Yoga Balls in the Classroom

Has your child mentioned the latest "crazy" thing that we've done?  I am sure the list is long of things that they could tell you about as far as "crazy things Mrs. Cantrell does" but our latest adventure has been our chair balls.  Last year I heard of classrooms replacing their standard chairs with yoga balls and I was intrigued.  So during the summer I did some research and knew that I wanted theses in our classroom. I wrote two projects through DonorsChoose in order to get a class set and the projects were fully funded in December!   Just last week we finally aired a few of them up so that we could all practice on them and I believe we might be ready to replace our chairs now! The kids are definitely excited, even after they learned that the balls weren't toys but had actual academic and physical fitness benefits.  

I have had a lot of people ask a lot of questions, most common is "Are you seriously putting a classroom full of 1st and 2nd graders on bouncy yoga balls during the class time?"  I have been happy to defend this choice, leaving the skeptics  intrigued and excited to see how it all works.  So before rumors start flying about "crazy Mrs Cantrell" let me tell you how this will help your child this year.  

• Increased blood flow, including blood flow to the brain which helps students academically
• Engaged bodies, engaged brains ---> leads to deeper learning
• Keeps students actively moving without walking around or disrupting classroom 
• The ball allows students to get the wiggles out, helping them to focus better 
• Better posture (students are excited to hear this will help them in sports)
• Better coordination
• Better handwriting due to posture and blood flow
• Strengthens stomach and back muscles

Already, with just practicing on the chair balls, I have noticed the students are excited and eager to have the opportunity to use them.  For some, it is a balancing act and their stomach and back muscles will improve with the consistent use.  I am eager to see the change in student engagement and increase in handwriting skills.  

If you have ANY questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to holler or leave a comment. I'd love to share my excitement for this opportunity!