Creative Yoga Games for Kids, by Edna Reinhardt
Boxed Set of 48 Activity Cards & 28-page Introduction Leaflet
Suitable for children aged 4 and older
Card Size: approximately 13 x 13 cm
Card Set Description:
This card set (with class notes for primary school teachers) has been adopted by parents, teachers and health professionals in Australia, U.S.A, U.K and New Zealand. The cards are also popular in early childhood settings. Please see the review in Ausdance Victoria's '
Kinesis' magazine below, or
here. (Clicking will take you to Kinesis Magazine's website.)
Creative Yoga Games for Kids consists of 48 beautifully designed cards and a 28 page booklet guide of group and individual games, suggestions and explanations. The cards are divided into eight sequences of yoga postures with easy to follow instructions. There are five or six cards to each sequence.
Education through enjoyment is a consistent thread that runs through the style of teaching that Edna Reinhardt has advocated for over 30 years. Children love the challenges that are inherent in these games and exercises. For children it is just good fun, but in the longer term it is deeply beneficial - and the enjoyment makes learning easy.
This kit is accessible and inspiring. It can be used by individual children, families and teachers.
Card Sample
(FYI: To compare with the
Yoga Pretzels and
Yoga Planet card sets, these lovely cards use photos of real children, rather than Yoga Ed's fun drawings. Another difference is that the
Yoga Pretzels and
Yoga Planet cards offer step-by-step, detailed drawings and instructions on the reverse side of the card, often also including mental yoga ideas to accompany the suggested pose.
Creative Yoga Games for Kids, however, solely has instructions on the front side of the card, as shown in the Sample, above.)
From the Card Set's Creator, Edna Reinhardt:
"Creative Yoga Games for Kids is a concept that I have developed over some 30 years of teaching at my own studio and in school and early childhood settings. Much of the structure has come from my running training workshops for teachers. The set is also intended for use at home under the guidance of adults, yet it is simple enough for children to initiate their own games.
The boxed set is made up of 48 numbered yoga postures on 130 x 130mm laminated cards and a 28 page booklet. The postures are of varying degrees of difficulty and across an age range from early childhood to pre-teens. It includes a set of class plans for teachers and instructions for activities and games. These include memory games, transition games (creating links between postures) and creative movement, encouraging the link to dance in a natural and simple way."
- Edna Reinhardt, Principal, Over The Moon Dance Studio
About Edna Reinhardt:
Edna Reinhardt is the principal and founder of Over the Moon Studios in Castlemaine Victoria. She studied yoga and creative dance under the highly esteemed educator, Dorothea Mangiamele, at Mangala Studios in Melbourne in the early 1970s.This association profoundly influenced Edna's approach to yoga and dance education.
Edna has been teaching yoga and creative dance to students from 2 to 20 years old since 1975. She is a regular presenter at conferences for early childhood educators, as well as teachers of primary and secondary students in Australia and overseas.
Sharing the fun of yoga and dance, with young people, is an on-going passion.
Reviews:
"I gave this yoga set to my son (10yo) a week ago and he hasn't stopped playing with it. I'm very pleased he's actually choosing to exercise and enjoying the challenges that are presented in these cards. Pros: Easy To Understand, Innovative Ideas, Reliable Information, Rich Resource, Well Written" - Happy Mother from Melbourne (from Play 4 Me)
"I am a classroom teacher, and have recently started using this product with my students. The clear photos are inspiring to young children. The instructions are very clear, and my students ask to play the yoga games every day!!!" - Cass2000 (from Play 4 Me)
From Kinesis Magazine: "A beautifully presented, informative introduction to Yoga for children and adults in a fun learning pack, easy to read, lovely to look at and provides complete understanding. Who knew it was possible?
Edna Reinhardt has created an invaluable resource for our young aspiring artists and movers. She has compacted her skills and experience into a unique carry box, giving teachers and educators the ability to share her insights into the influence that Yoga education can have on the development of young people.
As Edna discovered through her personal and professional life, Yoga discipline, with its focus on the connection between mind and body, can play an integral role in every individual's creativity, which is part of the reasoning in creating a magical journey for young people to also begin learning the importance and loving the challenges of developing a healthy relationship to their body and mind.
The educational package Edna has introduced - Creative Yoga Games for Kids - is a bright, colourful and an energetic approach to teaching and learning.
As teachers and educators, we are able follow a straightforward guide layout that not only informs us of general teaching practices but also gives fourteen extra session games and scheduled class ideas for teaching practices for individuals and groups. They are easy to follow and give wonderful suggestions for bringing Yoga and creative movement into our teaching atmosphere and existing programmes.
Alongside the imaginative session plans, Edna provides 48 gorgeous picture cards demonstrating fun Yoga postures that young people can recognise, attempt and enjoy. The picture cards are presented in a child-friendly, colourful and high gloss way. For teaching practices each card is clearly labelled and completed with detailed explanations on how to present Yoga postures, guiding you through exercises and sequences for strong teaching.
As an added bonus, Edna also gives musical suggestions in her quick-to-read instruction booklet, and guidance on how Yoga teaching can be incorporated and be the foundation of dance and dance classes in your lesson plans. As she explains, once children have developed this strength at an early stage, the possibilities are endless. (Not to mention it is a great way for children to begin leading an active, fun and healthy lifestyle!) Edna's background has led her to utilise another teaching method that children are sure to enjoy: the Yoga postures on the picture cards are performed by the audience themselves, namely young people, all of whom are seemingly capable of performing Yoga at a high standard. With this, children are sure to enjoy the colourful experience of looking through the cards and learning the moves, following with the Yoga sequences as seen performed by people just like them, playing in a social environment and developing flexibility, physical and mental strength and themselves as unique individuals.
The portable boxed pack is aimed at young people in social or independent learning environments, parents, teachers and educators who believe in the importance of creating open learning practices with focus on young peoples' inner strength. Creative Yoga Games for Kids is presented in an easy, detailed guide for teachers to lead young people and young people to enjoy creative movement in a fun learning environment. Edna Reinhardt has created the perfect plans for any teaching session in any class environment, creative Yoga to be incorporated into dance education and learning and shares with us her experience and education practices to further the development of our young models of tomorrow. A highly recommended purchase for any teacher, educator, dance instructor, school curriculum facilitator or parent. It is a wonderful learning experience all youngsters will enjoy."
- Kristin Agnoli, Kinesis Magazine
