The Yoga Adventure for Children: Playing, Dancing, Moving, Breathing, Relaxing

By Helen Purperhart and Barbra Von Amelsfort

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter House
• Release date: Jun 4, 2007
• ISBN: 9780897935487

Reviews for The Yoga Adventure for Children

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A very good book - for someone who knows yoga and is familiar with the postures, and wants to teach a class to children. The descriptions of the postures are sometimes a bit sketchy - as in, I who have done yoga occasionally don't know what the heck it wants me to do! It is designed for quite young children, especially the stories (guided visualization) - the oldest group suggested is up to 12 years old (and the youngest, as young as 4). Personally I think the stories would have annoyed me, as either pointless or pushing an agenda, by the time I was 12 - but every child is different. The postures and games look interesting, and I can see how some kids would have a lot of fun with the ideas presented. Personally, I find the presentation of crystal beliefs and chakras a little annoying (as in pushing an agenda); there is a mention near the beginning that you don't have to use the spiritual parts if you don't want to, though. I rather like the information about the five Abstinences and Precepts. Overall - not particularly interesting or useful to me, could be very good for someone who wants to teach a class to kids and wants some suggestions on themes and notions. I still have no idea why I got it...maybe the ER algorithm needed some tweaking back then. I certainly needed some tweaking to get my ER review done!

[florilegio-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book of yoga practices for children is well-organized and easy to use. Unfortunately my four-year-old daughter found it difficult to do any of the stretching poses that were outside of her age range, leaving us with few useful exercises. This seems like it would be an appropriate book for an educator looking to incorporate stretches and imaginative visualization practices into quiet times.

[doowatt34 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful book...filled with yoga stretching excersizes for children but adults can do them too. I practiced some of the moves with my grandbaby and they are not as easy as they look for someone who does not stretch everyday. However my grandbaby was in rare form as she had no problems moving into the required positions for the different movements. She absolutely loves the various positions and I have no problems getting her to practice. Very good information and lots of fun!!!

[sarahbrassard · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My daughters are younger than the recommended age for this book, but we're having fun with it anyway! My toddler really likes to pretend she's an animal, so I show her how to do the various poses and we make the appropriate sounds, while my baby watches. We took a parent and baby yoga class last year, and this book is a great way to build on that foundation together. The format is really user friendly - quick and easy to look up poses or read for more information. It would be really nice if it was spiral bound, so that it stayed open while you were using it.

[smsuchy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Looking for a curriculum to teach youngsters yoga? Here is an excellent guide for you to use for children aged 4 to 12. Exercises are targeted for specific age groups but most are appropriate for any child. Besides exercises, this book offers clever illustrations of animal named exercises, art activities, and stories that illustrate the principles of karma, non-violence and self-discipline.

[cotto_18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My childrens' new favorite pass time. At least this has pulled them away from the TV for awhile! The book is simply written and the pictures are fun. My 8 year old likes to help my 4 year old do the exercises. This book has helped my promote health and exercise in my home.

[mindfulone_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a clever little book. It's simply written so that even a child can read and implement the instructions, and the drawings of poses are helpful. I also like organization of information. There are sections for breathing, yoga, visualization, etc. At the end of the book is a handy index showing which exercises and games require props and which don't. The only device that isn't as helpful and I found confusing was the way the exercises are identified by age group. The icons representing the four different groups look too similar, making it difficult to remember if it means the age group for ages 4-8, 4-12, 6-12, or 8-12. On the whole it's a useful guide for teachers, parents, kids, and childcare providers.