Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers and Preschoolers (& Moms!)

I recently received an advance copy of Helen Garabedian’s book Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers and Preschoolers with my kids. We really enjoyed the 8 minute routines, especially my four year old. If you and your child don’t enjoy this yoga collection, I’ll personally post a photo of myself in Downward Dog with my toddler hanging on my leg. It isn’t pretty, so get this book instead.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers and Preschoolers is written in clear, precise terms. It has photos of all the poses done by a parent and a child, so variations are clearly visible. Garabedian gives very specific instructions for how to help you and your child move into the poses. Ten different routines are presented pose by pose:

• Wake n’ Stretch Yoga (our favorite)
• Patience Please Yoga
• Run, Rock n’ Roll Yoga
• Building Balance Yoga
• Tantrum Taming Yoga
• Strong n’ Sweet Yoga
• Coordinated n’ Confident Yoga
• Quiet Time Yoga
• Blissful Bedtime Yoga
• Super-Duper Yoga

You don’t need to have any yoga knowledge to do the poses, although since I have yoga experience I think it probably helped. The poses are the basic poses like Cat, Cow, Cobra, Warrior and Mountain, as well as variations designed specifically for children like Silly Spins, March Around the Zoo and Yogi Yogi Feet. All of my children like to do the yoga routines, but I suggest being very careful if you try to do them with children under the age of two. My 17-month old thinks getting down on the floor is an invitation to wrestle or to nurse, and yoga is tough if you have a whiny toddler hanging on your leg or back.

Garabadian touts the benefits of yoga for toddlers as being fewer tantrums, better sleep, improved digestion, higher self-esteem, increased listening skills, better self-expression, improved gross and fine motor development, easier relaxation plus a healthy and physically fit lifestyle. I haven’t necessarily seen much improvement in all of these areas, especially the tantrums, but it does encourage a healthier lifestyle and it’s fun.

Written by Mary, who is a thirty-something SAHM of four under the age of eight. She is a lousy housekeeper, a voracious reader, and dabbles in art and music in various forms. She blogs to maintain her writing skills and her sanity in The Fish Pond.