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Isaac Sosa

3 Mindful Indoor Activities for Rainy Weather

Updated: Jul 15

It’s a rainy summer day, and your classroom is buzzing with energy, the kids are eager to play but unfortunately, the weather has other ideas. Outdoor activities are off the table, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep kids engaged and active indoors! An indoor yoga session is the perfect way to channel that boundless energy and unease. From improving flexibility to calming down nerves and enhancing focus, here are three fun and engaging indoor yoga activities to try out!


Activity 1: Themed Posed Experiences


Turn your indoor space into a make-believe experience! From animals, vegetables, fruits and so much more, you choose! Let’s say you choose to create an animal-themed activity, each child can take on the role of a certain animal, and mimic its movements in the form of yoga poses. Here are some different animal-themed poses you can plug into your classroom;


The Lion's Pose is a popular favorite that helps release any frustration. You begin by kneeling on the floor, sitting on your heels. You then want to place your hands on your knees and take a deep breath. While they exhale, make sure they have their mouths wide while you instruct them to let out a roar as if they were a lion.



Cat-Cow Stretch: The cat-cow pose is a fantastic pose for stretching the lower back and spine while letting kids pretend to be a cat. This stretch is a bit tricky as you perform different movements in the exhale and inhale portions. First, start off on all fours, and then on your inhale, arch your back and lift your head towards the ceiling, this is the cow part of the stretch. Then on the exhale, round your back towards the ceiling and tuck your chin to your chest, as if you were a scared cat.



Downward Dog: This pose strengthens the entire body while also serving as a great way to focus the mind. To perform the downward dog, begin on all fours with your hands in front of your shoulders. Then lift your hips towards the ceiling while pressing your heels towards the floor, forming an Inverted V-shape with your body.




Activity 2: Mindful Breathing with a Hoberman Sphere


A Hoberman Sphere, also known as a breathing all is a great tool for visualizing the mechanics of deep breathing for children. You want to introduce the sphere and its capabilities to grow and shrink, just like our lungs when we breathe. To really demonstrate this comparison in a way that just clicks, make sure you slowly expand the ball as you take a breath in and then slowly contract it while you exhale. After a couple of demonstrations, you can get kids involved by telling them to place their hands on their bellies. They can treat their beliefs like a Hoberman sphere, and pay attention to how it expands when they inhale and shrink when they exhale.


Activity 3: Finger Play Affirmations


Finger Play affirmations combine movement and play with positive statements to help kids develop self-awareness and a positive self-image. Here is an example of how you could go about such an activity. First, have the kids sit comfortably with their legs crossed and their hands on their knees with their palms facing up. Then instruct them to recite these words while doing the following movements;


  • While pressing the Thumb and Index finger together, say "Peace"

  • While pressing the Thumb and Middle finger together, say "Begins"

  • While pressing the Thumb and Ring Finger together, say "With"

  • While pressing the Thumb to the Pinky Finger together say, "Me"


Repeat this sequence until they've said the affirmation, "Peace begins with me." several times. Feel free to even let them practice it on their own for a few minutes.



Indoor yoga and mindfulness activities are great ways to keep kids engaged when the weather's not on your side. These activities not only provide physical benefits but also promote emotional well-being, so try them out next time you're stuck indoors! For more ideas on activities, check out our lesson plans and song playlist. Stay tuned for our next post, and never forget the importance of play!

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