Most teachers don’t have an hour to spare. They have ten minutes, usually just after lunch, with some of the class still charging round the room and the rest slumped over their desks. A bit of yoga-style movement fits right there.
Dubai classes are usually mixed. Plenty of children come from other countries and are still picking up English. Movement needs no translation. A child who joined last week can copy a cat stretch as well as anyone who’s been there since September.
Why bother with movement?
Small children can’t sit still for long. That isn’t a behaviour problem, it’s how they’re built. Five minutes of stretching does more for a restless room than asking them to sit up for the fourth time. June to September makes it more useful still. Break time often moves indoors because of the heat, so the running has to happen somewhere.
Thinking about school yoga Dubai options? Pick something that fits the timetable you already have, because nobody is going to give up maths for it.
Four things to try tomorrow
The Growing Tree. Everyone stands with their feet flat and raises their arms slowly, like branches. Older ones can lift a leg if there’s a wall nearby. Expect some wobbling, and let it happen.
The Sleepy Cat. Down on hands and knees (check the floor first). Round the back, wake up like a cat, then flop. It fits well with a story about animals getting ready for the day.
Butterfly Wings. Sit with the soles of your feet touching and flap your knees up and down. Don’t push. If it hurts, stop.
Smell the flower, blow the candle. Children pretend to hold a flower, breathe in through the nose, then blow out slowly as if there’s a birthday candle in front of them. No counting, no breath-holding. Do it twice, maybe three times before story time. It calms some children and does nothing for others, and that’s fine. It’s a routine for the room, and it isn’t a treatment for anxiety or behaviour problems.
Nursery groups: let the story do the work
Toddlers can’t hold a pose, so don’t ask them to. In a good nursery yoga Dubai session the story carries everything. Take a farm: first everyone’s a cow, then a butterfly, then a tree in the wind. Nobody’s being marked on form.
Ten to twenty minutes is enough for most nursery groups, and a sensible leader will stop early if the room has gone. Some children copy every move. Others watch for five minutes first. Both are fine.
Turning a story into a session
Give the movement a plot and the class follows it. A walk through an enchanted garden works well: everyone grows into a tall tree, shrinks into a frog by the pond, flaps off as a bird, and the session ends with everyone seated for a quiet story about getting home. Pick whatever the class is already studying, whether that’s animals, seasons or habitats, and the story ties in with it. For younger groups, keep the words simple.
Not every child wants the front row
Some children will run to the front and show everyone. Others would rather stay behind the teacher. So skip the solo demonstrations and give them a smaller job, like picking the next animal or deciding what happens in the story. Children with mobility needs can do seated or supported versions, and most children relax once they work out nobody is marking their form.
The party version
Take away the classroom and the same ideas work at a yoga birthday party: a story, some animals, a few balance games. The difference is that nobody is teaching anything. Families who find competitive party games a bit much often like it. Whatever the setting, the activities need to suit the children’s ages and the room you’ve got.
What to ask before you book a provider
• Who’s running the session, and what’s their experience with children?
• What safeguarding procedures and background checks do they have?
• What ages is it designed for? A programme built for eight-year-olds won’t work on three-year-olds.
• Does it need a hall, or will a classroom do?
• Can they adapt it for children with physical, developmental or sensory needs?
• Is this a one-off celebration, a movement break or part of a wider wellbeing plan?
• Will they follow your school’s own safety policies?
Where YogaBears fits
YogaBears was created by Estelle McCluskie, who has worked in children’s health, wellbeing and education for more than 20 years. Seven chakra bear characters run through the programme, and children follow them through stories and movement. Its teacher training, according to the company’s materials, includes a safeguarding module and covers working with children who have additional needs. YogaBears goes into schools and nurseries as well as birthday parties.
FAQs
At what age can children start?
Toddler age, as long as it’s songs, animal movements and short games with an adult watching.
Do schools need special equipment?
Hardly any. A clear patch of floor does most of the job, and it’s worth asking whether the provider brings mats.
How long should a nursery session last?
About ten to twenty minutes. If the children have lost interest at twelve, a good instructor will stop.
Can a school book a workshop for a special occasion?
Yes. Wellbeing days, themed weeks and activity days all work, depending on the provider’s programme and availability.
Estelle McCluskie is the founder of YogaBears. She has worked in children’s health, wellbeing and education for more than 20 years, and her team brings yoga sessions to schools and nurseries and runs yoga birthday parties in Dubai.
