by Christina Campbell (writing & research)
Cosmic Kids is a yoga program that teaches focus, coordination and self-confidence for 21st-century learners. Cosmic Kids Yoga uses engaging visuals and storytelling that is infused with yoga movements to foster mindfulness and strength. Students can tune into an episode adventure via Cosmic Kids Yoga channel on YouTube and subscribe to this account for free (this is also accessible through YouTube Kids). Cosmic Kids is great for any age group to participate but most yoga adventures are developmentally appropriate for a younger age group (3-9 years old).
Participants will follow the instructor, Jaime, as she goes on her story-telling adventures and participants will mimic her movements during the yoga adventure. Cosmic Kids participants will develop social-emotional skills as they engage in the episodes, specifically growing in self-regulation, focus and empathy. Before participating in an episode, it is important that you have a large open floor space so each person can move freely and stretch their bodies appropriately as the episode progresses. Participants will also gain greater control with gross motor skills as the adventures’ movements require balance and strength. The body becomes part of the story-telling process.
Cosmic Kids uses relevant characters and settings that are familiar to a younger audience such as Trolls, Pokemon, and Frozen to engage their audience. Cosmic Kids is working on adding more accessibility features, like closed captioning, to their episodes. Each episode and story supports learning as characters come across situations that help teach kindness, empathy and promote self-love.
Cosmic Kids Episodes (accessible from YouTube channel)
- Yoga Adventure: episodes will range in length from 10 to 35 minutes.
- Peace Out (Guided Relaxation): 1-5 minutes in length.
- Brain Breaks: 4-9 minutes.
If you would like more information on Cosmic Kids and how they are adapting to the needs of 21st-century learners, they post updates and features on their blog. Cosmic Kids is committed to teaching wellness and has provided content that is relevant to today’s needs to help support young learners and their families, such as Safeguard the Handwashing Soap in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their goal is to incorporate more culturally diverse content in their upcoming adventures and to make sure their episodes promote self-confidence and inclusion.
Cosmic Kids does have a website and an app you can download; however, you will need to pay a fee and subscribe for additional lesson ideas and to access select videos.
