As first year of yoga wraps up, I'm learning about more opportunities for the kids to learn around the setting up and clean up of a class. The mats are a great way to create critical thinking skills.
While I would go get the kids for class, my youngest child would be instructed to lay 6 mats evenly spaced throughout the room. He really enjoyed having a job, and it made him think about his strategy in the room, use of space and counting mats.
At the end of class, I saved a few minutes for the kids to practice the art of rolling up their mats so they would fit into the shelves nicely. They were rewarded with a spray of water if they were able to fit it into the shelves. (the room gets really hot) If they struggled, they were allowed to ask a classmate who had done it to help them. They learned patience which is needed to roll up a mat well.
We also had a yoga final exam. I would demonstrate a pose and they would raise their hands if they knew the pose. Then they each got to pick their favorite pose for the class. We had downward dog, cobra, pigeon, pretzel, lion, triangle, warrior and child's pose.
To thank Stephanie Quigley, the owner of Raven Yoga Shala for the donation of her beautiful space, we came up with the idea of making a heart out of our bodies. When there were still bodies left after the heart, we had the rest do child's pose in the center.
