Benefits: Good for the entire nervous system and senses, the brain receives a fresh supply of oxygenated blood to help with cell growth, overall strength, immunity, and emotional wellbeing by toning and taking care of your spinal column. Inverted poses commonly increase concentration, memory, awareness, and stimulate thought. They are also good for detoxification as well as help with deeper sleep and digestive problems.

Caution: Let the toddler rest for at least one minute on their back to balance the blood flow and flow of energy before continuing with any further exercise. To be avoided if the toddler suffers from any of the following conditions: Epilepsy, diabetes, heart conditions, neck injuries, high blood pressure, glaucoma, and other eye or ear problems or seizures unless permission has been given by a medical practitioner. Stop if toddler is not enjoying it.

Note: Do not bring toddler up right straight away as they may become dizzy, rub their tummy for a few minutes first (you could sing “Round & Round The Garden” or always have a prop like finger puppet close by for parents to do “two little dickey birds”).

Seated Shoulder Flip

Standing up with toddler standing or seated in front of you facing you. Put hands down toddler’s back with thumbs placed just above hips on their back and fingers around the front. Get a good grip on their torso and lift up to your shoulder so toddler is facing out. Switch arm position to put one arm across their chest and the other across their hips. Reverse the move to gently place toddler back on the floor. Walking can also be added and “ring a roses” sang.

Caution: Bend from the knees and do not overstretch the back. Ensure a good grip around toddler’s torso.

Benefits: Vestibular system, co-ordination, inversion.

Cartwheels

Should be done in older toddler classes only.  Parent to standing with toddler stood in front, back to tummy.  Parent places hands around hip areas right hand to left side of the hip with fingers on top and thumbs facing feet, whilst the left hand is placed to the right side of the hip under the right arm, fingers facing up and thumbs to feet.  Standing close to the toddler, lift the toddler up and turn to the right so they spin in a full circle landing back on their feet.  This stretch must be done with help from the teacher so the spin is not too fast and support can be given to help the parent turn the child.  Once practised, the hands should encouraged to touch the floor as the child is mid cartwheel. 

Downward Dog

Using the “1,2,3 Hands Down” command, encourage babies to put their hands down on the cushion. Encourage them to put their head down between their arms and using your hands on their hips, encourage them to bring their legs down to have their feet flat on the floor.

3 Legged Downward dog

Using the same approach as above for downward dog, encourage the toddler to lift a leg, or an arm.  This is very good for balance.  Younger toddlers will need help into this and support in holding up the leg and arm. Older toddlers can be encouraged to do it themselves and can copy from the teacher and their parent.

Dolphin

For older toddler classes only. Using same stance as downward dog, but encourage the child to rest upon their forearms instead of hands.  Practise with parents so that they can encourage the children to mimic the action.  This can be strenuous on arms so practise for a short time to build upper body strength.

Forward Roll

From a downward dog position a forward roll can be done.  Up until 2-3 years in the older toddler  sessions this needs to be heavily parent aided to help them achieve a roll. Parents must support the hip or thigh area whilst the child is in downward dog position.  From here ensure the child’s head is tucked under then start to roll the child over pushing the hips over the head so the child lands upon their back.  Always ensure the head is tucked under before the parent rolls the child over, and support is given helping the child over.  Encouraging this in older toddler classes: support must still be given lightly holding, encouragement should be given so the child pushes up on their toes pushing themselves over to forward roll.

Toddler Crab

Lie toddler on their back with knees bent. Place one hand on their feet to hold them down and the other hand under baby’s hips and gently lift to around 3 inches off the floor and hold for approximately 5 to 30 seconds, or until the baby has had enough then slowly lower the hips. Counter pose – Bring toddler’s knees into chest.

Benefits: Strengthens legs, thighs, hips, spine and abdomen.

Caution: Do not try to raise too high, lower the toddler if they try to bend the top of their head toward the floor. Not for toddlers with high muscle tone. Never strain or flex against resistance, only hold for 4 to 6 seconds and release if toddler shows any signs of discomfort.

Restful Inversion

Parent/carer lying down with legs up against a wall. This can be done as a demonstration so that toddlers can copy. Helping the toddler onto their backs into the same position so their legs are up against the wall. Can be used just before or during relaxation.  This is a good stretch to use should you need to pull a class back together.  Leg stretches such as a wide leg stretch can be done saying the words “open and close.”

Deeper Inversion

Sit with your legs out stretched and place toddler on your shins face up with their head at your ankles and a cushion by your feet. Holding the toddler securely at the hips with the thumbs underneath and fingers on the top and bend the knees, cautions should be given to parents as toddlers grow in size so that parents aren’t kicked in the face by longer legs.  At this stage in their age and development encouragement should be given to get deeper inversions, so bringing the heels into the bottom so the toddler is almost vertical. Hold for 8 seconds and you can progress this after a few sessions.  Always work in sets 8, 10, 12, 15 seconds doing three sets of one timing, so the sets are repeated in threes.  By toddling stage you can progress to longer periods if they have come up through classes and inversions have been practiced regularly during your sessions.  Inversions can eventually be held for up to a period of one minute IF practiced regularly.  In classes we work towards this in sets as above, so children always get a break to let the blood supply settle in between sets as above.

Inversion Lift

Bring toddler up on legs as with the inversion twice, holding for 3 seconds in between. On the last one, lift toddler up and slightly out so they are vertical facing away from parent/carer. Hold for 8-10 seconds and bring them back on to legs.  As toddlers get bigger this becomes a struggle. When toddlers are becoming bigger, other types or inversions can be used as alternative such as shoulder flip.

Overhead Flip

Following on from flying inversions, a flip over the head can be introduced.  Firstly this flip must be done with a teacher helping aid the parent so that the correct hand positioning can be seen for safety.  A cushion must be placed at the parent’s head for the toddler for landing.  With the parent laid on their backs, the mobile infant or toddler is laid upon parent’s shins.  Parent must bring their knees into their chest positioning their hands with thumbs on top and fingers underneath around the hip area. Secure the grip around the hips and lift legs so that they are vertical.  Parent’s arms must then position behind the child’s back and head. Parents must ensure their arms and elbows are as close together as they can get.  The toddler is lifted from the legs and lifted over the parent’s head, the back and head supported by the parent’s arms, lifting over so that the toddler is over their head and position them onto the cushion.  Seated landing is fine progression to standing landing. 

Cautions:  Often the slower this is done the harder it is to do.  Always help a parent on the first few attempts so that they are confident in delivering this.  Doing it slow with support of a teacher is fine.  Once they start to do the flip themselves increasing the pace will help.  Prepare the parent for children whom may become startled; often a reflex is for them to cling to the legs whist trying to flip.  This can be strenuous on wrists, arms and backs so always advise parents on the health aspects.

Benefits: As with all inversions toddlers get the benefits listed at the beginning of this section.  This stretch is particularly good for building trust, body confidence and awareness too.

Very similar to the above flip. You can reverse this action.  Starting with parent laid on their back as if were going into the overhead flip. The toddler sits facing away from you at bottom of your feet asking them to lay back, their heads lay in the v of your knees.  Ensure their arms are stretched out like an aeroplane vertical to their bodies, place your hands down to their hips and lift away from your legs as you bring your legs up to be horizontal.  Once the child is in the air lift fully away from legs and over the top of your head so your faces meet, you can even sneak a kiss!  Place the child to the floor just above your head.  Children should land seated or standing.  Once the child is standing, keeping hold of their hips you can then lift to do the reverse of what you did so bringing the child towards your legs as you lift your legs vertical again bring the child to lay back down on the legs.  If attempting these together it must be done rhythmically and at a good pace.  Cautions should be noted from above and pay special care to use cushions where you can and support the front of children.

Backwards Flip

In a kneeling position with a cushion in front, lie toddler down the legs facing up with bum at parent/carer’s belly. Cupping the top of toddler’s shoulders, come up and forward onto knees and flip toddler’s legs over to bring them to stand on the cushion.

Caution: Ensure toddlers arms stay inside your arms and their head tucks under.

Handstand

Using a cushion and parent aided, ask the child to take the “Hands Down Head Down” position with hands on cushion as if it were a downward dog.  Hands support around the thigh area, once the child has stability on their hands lift the thighs up so the legs come to around 90 degrees. If a secure balance, lift the child’s legs to an almost vertical handstand position, hold for around 6-8 seconds depending on child’s upper body strength.