guest post by Tricia Brill, Next Step Multimedia

Kids Yoga Brings Out The Inner-Child

I found myself on my belly squirming around the gymnasium floor like an infant. I felt like a child again, wanting so desperately to put my hands in the bin of water beads. I was working with Jen and Yogalore on photos and video and just couldn’t help myself to get in there with the kiddos. So, I found myself on the floor with the kids, putting my hands in the bins and asking them how it felt… although I knew how it felt since my hand was wrist-deep in the bin already!

As a photographer at Next Step Multimedia, I get the pleasure of “participating” in some really cool events and activities. Clients ask me to come along to Paint N’ Sips, yoga classes and grand openings. And each one is uniquely fun and exciting. But I have worked with Jen and Yogalore for a couple of years now and each time I get to “participate”, it is uniquely fun and exhilarating to see children so excited about the activities they are about to partake in. Jen always PACKS that time with fun activities, yoga, a story and always good giggles.

Kids Yoga
The class usually starts with yoga. Quieting down the kiddos takes a little bit of time, as it usually does with kids! She quietly reads, enticing the children to quiet down and listen to the story. Why is listening to the story so important in Jen’s yoga class, you may ask? Well, after the story, the students then do yoga poses mimicking the characters in the book! What a fun idea.

This last book was about the rainforest and all the wonderful life inside of a rainforest. The kids were excited to try frog pose and snake pose. “I know that one!” said one kiddo.

They had a great time trying new poses and contorting their bodies in ways they probably never had! “That’s hard,” said one student.

“No it isn’t! It’s easy!” Ha. Well, I think it’s hard, so kuddos to all the kiddos, cause they rocked those poses.

Sensory Activities

Then it was on to finger painting! Who doesn’t like to get messy? The kids did a great job, one even painted a frog in a rainforest!! It was amazing to see their little fingers making art on paper. Their imaginations are so big. It is actually inspiring to watch the ideas in their eyes as they decide which finger to put in which color paint.

Next is my favorite. Sensory activities. I never really knew about the world of sensory until I met Jen.( I want to tell you that we are close friends and work side-by-side often. ) I wait eagerly for the first reactions the kids have when they put their little fingers and hands in bins of beans, rice or water beads. (You know, those water beads that people use in vases? Well, you can make a sensory bin using them. And I recommend one to EVERYONE!) The little faces light up with glee as they dunk their hands into the bins. There is an occasional snarl, but that’s okay because each sensory bin isn’t made for everybody!

The room gets louder and louder as the kids change stations. “How does it feel?” I ask? “Weird!” said one kid. “Good,” said another.

I sneak my hand in each bin as I grab some photos… I find myself on my belly on the floor grabbing shots of their cute faces and high-pitched voices. I’m allowed to “participate”, right? I used to be a photojournalist and making myself scarce. But now, I sometimes sneak my way in there to fully “experience” the class. At least that is what I tell myself. Ha.

Let’s Wear ‘Em Out

Remember obstacle courses? Jen sets one up for the kids to plow through. A tunnel, some rings and a line of tape make up a great course for the kids. Let’s wear ’em out! Haha.

One of the last activities is probably the kiddos’ favorite. The human downward dog tunnel. Now, it probably has some proper name, but that is what I call it. The kids line up next to each other and each one gets down and does the downward dog pose…. then the first kid crawls through the opening all the way through! Each child gets a turn, giggling all the way. Toward the end, you can see the kids wobbling. They’re getting tired of holding themselves up, so they rock back and forth. It’s kinda fun to see the kids get worn out with all the fun they are having.

Jen usually ends class on a quiet note — they call it Rest & Relax. Each child lies down and has an eye pillow to put over their eyes (or on their tummy if they don’t like their eyes covered. They listen to a guided visualization or calming music to help them relax.

Sorry for the long post. Yogalore is such a fun activity for all involved. The kids really love the activities. And so do I! The activities vary from class to class, but the giggles surely don’t.