Primary kiddos LOVE to wiggle and move, and adding purposeful movement with Primary Yoga is a great way to help focus the movement in a positive way! Today, I’ll share with you lots of ideas for how to use yoga pose position cards in Primary.
I’ve created a set of 24 different pose cards that will give you lots of flexibility to help you pick out movements that match the lyrics and create a movement pattern to help the children control their little bodies while singing through the song lots of times in a fun way!
How to Use Yoga Poses in Singing Time
Yoga can be SO fun to use in Primary, but you may be wondering how do you incorporate yoga into teaching a song? Here’s my tips and ideas to help you make it work it in for a fun activity while still focusing on the song.
How to Use:
Sing through your song selection once, before introducing the yoga poses.
Move into your first yoga pose and sing through the first line of the song. Ask the children: Did you see the way I was standing? Today we’re going to do some yoga! Can you stand just like me? This position is called ____.
Put the first yoga pose position card up on the board. Help the children get into position and sing through the first line of the song together.
Pull out the next yoga card and show the position. Ask the children if they can move into the next position. Try to look just like this pose! While they’re doing their best to recreate the pose, you’ll move into the pose as well to help demonstrate the next position and explain as you do how to hold the pose. Sing through the second line of the song with the pose.
That was great – and you held your pose so well! Let’s sing that line one more time then start from the beginning! Repeat the 2nd line one more time. Then start from the beginning and the first pose and transition to the 2nd pose for the second line of the song.
Continue to build up your song adding or repeating poses in your sequence.
I have lots of additional ideas for using the cards below in various ways. Plus, you can use these couple of fun lesson plans for a specific song to help you dive in even further with ideas for incorporating the poses and even fun extension ideas!
Example Lesson Plans:
- Jesus Once Was a Little Child Yoga Poses
- Faith Summer Sports (Olympics) Yoga Cards
- Teach Me to Walk in the Light Winter Sports (Olympics) Yoga Cards
Primary Yoga Questions & Answers
Why use Yoga in Primary?
Kids thrive with the opportunity to move! Some kids specifically learn best with movement and yoga can be a wonderful way to add purposeful movement while singing through the song a bunch of times.
Yoga can be a wonderful mindful practice that helps the children slow down and feel more centered. Yoga actually has a spiritual connection aspect to it! It’s okay to not be too serious every week and break down some walls and just get moving!
How do I have enough space?
I have my Primary children spread out in their rows so they are fingertips distance apart. Many will still stay between the chairs, but that will use up space on the right and left side, back of the room, aisle, and front of the room.
In a really large Primary or if you have an extra-small Primary room, try chair yoga! Pick out poses and have the children help you adapt them to their best recreation while in their seat!! Don’t worry, the kids will think it’s funny and fun to try a forward fold while sitting or downward dog leaned over in their chair.
I’m worried about modesty + yoga!
As the Primary Music Leader, my go-to outfit is a maxi dress. They are SUPER comfortable, stretchy, lightweight, and cover everything!
I have this Maxi Dress with short sleeves in a few colors and LOVE it! And, I’ve purchased this long sleeve Maxi dress before as my temple dress (in white of course) and it’s fantastic including pockets! It would also be great in one of the cute colors or patterns.
As for the girls, MOST of these poses you can easily tuck a skirt or dress so that it covers everything just fine! Let the Primary children know they can absolutely modify any poses they feel uncomfortable with. That might look like going down to your knees instead of up on a flat foot for some positions.
Ideas for Using Yoga Poses Position Cards
You can use these printable yoga position cards to easily come up with a specific movement sequence to match the song you’re working! Here’s a few ideas to help you make the most of these cards.
– Line-by-Line: Pick a pose to use for 1-2 lines of the song. You don’t want to transition between poses too quickly, but this plan will let you add variety with 3-6 poses per song.
– Verse & Chorus: Sing through one entire verse or chorus by holding the pose. This method would work great for reviewing an entire song or with shorter songs that transition to the chorus quickly.
– Keyword Poses: Pick out 2-4 keywords that repeat throughout the song. They don’t have to be an exact word, but could be a concept such as references to self (I, me, my, our, you). Start with one pose and when the keyword is mentioned it’s a trigger to switch poses! You’ll make your way through different poses with a really unique and fun transition that helps them focus on the song lyrics!
– Random Selection: Shuffle and randomly select a few yoga poses cards or come up with a custom pattern on the fly. Let the kids help you pick out ones to use and post them up on the board to help everyone follow along! Pick 4-5 patterns and use one per stanza, then repeat!
– Class Patterns: Try splitting your Primary into smaller groups and let each group make a pattern or sequence! Then, they can present their version and let the rest of the group follow along.
How to Incorporate the Primary Yoga Pose Cards
There are lots of different ways you can use the Primary Yoga Position Cards. Here are a few of my favorite, but you can also adapt and use them in whatever way works best for you!
– One at a Time: Introduce one pose at a time, and use it through the whole song (or for your specific word/phrase). Add the position card to the board as you introduce the movement, or after when you’re ready to add an additional position to your activity.
– Using a Yoga Flow: Create a sequence or positions that move from one to the next in a way that flow together. You don’t have to map out the entire song with unique patterns, you can simply pick 3-5 positions, then repeat them in sequence.
– A Complete Pattern: Post all of the position cards to create your unique sequence on the whiteboard. You can add any important notes on the whiteboard below it, like maybe the first word as a trigger of when to switch or a simple note like x2 to remind the kids this action will be repeated for 2 stanzas instead of just one.
– Use the Contact Sheet for Planning: Create and plan out a movement plan quickly and easily looking at the contact sheet! It makes it a cinch to listen to the music and plan out a pattern in just minutes with this helpful overview sheet!
– Have the Kids Pick: Bring the Yoga Pose position cards with you to Primary, and have the kids pick from the options! Slowly build out a sequence, adding more as you go, or start with a whole series, then pick out a new set!
– An Adaptable Pattern: Start with a prepared pattern to use. Then, after a few times through the song and some practice with holding the positions, let the Primary children help you pick a new Yoga pose, and swap it into one of the other positions’ spots. Can they keep up with the new twist? Having the cards handy will help them come up with ideas easily!
I store all the full size cards in sheet protectors in a 2″ binder! Works perfectly! I stash the 1/4 sheet size in with all my instruments and other supplies.
Yoga Pose Position Cards
The yoga pose position cards come with two sizes in each download! You can choose to print the large or the 1/4 sheet size — or just print the contact sheet for reference when planning an action sequence!
The 1/4 sheet size has 4 different yoga position cards per printed page. This is perfect if you need to conserve ink or you have a small Primary group. It’s also really great for those that want to use the cards for smaller group settings, like one of the activity ideas we suggested above!
If you have a large Primary or just love to have big printables that make it really easy for everyone to see – you can instead print the full-page Yoga Pose Position cards.
The larger sized Yoga Poses cards are also really great if you want to just print the couple of cards you want to use of any particular lesson plan! Of course, your purchase includes both, so you can print both sets, if you decide to!
The Yoga Pose card set includes 24 different yoga positions to try and have fun with as you add in movement into your singing time!
The printable cards set also includes a contact sheet. That’s a 1-page cheat sheet look at all 24 yoga poses to quickly and easily planning a fun sequence for ANY song! Plus, an explanation sheet to help you understand each different position.
Get the Yoga Pose Position Cards
The Yoga Pose Position Cards are available for $7 through our digital cart. The purchase includes the large, quarter-page, and contact page printables you’ll have everything you need to get started making your own Yoga flows! Items are also available for purchase on my Etsy shop.
Keep in mind — email subscribers can save 15% off any purchase! You can subscribe right in my sidebar to get that promo code and save on your purchase.
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What other fun ways could you use these printable yoga position cards?
