Yoga program for children 2-5 years old

1. Service
Learning
for
Fitzsimmons
Early
Learning
Center
Yoga with Two-Year Olds
Instructions:
• Before
the
children
enter,
have
them
remove
their
shoes
• Dim
the
lights
and
create
a
calming
safe
space
• Slowly
count
to
10
for
each
pose
• Remind
children
to
breathe
throughout
the
poses
Pose
Benefit
Instructions
Evidence
Imitate
this
Example
Warm
up:
5
minutes
Together
as
a
class:
Washing
Machine
Warm
up,
get
children
breathing
and
get
energy
Sit
cross
legged,
cross
arms
over
chest,
hands
on
shoulder,
twist
left
and
right
while
saying
“swish,
swish”
and
breathing
Gets
blood
going
in
an
entertaining
way
Together
as
a
class:
Dryer
Coordination
Have
hands
in
front
of
chest
and
make
rolling
circles
like
a
dryer
Improved
coordination
increases
confidence1
Together
as
a
class:
Stirring
the
Soup
Seated
balance
and
equilibrium
righting
Seated,
have
children
place
their
hands
on
knees
and
make
circles
with
their
bodies
Equilibrium
righting
is
linked
to
reaching
developmental
motor
milestones2

2. Have
children
pick
cards
for
poses:
20
minutes
for
10
seconds
each
Lion
Release
energy
in
a
healthy
way,
show
emotion
Sit
back
on
heels,
make
an
angry
face,
put
hands
on
floor
in
front,
lean
back,
lean
forward
and
roar
Yoga
has
been
shown
to
release
negative
thoughts
in
children3
Mountain
Stabilize,
reaching
Stand
on
both
feet
and
arms
out
to
side
and
transition
to
tree
Postural
stability
is
key
to
reaching
tasks4
Tree
Balance,
reaching,
loading
Have
children
stand
on
both
feet
and
stretch
arms
out,
bring
one
foot
in
to
toes
touching
and
sway
like
a
tree
Balance
is
functionally
linked
to
hand-­‐
eye
coordination5
Sun
Balance,
side
bending
Place
both
feet
on
ground
and
make
a
circle
over
head,
be
the
setting
sun
by
moving
side
to
side
In
addition
to
increasing
well-­‐
being,
balance
is
also
improved6

3. Frog
Stabilizing,
stretch
calves,
loading
Crouch
downs,
put
hands
on
floor
and
heels
on
the
ground,
make
a
ribbit
noise,
jump
up
Stretching
habits
in
early
childhood
are
strongly
linked
to
habits
in
adulthood7
Cat
Flexibility
Be
on
hands
and
knees,
arch
back
like
a
cat
Even
with
more
challenging
poses
the
children
will
copy
instructors8
Mouse
Relaxation
Child’s
pose,
sit
on
heels,
stretch
arms
out
in
front
and
lay
down
Yoga
can
improve
self-­‐
esteem
in
children9
Butterfly
Flexibility,
posture,
trunk
control
Put
feet
together
in
front
of
body,
let
knees
fall
to
side,
sit
up
tall
and
flap
your
wings
Yoga
has
been
linked
to
improved
posture
in
adolescence10
Elephant
Flexibility,
Coordination
Stand
tall
on
both
feet
with
arms
to
the
sky
as
your
trunk
and
bring
your
trunk
to
your
toes
Forward
bending
has
been
seen
in
increase
hamstring
flexibility
in
children11

4. Gorilla
Stability,
coordination
Have
a
wide
stance,
bend
forward
swing
arms
back
and
forth
like
a
gorilla
Yoga
as
been
seen
to
decrease
ADHD
symptoms
for
sustained
focus12
Star
Reaching,
balance
Stand
with
legs
far
apart,
reach
with
straight
arms
out
to
sides
and
balance
Reaching
task
encourage
trunk
control13
Snake
Stretching
Lie
on
tummy,
use
hands
to
push
body
up,
make
a
hissing
noise
Stretching
early
on
can
lead
to
continued
stretching
and
a
decrease
risk
of
injury
in
sports
later
on14
Crab
Coordination,
balance
Sit
on
floor,
put
arms
behind
and
legs
in
front
and
push
up
into
a
crab.
If
possible,
walk
back
and
forth
Children
with
obesity
show
greater
lacks
in
balance
and
coordination15
Fish
Relaxation
Lay
down
on
back,
use
elbows
to
lift
upper
body
and
arch
back
Children’s
overall
well
being
may
benefit
from
yoga16

5. Chair
Balance,
strength
While
standing,
raise
arms
overhead
and
do
a
small
squat
Yoga
can
empower
children
to
strengthen
themselves17
Horse
Loading
Bend
forward
and
place
hands
on
ground,
then
kick
legs
to
the
sky
Early
bone
loading
is
predictive
of
bone
strength
in
later
childhood
as
well
as
adult
hood18
Cool
down:
5
minutes
Together
as
a
class:
Deep
breathing
To
focus
and
calm
the
children,
improve
circulation
Have
children
lay
down
and
close
their
eyes,
put
hands
on
tummy
and
feel
breath
Together
as
a
class:
Mummy
Relaxation
Lay
down
on
back,
breath
deeply
and
close
eyes,
pretend
to
float
on
a
cloud
Together
as
a
class:
Wiggle
worms
Stretch,
help
come
back
to
the
day
While
laying
down
have
children
wiggle
toes
and
finger,
sit
up
and
wiggle
body
Relaxation
techniques
can
help
children
better
cope
with
stress
later
in
life19
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By:
Amanda
Warren,
Jill
Stephenson,
Megan
Smith,
Andrew
Trevino
and
Denise
Zenier
CU
Denver
|
Anschutz
Medical
Campus
DPT
Class
of
2016D