Summer: Developmental Positions
Here you will find 3-4 activities in each Developmental Position to support motor development. Children of all ages benefit from the return to these positions for coordination, strength, balance and neurological maturation. Then there are yoga poses in each position to practice. In general these activities go from easier to harder in each developmental position. Don't avoid the easy or the difficult. Modify as needed.
Back
Ball Pass (need 6-8 inch ball)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxSVhuOfjAQ
Air plane rides (need bucket and bean bags, small balls, balloons or balled up socks)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1AL9oBA3ww
Alternating knee taps (need 6-8 inch ball)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhYgbx3j9j0
Feet rolls (need a 6-8 inch ball)
Happy Baby
Do 4 times, hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Bridge Pose
Picture from Namastekids.org
Do 4 times, hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Spine Twist
Picture from Namastekids.org
Do 4 times, hold 20 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Belly
Belly work (stay up on elbows)
Read, watch a video, color, do puzzles, play a game.
Belly Crawl under and over obstacles(chairs, noodle on laundry baskets, tables)
This can be done young and older. I still have late elementary devise different courses to crawl.
On belly over pillows or ball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPAAT-3UgrM
Ball walk outs (adapt as children can off off your lap, off an ottoman or off the couch)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpufjgrLzlU
Cobra
Do 4 times, hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Airplane
Do 4 times, hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
All fours
All fours Bucket fill (make harder and alternate arms, can stack vegetable cans for weight))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwcgvoBayRY
Shoulder taps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f4ghMAB5lk
Pointer Balance (first exercise of video)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BZQrhDp-hMkMJWcGlDN8ttlaD6CgeiYW/view
All fours cross Crawl
Cat/Cow:
Move in and out of each, holding for a breathe in between. Do 10 times.
Dolphin
Do 4 times, hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Downward Dog
Do 4 times, hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Sitting
Sit on a ball for play or reading or TV.
Try these yoga poses and focus on your posture.
Butterfly
Do 4 times, hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Pretzel
Do 4 times (2 times in each direction), hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Turtle
Do 4 times, hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
1/2 Kneel and High kneel
Walk on knees
On the floor, over cushions, up and down hills)
1/2 kneel toss (with or without cushion)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWP3H_4J1LU
1/2 kneel rotations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKRraX3heTM
1/2 kneel walks
Dragon Pose
Picture from Namastekids.org
Do with each leg. Do 4 times, hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Gate Pose
Do 4 times (2 on each side), hold 10 seconds or 5 slow breathes
Standing
Cross Crawls
Balance
Stand on different surfaces during squatting activities. Challenge based on age/ability level.
For example:
Walk the Line
2-4 inches.
Walk forward, sideways, backwards.
Use all differnent patterns.
Wall Ball Roll
With a yoga, roll it to wall and then up the wall keeping it moving in a straight line.
With an 8 in ball, place it at the base of a wall. Squat down and roll it up the wall until it is overhead.
For a challenge use painters tape to make a "path" for the 8 inch ball to follow.