For When You Have a Few Extra Minutes at the End of a Kids Yoga Class

Have you ever been teaching kids yoga only to find yourself with 7 or 8 minutes at the end of the class, not sure what to do?  It’s too little time for a big activity but too much time to finish early.

It’s those few minutes after you’ve already done the yoga, relaxation, a meditation, and a game.

It’s in a setting, like a school or daycare, where kids get story time and drawing – so you don’t want to repeat.

I’m referring to the places where you charge them for a full hour, which usually flies by, but on these days, the last few minutes seem like eternity.

This happened to me this week in a summer day care class with a group of 3-4 year old kids.  The class was small (8 kids) so all the yoga and games went by fast (compared to when there are 15 kids).  Yoga was right after nap time (3-4 pm), so the kids didn’t need a long relaxation.  Plus an hour with this age group is already on the long side of the class length.

Here are three things I go-to when I want to fill those last few minutes on days like these:

1. Reflection Time:  Ask the children to list all the poses we did in class.  Which were difficult to do? Which were easy?  Which was the most fun?
2. Dancing: Free form dance or a Freeze Dance (like Move and Freeze) gives the kids some unstructured movement.  Play many different styles and rhythms of music.  End with a slow song and then a minute of sitting quietly to leave the class in a calm state.
3. A Goodbye Song: Have you ever heard of Lawrence Welk?  He had a Goodnight song for the end of the show. I also have another song that uses kids names that involves a bathtub, a giraffe, and a plug.Make a slight adjustment to the words, but use the same tune and you have a sweet song to finish class (bubbles optional):

Lawrence Welk’s Good-Bye Song

Here’s one version I’ve used:

Good-bye Maya
So Long Maya (or change the name each time if you have a lot of kids)
Good-Bye Everyone
It’s time for me to go.

Hope you had a happy time, happy time, happy time.
Hope you had a happy time, I had a happy time too.

(repeat with another name)

When you have a few extra minutes at the end of a class do you end early or fill it?  What do you do in those extra few minutes?

Songs for Teaching Kids Yoga

Hello all,

Many of my summer kids yoga classes are coming to an end now. The summer program is a great time to try out new material to see how it works, like this song that took a couple classes for the kids to get to know, but they liked it.

Since I started teaching yoga, I feel like a teenager again when it comes to music. I often download a new album every month or so, especially when I get a recommendation. I don’t want to do the same songs over and over. After a few months/years it can get boring.

I’ll find songs and see if I can change them around to be a little more yogic. I’ll change the words and throw in a yoga type of challenge, move, or activity.

Recyled Tunes
Many kids songs have the same tune used over and over (eg. The ABCD song is the same tune as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). Anyone can become a song smith by picking a classic tune and making up a yoga song to it. Here’s an example that I used this summer. It took more than one class for the kids to learn this song. I shortened it to two verses repeated and used it as a warm-up:

If you don’t see the video embedded, the link to The Pinocchio is here.

This website is a great resource for kids’ songs, especially with all their You Tube videos, plus they give samples of each song. Personally I’m not shy to sing the songs without music, but if you want, the music CD’s are there to purchase at Super Simple Songs.com

Making it Yogic
Rather than calling it the Pinocchio and doing all the progressive moves, which would be fun too, I sang the song with similar moves to the video above but added a yogic variation like this:

Everybody In
Everybody Out
Everybody Turn Around
Everybody Shout (Hey!)
Everybody Dance
Everybody’s Great
Everybody Meditate (the kids sit down and sit still to meditate)

Verse 2
Everybody Up
Everybody Down (a squat)
Everybody Did You Hear (bend at the waist hands to ears)
Everybody Cheer (Hey! – jump)
Everybody Shake
Every Body Part
Everybody Cross Your Heart (again sit down and meditate, hands on heart).

I found repeating the two verses made a great warm up for yoga. It’s a bit like a freeze dance, with movement and then stillness.

Sometimes if I want to get a classes’ attention, I start singing a song like this and everyone will happily join in; no other direction required.

Feel free to share some of your favorite songs and music recommendations in the comments. Has anyone heard the tune to The Pinocchio in another song?

Aruna Humphrys
Aruna@YoungYogaMasters.com

© K. Humphrys

Sun Salutations – Music for the Sun Salutation

Sun Salutation – Dance for the Sun
by Kira Willey (listen here)

(I downloaded this Kira Willey’s CD from itunes and have listened to it outside of my yoga class – catchy tunes!)

The traditional Kundalini Yoga closing that I use in my kids yoga class goes (listen here):

May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide your way on…
Sat Nam

This song fits in with the Sun Salutation and most of the kids in my classes know it because we sing it at the end of every class. There’s a beautiful version linked above from this CD (by the way, I have every one of Snatam Kaur’s CD’s):

Aruna Humphrys
www.YoungYogaMasters.com

P.S. Next Posts I have a couple questions from readers! One about how to get everyone’s attention to start your yoga classes, and what to do when kids are dropped off early. The other question is about and how to get started blogging. I’ll let you know a few things that helped me in both these situations as well as how to avoid some of the mistakes I made.

Subscribing for Teaching Kids Yoga in your E-mail
It’s free to sign up for the blog in your e-mail by putting your address in sign up area at the top right on the page. By the way – be sure to check for the confirmation e-mail the happens with every sign-up. It should come within minutes of signing up. If you don’t see it check your spam box.

© K. Humphrys

Win the Bollywood Dance Workout DVD

Learn Bhangra!
This week I’ve been going on about how much fun dancing can be in yoga class. If you have no idea how to get your Bhangra moves on – then this DVD will help you.

I love Bhangra dancing and it really gets you moving. The music in this video and the Bollywood movies have a driving drum beat that gets the blood flowing and makes you want to dance.

I found this video had some good moves to use for kids classes. The warm-ups were especially good for the younger kids (3 – 5 year olds) I taught this week. The other moves in the DVD are more complex and would work with the older children.

This is a good video to get some basic steps under you belt. I’ve done some Bhangra classes before so I didn’t find the moves too hard, and I think absolute beginners would still get the basics of Bhangra, especially with some practice.

So – Yes I recommend The Bollywood Dance Workout with Hemalayaa
You can read here about how I used Bhangra in my kids yoga classes.

You may be sweating by the end of the workout, but I also think you will be smiling.

Leave a comment by this Sunday at midnight for a chance to win this DVD from Acacia Lifestyles.

Good luck to everyone who enters.

© K. Humphrys

Get Your Dance Moves and Poetry Here

Video: Mitwa: We used this song our Kids Yoga Bangara Class

Last week I taught the kids some Banghara Dancing in yoga class to celebrate Halloween. One things kids love is music, songs, and poetry. Every song is poetry.

Poetry Talks to the Soul
I often read poetry in kids yoga classes – like these lyrics from this song, Mitwa. This is the song we did Bangara Dance to. I choose it for the message, and the beat!

So many of the great Masters and Sages taught through songs, stories, and poetry. Look at teh message from Mitwa:

Loved one, listen loved one, what fear do you have?
This earth is ours, ours is the sky.

Recommended Movie: Lagaan
By the way the movie Lagaan is a great epic about overcoming obstacles – just watch the video above to get an idea of the move, and see some of the bangara dance moves we did.

Today you can enjoy some poetry and read some to your loved ones. The lyrics to Mitwa are inspiring and copied from Bollywoodlyrics.com here and also at the end of this post.

With truth and bravery in mind,

Aruna Humphrys
www.YoungYogaMasters.com

P.S. To Win the Bollywood Dance Workout with Hemalayaa leave a comment by Sunday midnight and I’ll choose a winner randomly from the comments.

P.S.S. There is still time to register for the Teaching Kids Yoga Training this weekend. Details here.

Mitwa – lyrics from the movie Lagaan

–MALE 1–
Har sant kahe, saadhu kahe
Every saint and sage says
Sach aur saahas hai jiske mann mein
Whoever has truth and bravery in mind
Ant mein jeet usiki rahe
They will ultimately be victorious

–MALE 2–
Aaja re aaja re, aaja re aaja re
Come, oh come, oh come, oh come
Bhale kitne lambe ho raste, ho
However long the path is
Thake na tera yeh tan, ho
May your body not become tired
Aaja re aaja re, sun le pukaare dagariya
Come, oh come, listen, the paths are calling
Rahe na yeh raste taraste, ho, tu aaja re
May these paths not stay thirsty, oh come
Is dharti ka hai raja tu, yeh baat jaan le tu
You are the king of this earth, understand this
Kathinaayi se takraa ja tu, nahin haar maan le tu
Clash against difficulties, don’t accept defeat

Mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr hai re
Loved one, listen loved one, what fear do you have?
Yeh dharti apni hai, apna ambar hai re
This earth is ours, ours is the sky
O mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr hai re
O loved one, listen loved one, what fear do you have?
Dharti apni hai, apna ambar hai re
This earth is ours, ours is the sky
Tu aaja re
Oh you come

–FEMALE–
Sun lo re mitwa
Please listen, oh loved one
Jo hai tumre mann mein, vohi hamre mann mein
That what is in your mind, is in our mind
Jo sapna hai tumra, sapna vohi hamra hai
Those dreams that are yours, are ours
Jeevan mein
In life

–MALE 2–
Haan, chale hum liye aasa ke diye nayanan mein
Let’s walk carrying hope’s light in our eyes
Diye hamri aasaaon ke kabhi bujh na paaye
These lights of hope cannot be extinguished

–FEMALE–
Kabhi aandhiyaan jo aake inko bujhaaye
Even if storms come and try to extinguish them

–MALE 2–
O mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr hai re
O loved one, listen loved one, what fear do you have?
Yeh dharti apni hai, apna ambar hai re
This earth is ours, ours is the sky
O mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr hai re
O loved one, listen loved one, what fear do you have?
Dharti apni hai, apna ambar hai re
This earth is ours, ours is the sky
Tu aaja re
Oh you come

–FEMALE–
(Ta na, ta na na na, ta na na na na na
Ta na, ta na na na, ta na na na na
Ta na, ta na na na, ta na na na na na, aaja re) – 2

–MALE 2–
Sun lo re mitwa
Please listen, oh loved one
Purwa bhi gaayegi, masti bhi chhaayegi
Wind will come singing, mischief will even be cast
Milke pukaaro to
If we meet and call out
Phoolon waali jo rut hai, aayegi
The season of flowers will arrive

–FEMALE–
Haan, sukh bhare din, dukh ke bin laayegi
It will bring days of prosperity, without any pain
Hum tum sajaaye aao, rangon ke mele
Come, let’s decorate the parade of colors

–MALE 2–
Rehte ho bolo kaahe tum yun akele
Tell us, why do you remain alone like this?
Mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr hai re
Loved one, listen loved one, what fear do you have?
Yeh dharti apni hai, apna ambar hai re
This earth is ours, ours is the sky

–MALE 3–
O mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr hai re
Loved one, listen loved one, what fear do you have?
Yeh dharti apni hai, apna ambar hai re
This earth is ours, ours is the sky
Tu aaja re
Oh, you come

–MALE 1–
Har sant kahe, saadhu kahe
Every saint and sage says
Sach aur saahas hai jiske mann mein
Whoever has truth and bravery in mind
Ant mein jeet usiki rahe
They will ultimately be victorious

–MALE 2–
O mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr hai re
Loved one, listen loved one, what fear do you have?
Yeh dharti apni hai, apna ambar hai re
This earth is ours, ours is the sky

–ALL–
(O mitwa, sun mitwa, tujhko kya darr hai re
Loved one, listen loved one, what fear do you have?
Yeh dharti apni hai, apna ambar hai re) – 3
This earth is ours, ours is the sky
Tu aaja re, tu aaja re, tu aaja re
Oh you come, oh you come, oh you come
Tu aaja re
Oh you come

X Marks the Spot

To Tickle Your Fancy
Here is a little tickling poem I like to use in yoga classes where I know the kids already. I learned it some time when I was a kid although I can’t quite remember who I learned it from. But I know my friends and I used to do it on each others backs all the time for fun.

I do it in yoga class to:

• - Get kids attention
• - Help kids stay focused when holding a pose
• - Have fun!

If the class is getting loud, I start to say the poem with one child who is sitting quietly. I draw it on the child’s back (and head – for the egg). Pretty soon all the children will be asking for a turn.

I don’t answer them until I am finished the poem, and then I tell them I will be choosing other kids who are quietly doing the next yoga pose.

Make sure each child gets a turn by the end of the class. Although, if a child isn’t quiet they may have to wait till the next time I come in to try again, but this rarely happens.

The poem goes like this:

Feel the breeze on your back (blow softly on their neck or back)
Let the chills go up
Let the chills go down………….

They will love this poem so much you won’t be able to stop doing it because they will ask for it again and again.

Now, is this yoga?
I doubt it was ever done in the Himalayas, but sometimes when everyone wants to keep saying the poem, we will all act it out using yoga poses.

Can you think of any yoga poses for it?

Aruna Humphrys
www.YoungYogaMasters.com

P.S. Win a copy of the life-changing book Ancient Secrets of Success for Today’s World by Tulshi Sen. To enter: answer the poll on the right side of my blog, then leave a comment with your answer and a link back to you. One winner will be drawn from everyone who enters. Draw closes June 30/2008.See contest details here.

Teaching Pre-Schoolers