Yoga games for kids
There are no particular yoga games for kids. The term ‘yoga games for kids’ is designed to encourage yoga among kids. These are different asanas or exercises of yoga treated or taught as games among children.
Some of the terms used for yoga games are sports yoga games, princess themes and balancing yoga.
It is important to teach yoga as a game to kids for perfecting poses and making it more exciting and appealing for them to learn. Games initiate a sense of friendly competition, will power and goal setting.
The theoretical background of yoga can be explained to kids as a story while the asanas can be taught by more practical methods. Some of the yoga games that can be played among children are as follows:
Facial games –
The facial games is nothing but making 2 students face each other and make faces at each other. This induces flexibility in facial muscles and prevents early aging. The kids can be encouraged and challenged by offering the best facial expression a pat on the back or a present.
Princess games for girls –
The poses followed in this method of yoga are usually dancer’s poses. It is important to define the attitude of a princess to the kids before starting this game. Princesses exhibit attitudes like grace, problem solving, integrity, compassion, creative, adventuresome and friendly. Integrating these attitudes into a specific type of yoga which promotes these attitudes helps build a strong woman out of your little girl.
Animal games –
This game can be played by asking each child their favorite animal and incorporating different yoga poses that correspond to that animal. This encourages a kid to perform the actual yoga poses but as their favorite animal.
Body or balancing yoga games –
This involves explaining to each kid the importance of balancing. Standing on one leg, stretching, balancing on the head and body, balancing on each other (partner poses), building castles with their bodies are the asanas or poses that fall into this category.
Creating poses in association with a story –
This is important for kids under the age of 8-10. Creating a story for every pose is very unique and very encouraging to kids. For example – the story can be told as a king or a queen out in search of adventure… meets a dog (dog pose) or any other animal (which can be identified with one of the poses of yoga)… They fly on a plank (plank pose)… meet a dragon (dragon pose)…. fight like a warrior (warrior pose)…. Under the trees of the forest (tree pose)… etc. Thus all these different poses can be incorporated into the story to encourage children.
Yoga Games for Kids
Other games that can be played as part of yoga is kicking the ball, yoga deck of cards, flying monster etc. These games bring excitement and encouragement among children and help them prepare for more advanced levels of yoga. As a parent, these games can be practiced at home or even in a class environment. As a suggestion, it is good to have your children adapt to a class environment so they understand the concept of team work, challenges and unity at a very young age.
