Are you looking for a way to incorporate yoga at home or in the classroom with your Tots or Tykes?
With Halloween just around the corner, the options for creative movement and play are endless!
Here is a little inspiration for poses, activities, and play to get you started.
*Deep Belly Breaths and chanting “Boo” or making Ghost “OoOoOo’s”
-This is such a fun way to introduce chanting and breath work to littles. They will have so much fun pretending to be ghosts and you can always challenge them to try it several times being very loud or very quiet, to say it slow or fast, and to play with silly voices.
*Black Cat – Cat Pose
On hands and knees, tuck your head and your belly and make your back arch like a scared cat. Then try it again and HISS when you arch your back.
*Frog Pose
Squat down with your knees and feet wide, place your hands on the floor.
Practice jumping like a frog and catching flies with your tongue.
*Flying Witch
Sit back into Chair Pose and pick up one set of toes behind you to be the end of your broom. Hold your hands in front to be the front of your broom stick. Then practice flying high and low by bending and straightening your standing leg. Feel free to throw in a couple of Wicked Witch laughs!
*Jack-O-Lantern
Sit down with your feet and knees together and bring your hands to your head to make a pumpkin stem. Then make your silliest Jack-o-lantern faces.
*Windy Trees
Stand tall on your feet and bring one foot to your ankle or your calve. See how bent and spooky you can make your arms look. Then blow in the wind. Feel free to make scary faces and sounds as you sway.
*Marching Mummies
Start at the back of your mat and reach your arms out long, then see if you can walk all the way across your mat without bending your knees. (or running into your sister)
*Googly Eyes and Floating Heads
Make your feet extra wide then bend over to touch the floor with your hands. With your head upside down, make silly faces at the person behind you.
-Disclaimer: This one might be everyone’s new favorite pose, and I’m sorry if your Tykes begin doing it in public or to high ranking officials.
*Moon Poses
-Make your body very round like a big full moon.
-Practice Half Moon Balance by standing with your booty to the wall then tipping over until you have your back against the wall and one hand and one foot on the floor. Let your other and and foot stretch long and far away.
-Stand up straight and tall and reach your arms up over head, then tip to the right and the left to make your body shape like a Crescent Moon (or like a C)
*Flying Bats
Come into Airplane Balance by leaning forward and stretching one leg long behind you. Then bring your arms out to be bat wings and make big slow flaps.
You can also practice Shoulder Stand by laying on your back and then sending your legs and booty up to the ceiling, see if you can make a straight line and pretend to be a bat sleeping upside down.
*Spooky Spiders
Start by making your hands walk like a spider. See if you can move one finger at a time and “take steps” with your hands.
Then come into Reverse Table Top or Crab Pose. Lift your belly as high as you can to the ceiling and see if you can walk forwards and backwards.
We even had a nice round of Itsy Bitsy Spider, to practice fine motor skills.
*Pumpkin Breath
We used pumpkins, but you can use any small object. Lay on your back and place your pumpkin on your belly, just above your belly button. Then take slow and deep breaths and watch your pumpkin rise and fall. See how focused and calm you can be to keep it balanced.
*Skeleton Bones
Take some time for relaxation by laying on your back with your arms and legs out. Then imagine yourself as a skeleton. Picture your bones and see if you can feel them inside of you. Imagine each one from your toes to your nose and see if you can count them all.
Of course there are a million more ways to incorporate yoga and creative movement into your Halloween fun.
What are some of the ways you are practicing and playing this month?
**I’d like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to my dear friend for letting me borrow her time, talent, living room, and daughters, and for making these beautiful photos happen.
And for anyone who thinks photographing Tykes and Tots is easy, I submit these outtakes for your viewing pleasure.
**Side note: It totally is easy and fun and I’d love to see all of your silly photos with your favorite little one.
(I got our witch hat headbands at Target, but there are some really cute ones here.)
Melody Butler Yoga 