How to Add Yoga and Mindfulness to Story Time at your Library (by Children’s Librarian)
I’m obsessed with children’s picture books! That’s why I’m excited to share this article by Kate Godwin, a KYS community member and passionate children’s librarian who has brilliantly combined her love for literature and yoga into engaging story time sessions at her library.
Kate shares her journey of integrating yoga and mindfulness into her programming to create a mix of movement, storytelling, and creativity. Whether you’re a librarian, educator, or parent looking to inspire young minds and help get the wiggles out, her practical tips, success stories, and resource recommendations are sure to spark new ideas.
Explore how story time yoga can transform your library programs and create meaningful connections for children (and caregivers) of all ages!
Q: Can you share your background, your passion, and your work?
My background started in communications, earning my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies with a focus on television and radio. I did my internship in television and then worked in radio promotions for several years.
I have always been drawn to children’s literature, and when a position opened up in my town for a children’s librarian position, I was thrilled. I could utilize my marketing and events background in a non-profit and community-centered position.
I love working with the patrons and families in Hanson, where I have built a great rapport with the community and brought a love of libraries and literacy by providing innovative and engaging programming for youth of all ages.
I am responsible for creating, promoting, and implementing the programs and events here, and I truly love what I do. I manage everything from author visits, story times and yoga classes to our larger scale events, like our Summer Reading program. No day at my job is ever the same.
I am passionate about building a children’s book collection based on the needs of the community and finding new and exciting reads for the youth and young adults we serve.
In addition, yoga is a huge passion of mine as I got certified to teach at the 200-hour level after my kids yoga certification helped to grow that love of yoga.
Q: Can you share why adding yoga and mindfulness to children’s librarian’s programming is a great idea?
Adding yoga and mindfulness to my story time programs was a game changer.
I became certified in kids yoga after I learned more about how I could engage with my students using music and movement. Teaching preschool kids can be challenging because they don’t like to sit still for story time and would much rather dance, sing, climb, and run!
I thought that bringing breathwork and yoga postures would be the perfect blend to energize and then calm down my students. I love how each story can be acted out using yoga poses that are already assigned or simply making up our own based on the story.
It is so fun to see the sparks of creativity and connection that happen in a kids yoga class. Kids are truly engaged and have so much fun with the music and yoga sequences we create.
Games are also a great way to really connect and have fun with the classes. We play “Yogi Says” a lot, (almost like Simon Says but with yoga poses.) In addition, adding in leaf blowing or bubbles is a great way to tie in the pranayama breathwork with the kids.
My classes have always been active and used music, but this way, I have created a real centered approach to mindfulness and yoga postures that kids can practice at home after learning all about them in class.
I typically do yoga crafts, too, or have handouts to go home with for the kids to practice their learned poses.
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Q: What are your 3 top tips for implementing simple, practical yoga and mindfulness activities into your library story time?
My top 3 tips for implementing simple, practical yoga and mindfulness activities are to have fun and make it a game. Kids love games!
The next would be to let the kids be the “teacher” by playing games where they get to lead the class, and finally mix up the classes by using props or yoga cards to engage with the kids. You could bring in blocks and do a fun class using those, maybe a yoga maze or scavenger hunt or even straps to stretch out their bodies.
I also think that using props for the breath-work works well too. I love using props like bubbles, leaves, or pom-poms. That way, kids can work on their breathwork, but they don’t even realize it! They are simply having fun and making it a game of sorts.
Q: What are your recommended resources, tools, or props that are you go-to for yoga and mindfulness activities?
Props that work well in yoga classes are yoga blocks, bolsters, blankets, a breathing sphere to practice breath work, bubbles, games, and yoga cards.
Simple things like leaves or pom-poms and bubbles are great for breathwork activities. I love Kids Yoga Stories (of course) for their lesson plans and wealth of kids yoga knowledge.
In addition, OMazing Kids on FB has some wonderful class plans and resources.
I also just use my wealth of yoga books here at the library (listed in Wellness) to act out stories. Some of these beautiful books also have wonderful meditations that I use with the kids to end our yoga class in “savasana.”
Music by Kidding Around Yoga is great, along with Laurie Berkner Band, books from Barefoot Books have some music CD’s in them and that is a great tool, as well. Kira Willey is another wonderful musician who has lots of yoga songs I use to teach sun salutations and other movements.
Q: Can you share one success story from your experience as a children’s yoga librarian?
I have found lots of success overall just utilizing the kids yoga elements into my story time, but one experience that particularly stands out for me was a time that I had a very rambunctious kid in my class that I couldn’t seem to reign in, and she was not too keen on being in a “yoga” class.
What I did to navigate this was to teach her “Downward Dog Freeze Tag.” This game was fast-paced enough for the child but also allowed them to bring in the yoga pose of down dog to really engage the child.
She loved it so much, and she was even so tired that after several rounds of the game, she fell into a peaceful and relaxing “savasana” by the end. We put on a meditation song, and I put a gemstone on her forehead to ground her energy. It created pure bliss (for all of us). I would call that a huge success!
Q: What advice do you have for children’s librarians who are curious about adding yoga and mindfulness into their library program, but don’t know how and where to start?
The advice I would give to other children’s librarians who are curious about adding yoga and mindfulness into their curriculum would be to just do it!
Find a yoga certification course online. I know that Kidding Around Yoga has one, and I am sure there are several others. It is such a rewarding gift to yourself to become certified and to witness the change in the kids going from crazy to focused. It’s truly empowering.
Not only is the kids yoga so easy to learn, it’s fun to implement children’s books you already have with animals and other subjects by acting out what those animals would look like, making them up as you go along.
The creativity is astounding to see with the kids. In addition, by teaching kids yoga with your students, you are really aiding in providing tools as well as planting a seed in kids on how to regulate their difficult emotions.
This is truly essential now with the anxious generation that our kids are growing up in. It’s amazing to provide a safe place for them to unplug and be mindful. Good luck!
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