Simple & Engaging Ways to use Yoga Cards
Yoga cards are a fantastic way to teach yoga to children of all ages. The visual aspect, as well as the many ways you can use yoga cards, makes it such a versatile resource for any kids yoga teacher, parent, or educator.
Below are 16 simple yet engaging ways to use any deck of yoga cards you may have, including our very own Rainbow Chakra Yoga & Mindfulness Card Deck.
1) Create a yoga flow - Select 6-7 cards (more or less depending on age of children) and place them in the order of your choosing (perhaps moving from seated/laying down to standing or vice versa), and then mindfully flow through the sequence. Play some music along with it. Can the cards be placed in another order yet still flow nicely? If children are older, this is a great chance to teach them about transitions.
2) Musical mats - Place a yoga card on each yoga mat. Play music and let the children move around. When the music stops, they have to make their way to a yoga mat and do the yoga pose on the card that is on the mat that they are standing on. Take away a card and mat each time the music starts again. Eventually, you end up with one yoga mat and one yoga card, so everyone will hopefully be on the remaining yoga mat and doing the same pose together.
3) Create a mandala pattern - Mindfully place the cards in a mandala design. A mandala is usually circular in form (in Sanskrit, mandala means ‘circle’), but the pattern doesn’t necessarily have to be circular or symmetrical, feel free to design your own unique mandala.
4) Make up an affirmation for each yoga pose - For example, tree pose - I am grounded or I am strong like a tree
5) Hide the yoga cards - In a group class, place a yoga card under each mat. The children can find the card under their mat to reveal their yoga pose, and then go through each of the yoga poses together as a group and create a sequence that flows. Alternatively, the children can take turns on each mat, do the yoga pose assigned to each mat. The teacher can tap a singing bowl or ring a bell when it’s time to move to the next mat.
6) Four corners - Choose any four yoga cards and place them in the four corners of a room. Put on some music for the children to move around. When the music stops, all the children run to one of the four corners. A pre-chosen “captain” who is blindfolded says one of the four yoga poses. All the children standing in the corner doing that yoga pose, will skip the next turn. NB: I dont love having winners or losers so I prefer to have them just skip a turn and then they can continue playing.
7) 1 pose per day - Select a new pose every day for one week. By the end of the week, you will have learned 7 new poses. Create a yoga flow with those 7 poses.
8) Partner pose challenge - Turn individual poses into partner poses. How can one pose be done by two together, maybe even three people together?
9) Yoga pose craft - Turn pipe cleaners and beads or paddlepop sticks and pom poms into your favourite yoga poses.
10) Spell your name - If you have an Alphabet Yoga Card deck (e.g Enchanted Wonders), find then cards with the letters of your name and do the sequence.
11) Memory game - Choose 5 cards (more or less depending on age of children). Show the children the cards, ask them to memorise the cards, then ask them to cover their eyes. Take one card away without them seeing the card, then ask the children to open their eyes, work out which card has been taken away and demonstrate it by doing the yoga pose that is no longer there. Add more cards to make it harder.
12) Describe the yoga pose - One person chooses a yoga card and without showing the rest of the group the yoga card, they have to describe how to get into the yoga pose with words only. They cannot say the name of the pose in the description or do the yoga pose either. Can the group correctly guess the name of the yoga pose?
13) Make up a story - Each person chooses a yoga card. Take turns, making up a sentence related to the yoga pose and create a fun story. For example the cards chosen are turtle, bird/warrior 3, and tree . Once upon a time, Timmy the turtle (do turtle pose) went out for a walk. He bumped into Margot the bird (do warrior 3)who was eating his lunch. Timmy the turtle (do turtle pose) wanted to climb up to the top tree (do tree pose) … etc.
14) 1 pose, many names - Choose a yoga card. Can you think of what else this yoga pose could be? For example, warrior 2 could also be a surfer pose, a superhero; bow pose could be a basket or a sailing swan. A fantastic way to spark their imaginations and creativity.
15) Memory Flow game - The first person does a yoga pose (pick a card). The second person does that first pose and then picks a card and adds it to the first pose. The next person does the first and second pose and then picks up a card to add to the sequence. Play continues as long as you like! Try to memorise all the poses without looking at the cards.
16) Spin the bottle - Place the yoga cards in a circle with a bottle or spinner in the middle. The children take turns to spin and see which card it lands on, then everybody does the yoga pose together.
Hope you enjoy exploring these ideas and games. I am sure there are many more ways you can use yoga cards, have fun with it and experiment!
If you have the My Yoga Playground Rainbow Chakra Yoga & Mindfulness cards, be sure to check out the 7 games included in the information cards at the start of the deck. Keen to get the cards? Check it out here.
Also, for other kids yoga games - check out the Printable Kids Yoga Games here.
Any questions, get in touch via email hello@myyogaplayground.com.au
Catherine x