​Where to Begin? Yoga in Child Care.

In the young child yoga classes I teach for the YMCA, many of the children begin the classes with little self control. Young children are constantly moving and talking, with minimum focus.
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In last month’s blog, I posted many of the benefits of yoga. Among the benefits include assisting children in relaxing, calming down, allowing them to increase body awareness and focus on breath.
Knowing the benefits, how do child care teachers and providers begin to incorporate yoga activities during the day in the classroom? Even without previous experience or training there are simple ways to begin. Resources are easy to follow and chock full of ideas. One great free resource is listed below.

Two of my favorite tools include yoga cards and story books.
Yoga cards, which include pictures and descriptions of poses, often relate the pose to objects, animals or items in nature.  Allow the children to pick a card and let the group try out the pose with movement and noise.  Children’s books provide an engaging story and allow children to match a pose with characters, animals or activities as they arise in the story.

Whatever tools you choose, begin with a few simple practices and enjoy the results.
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 HOW TO GET STARTED WITH YOGA IN THE CLASSROOM(PRINTABLE POSTER) here, or pin it for later.

​About the Author
After a 37 year career in child nutrition and CACFP, Ms. Fredericks has been practicing and applying Healthy Living for the past 4 years through nutrition, yoga and general wellness.. As a s a 500 hour RYT she teaches yoga classes for all ages and as a Certified Health and Wellness coach she  provides support for individual healthy behavior changes.

Doris Fredericks, MEd, RDN, RYT
Healthy Living: Nutrition, Yoga
Certified Health and Wellness Coach
408-966-6111

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