Explore food, recipes, measuring and so much more with our many manipulation, role play, and early science activities. This theme will help you create a special restaurant within your daycare!

Themes & Activities

Theme - Archives

Yoga
(Open thematic poster-Yoga)

CIRCLE TIME

Display pictures of various yoga postures on the walls of the daycare. Each morning, during circle time, invite children to take turns selecting a posture for the group to perform.

AREA SETUP

Prepare a yoga corner with mats and towels on the floor to attract children's attention. They will most likely ask questions. Change your lighting by adding colourful light bulbs to encourage relaxation. Play soft music to help children relax.

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with your group. Use them to decorate your daycare or a thematic corner. (Open picture game-Yoga) Print, laminate, and store in a "Ziploc" bag or in your thematic bin.

WRITING ACTIVITY

(Open writing activities-Y like yoga) Print for each child or laminate for use with a dry-erase marker.

ACTIVITY SHEET

(Open activity sheets-Yoga) Activity sheets are suggested for each theme. Print and follow instructions.

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

Word flashcards

The flashcards may be used to spark a conversation with your group, in your reading and writing area, or to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-Yoga) yoga, sun, mat, relaxation, stretching, exercise, posture, breathe, salute, thank, teacher, rest

Sequential story
(Open sequential stories-Yoga) Print, laminate, and cut out the illustrations. Children must place the illustrations in the correct order to recreate the story.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Perpetual calendar-Yoga day
(Open perpetual calendar-Yoga day) Print and add the day, date, and month. Ask parents to dress children in comfortable clothing. Place towels or exercise mats on the floor. Enjoy as many activities as possible on the mats, even lunch and snacks!

Sun salutation

(Open poster-Sun salutation) Print, laminate, and display. The sun salutation is a series of twelve postures which are to be done slowly, while breathing in and breathing out. There are several short videos available on Google if you want to see the different postures.

Exhale. Stand, feet together, with the palms of your hands against your chest in a prayer-like position.
Inhale. Stretch your arms up towards the sky and stretch backwards, pushing your hips forward.
Exhale. Bend forward, placing the palms of your hands on the floor.
Inhale. Place one foot behind you, with your knee on the floor. Arch your back, raise your chin, and look up at the sky.
Hold your breath. Place the opposite leg behind you. Your weight is distributed on your hands and toes. Your body must form a straight line. Look at the floor, between your hands.
Exhale. Place your knees, chest, and trunk on the floor.
Inhale. Lower your hips, with the top of your feet against the floor, and arch your body towards the back. Keep your legs together and your shoulders low. Look up and back.
Exhale. Turn your toes inwards, raise your hips so your body looks like an upside down "V". Push your heels and head against the floor, keeping your shoulders back.
Inhale. Place one foot between your hands. The other knee remains on the floor, look up towards the sky.
Exhale. Bring your other leg forward and bend your body, from the waist, with the palms of your hands against the floor.
Inhale. Stretch your arms up towards the sky and stretch backwards, pushing your hips forward.
Stand. Exhale. Slowly return to a vertical position and place your hands on either side of your body.

Yin-yang
The yin-yang symbol represents balance. Have children walk while balancing an object on their head.

Yoga massage
Each child finds a partner. Deposit mats on the floor. One child lies on his stomach on the mat. The other child gently massages his back with a small ball. Play calm, quiet music.

My stomach is a wave
Ask children to find a small toy and to lie down on their back. Once all the children are lying down, ask them to place their toy on their stomach. Invite children to breathe in and out, drawing their attention to how their stomach is filled with air and then emptied like a balloon which inflates and deflates. The toy will make it easier for children to see the wave-like movement breathing causes.

Animal yoga
(Open postures-Animal yoga) Print, laminate, and display. Several yoga or relaxation postures for children refer to animals. Include these postures in your routine.

Body parts die
(Open die-Yoga) Print and laminate. Use a large cardboard box to make a giant die. Glue one body part on each side of the box. Children take turns rolling the die. They must execute a stretching exercise or movement which involves the body part shown on the die. For example, if the die lands on the head, the child could rotate his head.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Whenever the weather allows it, even in winter, enjoy your yoga session outdoors. The fresh air will provide additional relaxation.

The cobra: Children lie on their stomach, legs straight, and feet together. Have them take a big breath and push on their hands to raise their upper body, keeping their pelvis against the floor. Hold the position for 10 seconds, release.

The bird: Children begin in a crouching position, with their arms stretched outwards. Slowly, they move towards a standing position while gently flapping their arms as if they were wings.

The cat: Children are on their hands and knees. The cat raises its head to stretch its neck, curves its back, etc.

The lion: Children are on their hands and knees. Simply ask them to raise their head to stretch their neck as much as they can and roar as loudly as possible. Children will love this exercise. The lion's roar releases tension.

The walking dog: Children stand and lean forward to press their hands against the floor (the body forms a triangle). Children move about in this position.

The pretzel: Children sit on their mat or towel with their legs criss-cross. Ask them to place their feet over their knees and sway gently.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Magnifying glass game
(Open magnifying glass game-Yoga) Print and laminate the board game and the cards. Cut them out and store them in a box or in a Ziploc bag. Children pick a card and search for the item on the board game, using a magnifying glass. Once they have found the item, they deposit it in the correct square, on the board game.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Relaxation
Place a blanket on the floor. Ask children to lie on their back and relax. Invite them to think about activities they would like to do with their family or friends, etc. Afterwards, ask children to name the activities they daydreamed about.

My yoga sculpture
Children work with a partner. One child becomes the sculptor and the other, the "sculpted". The sculptor places his partner in various poses by moving his arms, legs, head, etc.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

My imaginary recipe
Children stand around a table. As a group, mime various actions involved when, for example, baking a cake. You must find a bag of flour, deposit the flour in a bowl, break an egg, stir with a spoon, etc. This activity will help children develop their laterality and make them aware of their body.

EARLY SCIENCE

Balance
Balance is a very important part of various yoga techniques. Try various balance tests to help children realize how skilful they are.

Are children able to stand on their right leg? Left leg?
Are children able to walk on a balance beam?
Are children able to walk with a book on their head?

I am learning to exhale
Give each child a glass of water and a drinking straw. Children will have fun exhaling into the straw and making bubbles in the water.

ARTS & CRAFTS

My favourite posture
Provide a large quantity of coffee sticks and drinking straws. Ask children to represent their favourite posture by creating a character.

Abstract yin-yang
Yin-yang-symbol (Open Yin-yang symbol) Print and display. Yin and yang are two very important symbols in yoga. They represent black and white. Ask children to draw on a piece of black construction paper using a white crayon and on a piece of white construction paper using a black crayon.

My mandalas
(Open mandalas-Yoga) Print several copies. Mandalas are often associated with yoga since they help us focus on ourselves and evacuate stress. Invite children to choose a mandala and give them plenty of time to fill it with color. Color a mandala yourself to help younger children understand the method.

COLORING PAGES

Creative coloring
(Open creative coloring-Yoga) Print for each child. Ask children to draw their favourite yoga posture.

Coloring pages
(Open coloring pages theme-Yoga) Print for each child.

SONGS & RHYMES

Sun salutation

by: Patricia Morrison

sung to: Are you sleeping?

Yoga is fun
Yoga is fun
Try this pose
Try this pose
The sun salutation
The sun salutation
Just breathe in
Then breathe out

Have nice day!

Educatall team

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