Self-control
Toddlers watch a caregiver (or an older child) engage in a frog pose (yoga).
Be Prepared: Be familiar with the frog pose. Arrange for another adult or preschool-age child in your center to demonstrate the frog pose if you do not wish to do so. Adapt the pose if you anticipate it will be too challenging for toddlers in your room.
[Invite toddlers to watch a yoga pose.]
We are learning how to do yoga. Do you remember holding our body still while pretending to be a tree?
Today we will learn a new pose. Remember, a pose is a way of holding our body. Doing a yoga pose can help us feel calm and relaxed.
I am going to show you how to do a frog pose.
[Display picture of a frog.]
This is a picture of a frog. Look at how the frog’s legs are bent. Frogs use their legs to jump. But we do not jump when we do a frog pose. We try to keep our legs still when we do a frog pose.
[Move your body into a frog pose. Describe the position of each body part, as suggested below.]
I am bending my legs. Remember, the legs of a frog are bent. My arms are straight down between my legs and in front of my body.
I am stretching my body to look like a frog. Do you think my body looks like a frog?
[Pause for and acknowledge toddlers’ responses.]
Now I am going to hold my body still and breathe slowly, in and out. We know that breathing slowly can help us to feel calm.
[Demonstrate breathing in and out two times while holding the frog pose.
Move out of the pose and into a normal stance. If time and toddler interest permit, demonstrate again moving into the frog pose and breathing slowly.]
We learned how to do a frog pose. I breathed slowly while holding my body still. Yoga can help us feel calm and relaxed.
Self-control
Toddlers practice moving into a frog pose (yoga).
*Picture of a frog
*Printables provided
Be Prepared: Be familiar with the frog pose. Arrange for another adult or preschool-age child in your center to demonstrate the frog pose if you do not wish to do so. Adapt the pose if you anticipate it will be too challenging for toddlers in your room.
Invite several toddlers to join you in making a frog pose with our bodies. Explain (or remind) toddlers that a pose is a way of holding our body. Example: “Holding a pose with our body can help us get calm. Today we will practice a frog pose.” Show and describe the picture of a frog. Draw attention to how the frog’s legs are bent.
Demonstrate a frog pose as described in Option 1. Then invite toddlers to make a pretend frog with their bodies. Describe each action with legs and arms. Use a calm voice. Emphasize that it is okay for each of our poses to look different. Encourage toddlers to hold the pose as long as they can without losing their balance. Invite several attempts. Talk with toddlers about how their body felt while doing the pose.
Self-control
Toddlers practice holding a frog pose (yoga) while breathing slowly and deeply.
*Picture of a frog
*Printables provided
Be Prepared: This activity is for toddlers who have recently participated in Option 2 (and possibly Option 1). Be familiar with the frog pose. Arrange for another adult or preschool-age child in your center to demonstrate the frog pose if you do not wish to do so. Adapt the pose if you anticipate it will be too challenging for toddlers in your room.
Invite several toddlers to join you in doing a frog pose. Show the picture of a frog as a reminder of the pose. Explain that we will practice breathing slowly and deeply when we hold our body in a frog pose. Offer a demonstration that emphasizes the two important parts: slow and deep breaths. Quietly say “in” and “out” to describe your breathing. Then engage toddlers in practicing how to breathe slowly and deeply while standing in a relaxed position. It is not necessary for toddlers’ breathing to be uniform.
Next, move into a frog pose. Use the strategies suggested in Options 1 and 2 to describe your body. Encourage toddlers to also move into a frog pose. Support toddlers’ efforts with strategies suggested in Option 2. Remind toddlers that each of our frog poses can look different.
After toddlers are in a frog pose, use a gentle voice to encourage breathing slowly and deeply while holding the pose. Invite several attempts. Talk with toddlers about how their bodies felt while doing the pose and breathing slowly and deeply.
Yoga is a popular activity among young children and a demonstrated way to promote self-regulation skills. The benefits of yoga for very young children are described in the ELM Curriculum User Guide: Birth–36 Months.
This is the second yoga pose introduced to children 24–36 months of age in the ELM Curriculum. A tree pose was introduced in Block 8. Prior practice in breathing slowly and deeply is offered in Blocks 2 and 5 as well as part of calming down practices in ELM Curriculum activities for children 12–24 months of age.
Some toddlers may find it challenging to hold their body in a pose while also focusing on breathing (Option 3). A slow pace with a quiet, soothing voice can be helpful to toddlers. It also is highly appropriate to focus on Option 2 with toddlers who need more time and practice in holding a yoga pose.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: The ABCs of Yoga for Kids by Teresa Power, picture of a frog
Display the book in a calm area of the room with a blanket or yoga mat. Invite toddlers to practice the tree and/or frog pose. Some toddlers may enjoy looking at the yoga book and talking with you about other yoga poses. Encourage toddlers to compare the provided picture of a frog to the picture of a frog pose in The ABCs of Yoga for Kids book.
Materials Needed: see activity description
Preschool-age children may enjoy participating in Options 1–3 as well as the Interest Area activity. Older infants will enjoy watching toddlers and others try a frog pose.
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