YOGA FOR KIDS

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

“Yoga for Kids” is a yoga class combined with storytime in libraries for kids ages 6 and up. The goal is to introduce kids to the library and develop a love of reading while teaching them the healthy habit of yoga exercise. The yoga program brings children and families into the libraries that might otherwise never have crossed the threshold. It’s a way to engage children in regular exercise and teach easy relaxation methods by introducing them to fun yoga games and energizing exercise routines - while also learning life-long relaxation and meditation skills, yoga poses, and teamwork. Students are gathered together during a "final relaxation pose" to listen to a story and engage with the pictures, characters and setting. The combination of yoga and stories is a way for children to learn that reading and literacy are great ways to unwind and relax. Children find that after a long and energizing exercise session, they are tired and in need of a rest. Recognizing the amazing opportunity to harness a captive audience and tell a story is a wonderful way to reach a new audience. The children become engaged in the story and now associate exercise and play with reading.