As Summer begins to wind down in NJ and I am getting my children back to school, I am starting to plan my September yoga class themes and sessions.
One of my favorite things about teaching this age range is the countless amount of themes that I can plan to make our yoga sessions fun and engaging. I’ve found that offering themed classes is a surefire way to get children to participate.
Back to School
One of my favorite September yoga class themes this time of year is “Back to School.” We focus on talking about trying new things (& new poses). We rely on our deep belly breathing if we get nervous or feel butterflies. Back to School is always an emotionally charged time for my family, more about that here.
These rubber duckies are popular in the children’s yoga community and I use them during Savasana. I ask the children to lay on their backs and help their duck “swim” by taking full deep breathes in and out. If their mind wanders or they want to open their eyes, they can focus on their ducky and remain quiet. I’ve also used the ducks as drishtis during this lesson for wandering eyes. At the end of Savasana, we all squeeze our duckies for a quick SQUEEK. One thing to note – these can be very distracting if introduced too early in a lesson or the children have trouble listening. Make sure you take note if you buy the squeaky ducks!
Making Friends
Another class I like to teach in September is, “Getting to Know You.” During this class, I like to learn more about my students and what they are interested in. This leads into a convo about what makes us all different. We talk about the poses that we like and don’t like. Depending on the students, this convo can get deep as they share their personal experiences with poses. I also like this book “Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon” by Patty Lovell which is about a little girl that is different and has to start at a new school. This book has sparked some great conversations that resulted in another class themed around affirmations and believing in yourself.
Making Good Choices
One final class theme I plan to use is, “Making choices – Big and Small.” – This book shares how we have to make a lot of choices every day – and sometimes they result in positive or negative outcomes.
One way I teach this in class is with a game called “This or That.” This is played by asking the children to make a choice between two things. The children start in the middle of their mat and jump forward for one choice and backward for the other. Examples of the choices they have to make include:
- Disney Princesses or Villians
- Breakfast or Lunch
- Summer or Winter
- Beach or Pool
- TV show or Movie
I’m also going to teach a lot of balance poses (with various degrees of difficulty). We will move on to discuss how we can always CHOOSE how we respond to situations. If a child falls or gets upset, this will give me the opportunity to emphasize that we can choose how we react. We can get frustrated and give up or we can take a deep breath and come back stronger. If you’re a book lover and prefer to use books in your class, “What if Everybody Did That?” by Ellen Javernick– is an excellent choice. This book always prompts intriguing discussions about making choices.
Do you have a theme you love to teach during the first few weeks of school? I’d love to hear from you!
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