Get ready to stretch, move, and spell! This week in the DharmaKids Yoga Circle, we’re turning our Yoga Alphabet Cards into a playful movement game called Stretch & Spell.
Follow along with our yoga teacher as kiddos use their bodies, imaginations, and yoga poses to work their way through the alphabet. We’ll stretch, balance, breathe, and spell together—making this a fun way to combine movement with early learning.
Before you press play, make sure you have your DharmaKids Yoga Alphabet Cards ready! Then find a little space to move, roll out your mat, and let’s Spell & Stretch!
Recommended Tools:
1. Opening with Namaste
We begin by greeting each other with Namaste, which means:
“The light in me sees the light in you.”
For young children, I explain this as:
We each have something special about us—something we’re really good at, something we enjoy doing, or something we’re learning to do. Examples of this are, jumping high, running fast, drawing, cooking or learning to read. I hold out one hand and say,
“This hand reminds me of something that makes me special.”
Then I talk about how we all do kind things for others—like helping a friend who is sad, putting recycling in the bin, or cleaning up the classroom. I hold out my other hand and say,
“This hand reminds me of all the kind things I do for others.”
When we put our palms together, it shows that we are both special and kind. That is our light. When we begin and end yoga, we honor that light in each other with Namaste.
2. Breathing Practice
We sit criss-cross applesauce and begin to breathe deeply to prepare our minds and bodies for yoga.
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Inhale through the nose like you’re smelling a beautiful flower, hands on our bellies, which get bigger as we breathe in.
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Exhale through the mouth, gently, making our bellies smaller again.
We repeat this three times. To help visualize the breath, we use the Hoberman Sphere, which expands and contracts like our bellies do when we breathe. Children can open the ball slowly or quickly to match their breath. This “breathing ball” is also a useful focusing tool in later poses.
We’re using our DharmaKids Alphabet Yoga Cards to play Spell & Stretch! Follow along as we spell, move, and stretch our way through a fun yoga activity designed to get little bodies moving and minds engaged.
3. Introducing Yoga Memory Match
Show the child(ren) the Alphabet Yoga Cards.
Let them know that we are going to play Yoga Memory Match, a game that uses our bodies and our brains. Choose matching cards from two sets of Alphabet Yoga Cards.
For younger children, begin with a smaller number of pairs. As children become more familiar with the game, add more pairs to make it more challenging.
Shuffle the cards and arrange them face down on the floor.
4. Yoga Memory Match
Yoga Memory match can be played solo or with as many people as possible. Either way, determine how many matches you want, shuffle the cards and place them face down. If playing solo, the child will turn over two cards. If they match, the child leaves them face up, does the pose and continues to look for another match. If the cards do not match, they both get turned back over, and play continues until another match is found.
If playing with multiple people, determine who goes first. That person flips over two cards and sees if they match. If they do, then leave the cards face up and have everyone do the matching yoga pose together. Hold the pose for a few breaths before continuing the game. The next person flips over two new cards. If the cards do not match, turn the cards back over. Everyone should try to remember what they saw and where they saw it, they might need one of those cards later to make a pair. This person’s turn is over and the next player continues. Continue taking turns turning over two cards at a time. Each time a match is found, pause the game and have everyone practice the yoga pose together. Keep playing until all of the matches have been found.
5. Put It All Together
Once all of the matches have been found, look at the yoga poses you discovered and put them together to make your own yoga sequence. Practice each of the matching poses one more time. Move slowly from one pose to the next, taking a breath with each pose.
4. Savasana (Final Rest)
After we finish our story and poses, we quiet our minds and calm our bodies with Savasana.
“Savasana helps our brains become calm and clear, making room for new thoughts and ideas.”
I demonstrate with the Yoga Dust Brush—a clear-handled brush filled with floating glitter. I show the kids how the glitter swirls when the brush is moving and settles when the brush lies still. I explain:
“Our thoughts are like that glitter—when we lie still, they settle down and our minds become clear.”
Children lie on their backs, breathing gently.
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Optional tools: Eye pillows or breathing buddies (stuffed animal) on bellies, and/or star machine with calming music or the bird timer.
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I gently “brush” a little yoga dust on each child’s forehead to help them relax.
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I guide them to breathe in through their noses, expanding their bellies to rise, and out through their mouths, letting their bellies fall.
5. Magic Yoga Hugs & Closing Namaste
After a few quiet minutes, we begin to wake up:
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Stretch arms overhead for a full-body stretch.
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Hug knees to chest, and slowly roll up to a criss-cross seated position.
We bring our hands to our hearts and think of someone or something we love—family, friends, pets, even a favorite toy or blanket. It can be someone alive or someone who’s passed on.
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Breathe in and raise your arms up.
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Breathe out and give yourself a hug.
“As we breathe out, whoever or whatever you were thinking of will receive a magic yoga hug, wherever they are!”
Repeat once more, either with the same person/thing or someone new.
Then, we place our special and kind hands together and bring them;:
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On our hearts: > “We respect each other with loving hearts.” Have the children repeat “loving hearts”.
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On our mouths: > “We respect each other with kind words.” Have the children repeat “kind words”.
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On our foreheads: > “We respect each other by trying new things with open minds.” Have the children repeat “open minds”.
Finally, we all say together:
“Namaste.”
