Materials:
non-skid surface for barefoot play
Instructions:
1. Children will discover their wild side as they go on a “yoga safari” mimicking
animals and objects of nature.
2. Make sure the children are barefoot when practicing any type of yoga,
especially active poses such as animals. Also make sure the children have
plenty of room to spread out and move.
3. Tell the children that before they get “wild,” they must first get to their
destination. Start by having all the children sit on the floor with their legs
straight out in front of them. Ask them to pretend to hold a steering wheel
and “drive into the jungle.”
4. After “arriving,” start walking in place. Along the way, demonstrate
movements and sounds of animals through yoga poses. Tell a story and stop
to do the poses. For example, “Look up in the trees and watch an eagle
fly over your heads, looking strong and powerful.” Encourage the
children to copy your yoga poses.
5. Continue the story and poses: “We can hear the thunderous feet of the
mighty elephants as they cross the caravan. Let’s pitch our tent before
we go any further. Can you hear the roar of the most feared animal the
tiger sitting upon a large rock, stretching in the sun? Beyond the field,
the fierce lions roar to protect their cubs from our caravan. Let’s return to
our tents for the night. Oh, I hear the hiss of the dangerous cobra. Let’s
crawl inside our tents and lay as still as a mouse.”
6. More poses can be added depending on time restraints. This activity can
be repeated many times by changing the animals and substituting
different yoga poses.
