Cloud Watchers

Lying on their backs outside, students quietly watch the sky and look for shapes in the clouds, breathing slowly as the clouds drift by. It builds outdoor relaxation, observation skills, and imagination.

How to play

1. Lay the yoga mats in a circle with heads toward the center, in a spot on the playground where the sun isn't in their eyes (1 min).
2. Have students lie down, take three slow breaths, and watch the sky without talking for 1 minute, following one cloud with their eyes.
3. Shape round (2 min): anyone who spots a shape raises a hand and, on your signal, describes it quietly; the others try to find it.
4. Cloud breathing (1 min): they pick a moving cloud and breathe in time with it, breathing in and out very slowly.
5. They close their eyes and imagine they are a floating cloud, feeling their body light on the mat (1 min).
6. They roll to their side to sit up and each one says one word describing how they feel now (1 min).

Rules

• Never look directly at the sun.
• Speak only when the teacher calls on you, and quietly.
• Everyone stays on their own mat the whole time.
• Respect the shapes classmates see, even if you can't see them.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the student watches from a reclined wheelchair or with a mat and help to lie down.
• Visual impairment: the student focuses on sensations like wind and warmth, and a partner describes the clouds.
• Cloudless days: watch birds, branches, or leaves moving in the trees instead.

Learning goals

• Relax outdoors through calm observation.
• Match their breathing to a slow stimulus.
• Use imagination and respect other people's ideas.

Equipment for a class of 25

• yoga mats: 25

Teacher tip

Pick cloudy days with pleasant temperatures; if the ground is cold or wet, choose another activity. Place your most restless students near you.

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