The Yoga Adventure for Children: Playing, Dancing, Moving, Breathing, Relaxing (Smartfun Books) [Library Binding]

Helen Purperhart (Author), Barbara van Amelsfort (Illustrator), Amina Marix Evans (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 2008 | Series: Smartfun Books

The Yoga Adventure for Children is an illustrated manual for teachers at primary schools and yoga teachers who wish to create children's classes. Featuring 80 drawings of poses, the book playfully acquaints children with yoga stretches and postures and the philosophy behind the practice. Blending yoga, play, dance, music, drama, and drawing, the book requires very little preparation before use. Parents too can share The Yoga Adventure for Children with their child at home. Practicing yoga together offers an opportunity to both parents and the child to laugh, play, and have fun together.

Many yoga positions are inspired by animals and stimulate suppleness and strength, and all aspects of yoga are included in the games: relaxation, breathing, concentration, meditation, self-awareness, and visualization. Concepts like karma, chakra, and the elements are explained and developed without too much confusing detail. The games in this book can also be used to increase children's concentration and self-esteem, and to stimulate them to express more creativity, imagination, and better social skills.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Have you ever practiced yoga? Yoga has been around for many years. Many grownups have practiced yoga to calm their emotions and increase physical strength. Helen Purpehart has created a book which focuses on children doing yoga as a way to gain self-confidence, coordination and flexibility.

The Yoga Adventure for Children is a valuable resource. There are many pages of yoga exercises for kids to try. Each exercise is illustrated with step-by-step instructions. There are many childf riendly stories included to help the older children with the concepts presented. Kids of all ages will enjoy the many yoga exercises in this book. Teachers may even use this as a manual to assist them in introducing yoga to their classrooms.

I found many of these exercises to relax me. I tend to get nervous when taking tests. Maybe I will be able to use some of the techniques presented in this book to calm me down and receive a better grade. There are so many games in this book both for small groups and larger ones. There are also many stretching exercises which can help me become more flexible before competing as part of a sports team at school.

Note from Brianne's mother: Brianne loved The Yoga Adventure for Children. She is always looking for new ways to play and new ways to relax in stressful situations. I could see her using this book both for herself now and throughout her growing into adult years. - Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 10) for Reader Views

I work with children. I am a paraprofessional in a special needs school, and was very excited to read this book, to see if there might be anything I could use with our kids.

One of the things that I noticed right away is how many of the games and exercises were done in groups or pairs. This is fantastic in my opinion! It seems to me that these days kids are more isolated than in the past. I am not sure what it is, but I rarely see little girls walking and holding hands or boys roughhousing. Fighting yes, just roughhousing, no. I also have noted that most parents do not hold their children’s hands any more. This is very sad in my opinion, as touch in and of its own is healing. Touch during play is a good thing!

So, I was very pleased to find that there were things that there were games where the kids held hands or leaned back against each other. I believe this helps to build co-operation and understanding.

There are also plenty of games where it is individuals alone. My favorite is Sun Salutations! It incorporates many basic yoga positions, and it will be a lot of fun for the kids. The Mountain is a close runner up. I can just see the kids enjoying those games, and having fun.

The relaxation exercises are ideal as well. Sometimes kids, as well as adults, need to just let it go and breathe. This book gives several examples of how to do this.

I will not be able to use many of these games with my special needs classroom. We have a low functioning group and the understanding is not there in some cases, and the physical abilities are not there in others. My niece is a preschool teacher in a daycare facility, as well as being Assistant Director. She is very excited about trying many of these games with her class! I had a hard time holding onto the book long enough to finish reading it before passing it on. She is thinking that if it works out she can suggest it for other sites in the corporate system she works in.

This book would also be great fun for any family with young or even not so young kids. I raised four kids of my own, and know how valuable that together time is, and there are many fun suggestions here. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has young ones in their life. - Kathleen Wagner, LibraryThing Early Reviewer

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 130 pages
• Publisher: Paw Prints 2008-05-09 (May 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1435275853
• ISBN-13: 978-1435275850
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,173,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a Yoga Person, November 22, 2007

By 

R. Stutz (Small Town Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Yoga Adventure for Children: Playing, Dancing, Moving, Breathing, Relaxing (Smartfun Books) (Paperback)

"The Yoga Adventure for Children" by Helen Purperhart

I thought this book would help me get some new ideas of movement to do with kids. I am not a "yoga" person. It is not my cup of tea (herbal or black!) So the sections on the five abstinences, five precepts, and which chakra the movement works on were lost on me.

What I did like was the easy to read and understanding Icons at the top of each page telling the reader what age group the movement was good for, size of group needed, and if a large space or props were needed. I also liked the simple drawings that illustrated the moves for me (as a non-yoga person this was really appreciated.) As someone that works with kids, I loved the imitating animals and adventures in the forest sections the most. My kids enjoyed the new movements, role playing and experiencing something new.

I think this would be a great book for someone that loves yoga and wants to know how they can share that love with their children. I know it is a good book for people who are NOT into yoga and still want to share new concepts and movements with young children.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars After Barbar, November 6, 2007

By 

N. Gjuka - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Yoga Adventure for Children: Playing, Dancing, Moving, Breathing, Relaxing (Smartfun Books) (Paperback)

Barbar's Yoga For Elephants is great fun, but The Yoga Adventure for Children offers much more. Many more poses carefully described, advice for teachers and parents, and activities designed to engage children. Many poses are given animal names - lion, eagle, crab, penguin. My five year old granddaughter immediately grabbed the book and followed the illustrations.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yoga can be a springboard for self-discovery, October 7, 2007

By 

Jenny J.J.I. "A New Yorker" (That Lives in Carolinas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Yoga Adventure for Children: Playing, Dancing, Moving, Breathing, Relaxing (Smartfun Books) (Paperback)

Physical activity is natural to children and vital for their healthy development. But in today's mechanized society--with TV, computer games and competitive sports--it is becoming difficult for some children to get the exercise they need in a natural, healthy, and enjoyable way. Being that I enjoy yoga so much there are times when my kids would join in and quickly become frustrated and strain ness with some of the positions that they put themselves. So this little book have made there little lives a whole lot easier.

Beside this, Can you think of an activity that promotes concentration, motor skill development and self-confidence for kids? And, is fun and healthy for kids and adults to enjoy together? It's "Yoga Adventure," Why do I feel like (I'm in a infomercial) you can learn how to get kids interested and started in yoga, teach them how to stretch, concentrate and express creativity using their mind and body. This book is full of various stretching exercises, poses and activities for adults and kids to enjoy together or individually. Kids will love to use their imagination to pose as a tree, a camel, from caterpillar to butterfly and many others! "Yoga Adventure" provides simple exercises and games you and your children can do together that can help your kids.

The poses emphasize coordination, flexibility, strength, and good posture, while increasing concentration and body awareness. Yoga promotes self-esteem and the development of inner joy and peace for all children, but especially those with physical, emotional, or developmental disabilities. Parents, childcare workers, and healthcare workers will find this book perfect for introducing a fun new form of fitness to children as well as a meaningful group activity.

These exercises are suitable for kids from age four and up--no matter what their physical abilities are, Yoga adventure is a safe, healthy, and fun way for families to exercise, play, and grow together. My own kids learned the positions fairly easily. They are 6 and 8 years old. My daughter enjoys doing the cobra, shark, owl, elephant and the flower meditation. And my son takes well with the circles, teddy breathing, eagle, walk in the woods and balloon meditation. They really enjoy imitating animals through out the whole session which is a great way to not only stretch but also reflect. Highly recommended.