Leading yoga for kids at a community event is a fun challenge! If you plan your space well, you will find that you have one of the busiest booths at the event. The trick is to focus on highly engaging activities that are easy for kids to flow in and out of, and that appeal to a wide age range. These ideas will work with children approximately 3-8 years old, but may go up or down a bit, depending on the individual children and the event.
Activities to Include
When you are in the planning stages of your event, here are some great activities to think about bringing along:
- Books: Children love story time, and will always be drawn to someone who is reading to them. Books are easy to incorporate, because they generally last under 10 minutes, and are easy for kids to flow in and out of as they move around the event. You can easily find all of the books on our website at your local library!
- Hula Hoops: Hula hoops make for an interactive option at your booth that will burn off some extra energy! Hoop Hopping offers several ways to incorporate yoga with hula hoops, that are easy to adjust to the age of the child. You can also lay out yoga cards next to each hoop, or let the kids make up their own jumping game.
- Pom poms: If kids are in a space they can remove their shoes, or if it’s summertime and most kids are in sandals, this activity is a blast! You can sprinkle the pom poms around the yoga mats and put a collection bowl in the middle. Toega offers several ways to theme this activity.
- Coloring pages: Art of any kind appeals to most children. Printouts of mandalas or other mindfulness sheets are a way to incorporate calmness into your space. Most dollar stores offer crayons or colored pencils, and we have several child-friendly mandalas you can bring with you.
Setting up Your Space
If possible, create a yoga circle with about 6 yoga mats. Remain flexible – it’s highly likely that kids will rearrange them, or that your neighboring booths will feel a little crowded. You may need to get creative with your layout.
Lay books out where kids can see them, but that they are still in your control. A nice spread on the floor usually works well. This allows children to easily see the books, and make a request. Engagement is important!
Tables work best if they are set up to the side. Here, you can spread out your coloring sheets and colored pencils. Allow children and parents to have free access to these.
Advertising Your Services
We all love to share yoga with kids, but we also want to build our businesses. That’s what these events are designed to do!
- If you have a class schedule, bring it along and post it where parents can see it. Make sure the schedule includes important information like location, age range, and cost.
- People love a good deal – and community events are a great place to offer one. Coupons that offer a discount for siblings or friends are a popular way to build your class sizes. Put those on the art table or attach them to the coloring sheets.
- Engage with everyone! Keep kids active with your activities, and mingle with parents. Personal connections will be your best source of new business.