Most parents out there are probably struggling with their kids’ high energy levels during lockdown as they no longer have the school and club sports to rely on. At home, a feeling of lethargy can kick in where the kids just want to lay around. But kids have a love of movement and we know how good it is for their health and their mental wellbeing.
This is where yoga for kids can be helpful at home. And if you can do yoga with your kids, it will be all the better for the whole family. In this time of not being able to get to classes and the gym, it is a perfect opportunity to role model taking the time out for your wellbeing.
But how to start? For younger kids, you will find videos on YouTube such as Cosmic Kids where kids enter a make-believe world and to movements along with the instructor. You can also buy yoga cards like Yoga Pretzels (many types available online) which you can play games with and act out the poses. For those with some background in yoga, you can teach the kids the animal poses (dog, cat, etc.) and then make up names for other poses. The idea is just to move in new ways and have fun together.
For older kids, yoga can be a big help with growing pains, self-awareness of the body, confidence, focus and relieving anxiety. Partner poses can be fun to do with older kids (again there are some cards and books available online and YouTube videos). It doesn’t matter how it looks (nobody can see you anyway!) and it’s good for a laugh together.
This age also benefits a lot from breath exercises – beneficial for us all when times get stressful! You can try five fingers breathing where you slowly trace your finger up one side on the inhale and down the other side on the exhale. Also taking five long deep breaths through an imaginary straw slows down your breath. There are good guided mediations available on iTunes and Spotify to help with anxiety or trouble sleeping, such as those by Christiane Kerr.
Also check out some great videos on the website of thepoweryogaco.com which are available for download. There are some for families to practice together (one for ages 4-8 and another for 8-13), teen yoga videos and one for boys who are into football.
These ideas should help your kids to stay healthy, calm and mindful when at home during the lockdown. Namaste!
Justin Thompson, leader of the successful Junior Spy Camps that have taken place at the Club in recent summers has recreated his adventure camp into an audio immersive learning experience, which touches on the physical and mental well being.
These aim to be fun as well as touching many of the elements in the camps including maths and english. Recorded in Justin’s loft they are a little rough around the edges, but please keep with it they get better as the days go along.
Below are the links to his website and YouTube channel which has lots of futsal and physical videos to do at home.
https://www.futsal-jam.co.uk/twitter-facebook-youtube/
Tw: @FUTSAL@JAM | www.futsal-jam.co.uk
Life may be feeling a little tough right now for us humans, but our dogs are loving spending more time with us and they certainly know how to make us smile.
If your dog is enjoying spending more time with you right now, send us a pic and we will upload it to a gallery of delightful dogs on the website.
Email your pics to marketing@roehamptonclub.co.uk
Image: Bolt the black Labrador enjoying a well-deserved cuppa after a morning of playing lawn tennis.
Jacques London – the Oldest Sports and Games Manufacturer in the World
Passed down from father to son for six generations, Jaques have been responsible for inventing many well-known games and teaching the world to play since 1795. They have an extensive selection of children’s activities and family games available via their website in their Anti Screen Revolution Blog
A children’s guide to coronavirus
www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/publication/childrens-guide-to-coronavirus/
Oti Mabuse and Marius Lepure (Strictly) 30 min SPIDER-MAN kids dance class www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ3npArbxvc
Hundreds of free audio stories for children of all ages across six languages https://stories.audible.com/start-listen
Learn to draw cartoons with Rob Biddulph – there are 12 to choose from: www.robbiddulph.com/home | #DrawWithRob 1 – Gregosaurus
