How To: 5 Easy Stress Reliever Toys!

There are so many great (and easy to make) tools to help kids and adults effectively handle stress! Here are my favorites for you to try at home!

1. Lavender Eye Pillows

 What you’ll need:

1 adult size large sock

2-3 tbsp. dried lavender

1-2 cups flax seed or rice

Directions:

Mix the flax or rice with dried lavender and put into the sock. Mix the lavender and rice evenly throughout. Tie a tight knot at the end of the sock. You can decorate one side any way you would like with fabric markers, sequins, glitter glue, or puffy paint! Heat up for a few seconds for extra comfort and enjoy!

2. Stress Ball Balloons

What you’ll need:

Party balloon: 14″ standard latex balloons work best

1 Cup of Flour

Funnel

Scissors

Directions:

Stretch out a balloon and place the mouth of the balloon around the neck of your funnel. Fill the funnel with a cup of flour.  Stretch the balloon while holding it around the bottle neck to help guide the filling into the balloon. Fill the balloon as full as you possibly can. Tie the balloon. (You can double knot it so that the tie does not stick out.)  Enjoy your stress ball!

3. Pool Noodle Stress Balls

What you’ll need:

Pool Noodle (can usually find at dollar store!)

Knife

Cutting Board

Directions:

Hold pool noodle along cutting board. Slice 2″ segments and enjoy a great stress reliever!

4. Lavender Cloud Dough

What you’ll need:

8 cups of flour

1 cup of vegetable oil

5-7 drops of lavender essential oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a sensory bin or container.  If you desire the cloud dough to be colored you can use powdered tempura paint.  Cloud dough is an amazing sensory material in that it is super soft, fluffy, and mold-able.

5. Stress Relieving Play Dough

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1/2 cup of salt
• 2 tbs of cream of tartar
• 1 tbs of oil
• Food coloring
• 1 cup of boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon of Lavender Oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except the boiling water together into a large mixing bowl. Combine the purple food coloring and the Lavender Oil into the boiling water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the water, mix well and then turn onto some baking paper to cool.

 I hope you enjoy making these stress reliever toys!

Yoga at School Brain Break!

I created a short relaxing yoga video for my sister’s 1st grade classroom! Feel free to use it at home or at school!

March-The Month of Joy!

In March, we will focus on kindness (to ourselves and others) and joy during our yoga classes! Looking forward to another amazing month! 🙂

Here’s Kids Yoga with Kara’s March 2015 Schedule:

Fun & Practical Breathing Exercise: Lion’s Breath

Lion’s breathing is an all time favorite breathing exercise for most of my little yogis. It’s fun and more importantly, it’s beneficial to our health! Lion’s pose is a fun, playful way to release and relax into more peaceful feelings.

WHY?

Lion’s breath is a fantastic exercise to release tension and stress. It stretches the mouth, jaw, tongue, eyes, and hands-all common areas where tension can be found.

HOW?

Begin by kneeling on the floor, sitting upright. Hands should be relaxed on your lap. Inhale through your nose. Open your mouth wide, stick your tongue out and exhale strongly while making a “Haaaa” sound. Notice how you feel after practicing Lion’s Breath.

PRACTICAL USES

Practice first thing in the morning to stimulate your day.  Wake up your body with Lion’s Breath. Practice at the end of each day to let go of unwanted thoughts or feelings. Use when strong feelings come up that want to be released. Use any time you would like to stimulate the body energetically, activating a more alert state. – See more at: http://kidsrelaxation.com/uncategorized/lions-breath/#sthash.9pHt483R.dpuf

February 2015-Heart Opening Yoga!

What a busy month for Kids Yoga with Kara! After School Yoga at Sage Canyon and San Diego Jewish Academy starts this month! I’m looking forward to new faces and focusing on opening our hearts!

Here’s our February schedule!

February Calendar

New Year-New Schedule!

Welcome to 2015! This is going to be a very exciting year for Kids Yoga with Kara!

Here’s our January 2015 Schedule:

 

January 2015 Kids Yoga Calendar

 

Frozen & Princess Yoga: Taught By KIDS For KIDS

One little yogi decided to come up with her own Frozen-themed yoga poses! E-mail kidsyogawithkara@gmail.com with your own ideas!

Princess Pose:

A creative yoga pose: Start in tree pose and place your arms out to the side like a princess!

Elsa Pose:

A creative yoga pose: Bend your front knee and lift your back leg straight behind you. Lift your arms forward as you create ice like Elsa!

Happy New Year to my yogi families!!!

Let’s be still!

So just for a moment…let’s be still!

 

This week we will focus on stillness. With the holidays, electronics, and our “hurry up” culture, we sometimes forget how to be still and present. I challenged my little yogis to find a quiet place and be still for 1 minute every day. I think they can do it!

Welcome Aviara Oaks!

Kids Yoga with Kara is starting at Aviara Oaks Elementary School this December! Contact Kara at kidsyogawithkara@gmail.com for more information!

Kids Yoga Registration Form

PO Box 928165
SAN DIEGO  CA  92192

Exciting News!

I am happy to announce that Kids Yoga with Kara is officially starting a yoga program at Sage Canyon Elementary school in the Spring. As a huge fan of the Del Mar Union School District, I am very excited to join the community!

Here’s a sneak peak of the class:

Yoga & Mindfulness: De-stress for Tests!

10 Weeks, beginning week of 2/23/15

I will be teaching “demo” classes at Sage throughout the school year. Please contact me at kidsyogawithkara@gmail.com if you are interested in signing up for the class! More details to follow.