Self-control
Toddlers practice holding a tree pose (yoga) while breathing slowly and deeply.
Space for each toddler to pose
Be Prepared: Become familiar with the tree yoga pose that toddlers are invited to assume in this activity. Consult online resources or the Optional Reading book. Also review prior Self-Regulation activity plans that emphasized breathing deeply and slowly (Blocks 2 and 5). If you do not wish to personally demonstrate the pose, make arrangements for another adult or a preschool-age child in your center to show the pose as you describe it and lead the activity. Adapt the pose if you anticipate it will be too challenging for toddlers in your room. See suggestions in the What To Look For section of this plan.
Use the Option 2 plan to support toddlers in moving into a tree pose. This time, emphasize holding our bodies as still as we can and add deep and slow breathing. Open the session by demonstrating and then encouraging toddlers to breathe in and out slowly two times. Repeat the breathing exercise. Then invite toddlers to pretend their body is a tree, hold the pose as long as they can without losing their balance, and to breathe slowly and deeply while they hold the pose. Offer quiet verbal support for breathing slowly and deeply. Toddlers’ poses and breathing are not expected to be uniform. Emphasize that it is okay for each of our poses to look different. Invite several attempts. Talk with toddlers about how their body felt while doing the pose.
You will likely need to modify the tree pose based on the abilities of the toddlers in your group. Examples: (1) Instead of lifting their hands over their head, it may be easier for toddlers to keep their hands in front of their heart. (2) Instead of placing their foot on their other leg’s thigh or calf, encourage toddlers to slightly bring their foot up against the other ankle, creating a skinny triangle. (3) If balancing is challenging, invite toddlers to reach arms out like branches far and wide, rather than holding them together. Some toddlers may need to reach out a “branch” to hold onto a chair or your hand as they balance.
Some toddlers may find it challenging to hold their body in a pose while intentionally taking slow and deep breaths (Option 3). Slowing down the pace of the activity and talking in a quiet, soothing voice will help to foster a positive, calming experience for the toddlers. Provide additional time for toddlers to observe, imitate, and practice the new pose. (See Extra Support tip below.) Look for opportunities to talk with toddlers about how holding the pose and breathing makes them feel.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: several books with pictures of trees
Display the books on a low table. Look at the tree pictures with toddlers and talk about how the tree yoga pose is similar to real trees. Discuss how the foot on the ground is like a strong and steady tree root that grows deep, and how our arms reach out like tree branches. Invite toddlers to practice moving into a tree pose or parts of a tree pose.
Materials Needed: The ABCs of Yoga for Kids by Teresa Power
Yoga poses may be a new experience for children in your setting. Practicing how to hold a pose and breathe consciously can benefit children of all ages. Invite children to practice a tree pose. Some children may like to practice the pose with deep and slow breathing. Support adaptations that accommodate children’s ages and abilities. Consult resources for doing yoga with babies if this is of interest.
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