagine and play outside. As a parent, I found that teaching yoga to my kids was an excellent way to bring the imagination and creativity outside of the house. I did a Rainbow Kids training in Vancouver, where I learned how to create interactive, educational, and fun yoga classes for kids and parents. In my 45-minute-long parent participation classes, I had a circle of yoga mats that overlapped each other, where parent and child shared the same mat. I have six different themed lesson plans, which I’m excited to share with you. The themes are “In the Garden,” “African Safari,” “Going into Space,” “At the Zoo and at the Farm,” “Going to the Beach/Ocean,” and “Weather and Season.” In this post, I will share my “Weather and Season” themed plan.
At the beginning of every class, I talked about my expectations, which included keeping hands to ourselves, using words, saying “Excuse me,” and waiting for our turn before talking. Then, we began the class with the song, “Rub Your Hands” by Karma Kids Yoga, and a name game where everyone around the circle said each other’s names.
For the “Weather and Season” theme
Spring
As the days grow longer, and the weather is sunnier and warmer, we begin to feel more expansive and energetic after the long, dark, cold winter. The poses for Spring include Tree Pose, Bird (Warrior 3 Pose), Garden Gate (Gate Pose), Plow Pose, Planting Seeds (Standing Forward Fold), Planting a Garden (Squat Pose), Watering Can (Triangle Pose), Baby Bean Sprout (Boat Pose), Caterpillar (Locust Pose), and Bee (Hero Pose).
Summer
The poses for Summer include Butterfly, Picking Apples off a Tree, Flower, and Wheelbarrow.
Autumn
For Autumn/Fall, the days are getting shorter, the leaves are changing colours, and we all get ready for colder weather. The poses for Autumn/Fall include Crescent Moon Pose, Tree Leaves Change, Birds Fly South for Warmer Weather (Warrior 3 Pose), Farmers Harvest Their Crops before the Frost (Chair Pose, Pretend to Drive a Tractor), Bears Prepare to Sleep in Their Dens (Bear Walk in Downward-Facing Dog), Whales Migrate South to Warmer Water Currents, Foxes Grow Thicker Fur (Kneeling, Look up at the Moon Like a Fox), Hedgehogs Get Ready to Hibernate (Child’s Pose), Monarch Butterflies Fly South to Their Winter Homes, and Squirrels Hide Nuts and Other Food to Eat During the Winter (Creative Movement of Eating Pretend Nuts with Both Hands, Using the Breath and Sense of Smell to Sniff the Air and Locate the Buried Imaginary Food).
Winter
For Winter, the season is too cold for some animals, so they go to sleep (hibernate), move to other places (migrate), or change in some way to stay warm. The poses for Winter include Reach-Stretch to Put on Warm Clothing (Long Johns, Snow Pants, Boots, Puffy Jacket, Mittens & Earmuffs), Penguin (Mountain Pose + Waddle), Tree with Snow on “Branches,” Blowing Snow (Cotton Balls), Standing Forward Fold to Dig in Snow, Rock-and-Roll Snowballs, Hot Cocoa by the Fire (Palming), Snowflakes (Standing Star with Wiggling Fingers), The Big Snow Flake (Kids Come in a Circle and Point Their Feet to the Middle of the Circle. Then All Hold Hands and Unfold into a Big Snow Flake. Lift Your Legs. The Big Snow Flake – have the kids come in a circle and point their feet to the middle of the circle. Then all hold hands and unfold into a big snow flake. Lift your legs, move around, and make all kinds of shapes of snow flakes! Snow Angels – Lie on your back and move your arms and legs to make snow angel shapes. Skunks do not hibernate, or sleep, for the entire winter, but they slow down and sleep on the coldest days. Move really slowly into Tiger Balance.
What is your favorite weather? Sunny days, gentle rains, thunderstorms at the end of a hot day? Each kind of weather has its own unique qualities. For example, sunny days can be energizing, while gentle rains can be quiet and cleansing. Thunderstorms can be both frightening and impressive, while lightning can be beautiful.
Make the sound of an approaching rainstorm, let it hit, and eventually let it pass by.
Wind – standing hip circles with strong breath. Let the wind push through the windmill (Fly like a Butterfly). Did you know that there are windmills now that create electricity so you can warm up your house and turn on the light?
Thunder and lightning: Standing with arms up then bend forward with strong breath and thunder sounds (What comes first, the thunder or the lightning?).
Hard Rain – Chair pose with clapping of thighs. Soft rain – Chair pose with clapping of fingers. Even softer rain (mist), just rub hands together.
Next, begin to move around the room! Escape from the rainstorm to get some heat into the body, lift knees high to cut through imaginary tall grass, jump over puddles (yoga mats), and pause under a tree pose for some dry cover.
Let the sun come out: Taking breath in, lift arms up, breathe out, lower arms and surround yourselves with beautiful sun.
What comes when there is both rain and sun? The beautiful Rainbow (Luby).
Moving rainbow: have the children stand two by two in a half circle. Let them join hands face to face to create a bridge/rainbow. All the rainbows should stand close together to create a long tunnel, the rainbow tunnel. Then, from the end of the tunnel, one kid after the other, have the kids come under the rainbow (through the tunnel) and form a rainbow again at the front.
Songs I like to use while doing different poses:
- How’s the Weather from Matt Richelson, album Dream English Kids Songs
- Rain Sticks from Tony Depina, album Nature Song
- The Sun from Rafi, album Baby Beluga
- Singing in the Rain, All I Do Is Dreaming of You from Mitch Miller, album Sentimental Sing Along with Mitch
- Over the Rainbow from Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, album Somewhere over the Rainbow
- You Are My Sunshine from Elizabeth Mitchell, album You Are My Sunshine
- Yoga Makes Me Happy from Karma Kids Yoga, album Come Play Yoga
Human mandala, sitting in a circle:
- Reach up with one hand, catch the sun, bring hand to the heart, exhale HA!
- Side stretch twist
- Place hand on neighbor’s shoulder: shoulder roll, massage shoulder, shampoo
- Open chest, fold forward
- Extend leg forward, forward bend, drive car, scoop forward (moving)
- Wave feet
- Crab pose, downward-facing dog, forward bend, roll up, open chest.
