Practicing crow pose
One thing I love as a mom is the opportunity to celebrate my kids’ birthdays. Of course, it’s their special day, but my husband and I also make it a celebration for us because we made it through another rollercoaster year of parenthood! However, the parties can be a challenge especially as my daughter gets older. I feel pressure to plan more creative, yet age appropriate parties for her. This year was no different. What she wanted to do was not quite age appropriate, but I didn’t want to do what we did last year just because it would be easy to replicate. As she and I brainstormed party ideas one night, we came up with an amazing idea. I’ve written about how my daughter loves to come to work with me at the studio (see post here)…it’s like her second home. With that in mind, we thought about doing a yoga-themed birthday party for her birthday. My daughter beamed with excitement and the party planning took off from there!
The Planning
The first thing I did was contact my yoga instructor friend, Katy, who also works at the studio. She was so excited to do a yoga-themed birthday party, and we immediately solidified a date/time and discussed the class format. Because we have hammocks at the studio, we thought it would be amazing to let the girls have an experience using them. We planned to incorporate the hammocks towards the end of the class as part of the cooldown.
After I had the class format and timing nailed down, I had to think of how to fill the extra time between the end of class (which would be 45 minutes) and the end of the party. I did a little research and found a precious game called Yoga Spinner. You can play the game as individuals or as a team. Playing in teams would be perfect for my yoga-themed birthday party. Because the girls would have just taken their yoga class, they would be familiar with some of the yoga poses used in the game. And after the game, we’d have snacks and cupcakes, open presents, and the parents would arrive. Everything was timed to last 1.5 hours.
Here’s How Things Played Out
The yoga class was so cute, and the girls were very engaged! Katy played fun music which was perfect for their age. I’ll admit, it was more interactive than an adult class in that the girls asked questions during the class. I couldn’t help but laugh! The hammocks were a hit and the perfect way to end the class. In fact, they loved the hammocks so much that they did not want to get out of them!
And that’s what I didn’t bank on. They really didn’t want to get out of the hammocks! When it was time to play the Yoga Spinner game, it was so hard to transition the girls from the hammocks to the game. This was not a part of my plan. I had a prize for the winning team and used that to bribe the girls to get engaged with the game. Boy, was I grateful to have Katy with me because she coached the girls through the yoga poses. Once they got into the game, they really enjoyed it– especially the poses that required a partner.
The one thing I added at the last-minute was a selfie station with the birthday girl using a Polaroid camera. I wanted to give each girl a picture to take home so that she could have a memory of the day. I also wanted pictures for my daughter’s scrapbook. It worked out so well, and I know my daughter will always treasure the pictures. I hope her friends will too.
Pics from the selfie station
At the end of the day, I think the yoga-themed birthday party was a success. My daughter had a wonderful day, and I know the girls did too. A parent told me that her daughter enjoyed the yoga class so much that she went home and taught her parents some poses! And, the daughter wants to take yoga classes now. That put a smile on my face!
So, if you’re like me and trying to think of a unique and memorable birthday party, consider doing a yoga-themed birthday party! It’s a great way to have an interactive and fitness-based party. I think you and your little one will be pleased!
An action shot–swinging in the hammocks!
Mrs. Traylor is a Fitness Instructor, NASM Certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach, AFPA Certified Prenatal and Postnatal Fitness Specialist, wife, and momma who provides actionable advice for positive lifestyle changes with fitness, nutrition, and wellness. Read about Wendy’s inspiring entrepreneurial journey, and subscribe to Wendy’s newsletter here!
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