Tai Chi for Kids

by Jose Figueroa, Stephanie Tok, Stephan Berwick

Book Overview

Tai chi is easy to learn and a great healthy activity for kids. This text provides an introduction to studying tai chi, designed specifically with the interests and capabilities of young martial... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804835632
• ISBN13: 9780804835633
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Length: 47 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.8" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 5 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 4

Customer Reviews

A Great Reference Book for Older Kids, but Somewhat Complicated as a How To Tool

What I love about this book is that it introduces kids to the idea of the mind body connection, meditation, and guided imagery. It is also a good reference book for older kids who are interested in Tai chi and want to know more about the history and philosophy. It has a very good but simple introduction to the concept of yin and yang, and how practicing Tai chi is the emobdiment of yin and yang. I like how it shows physical ways to meditate/relax the body and mind, through some Tai chi exercises. It also has some fun games to play solo or with a partner, to learn about energy, or to warm up and cool down before and after Tai chi practice. Okay, what I don't like, and why I did not give it five stars...The instructions for the various poses and stances were somewhat complicated. As an adult, they were hard to decipher, so I imagine it wouldn't be that easy for the kids to learn from it either. Each positon has only one picture of the completed move or position. The verbal instructions are very long, and not broken down clearly into steps. There are no pictures of the various steps leading up to the completed move/positon. I am a long time Tai chi student and a long distance grandmother. My grandkids practice with me when we get together during vacations. It is my experience that adults and kids learn Tai chi through imitation. In class, of course, we have a teacher and advanced students to imitate, with minimal verbal instructions. I think the book could teach more clearly, if the verbal instructions were broken down into shorter steps, each accompanied by a picture to imitate. I will be sending this book to the kids, along with another book, Tai Chi For Kids: Moving With the Animals, which is for little kids. I think that the one about moving with the animals is actually a better teaching tool, with Tai chi for Kids as a good companion/reference/informational book for older kids. If the kids prove me wrong, and give a glowing report about how well this book teaches them, then I will be sure to post an updated review! Kate

Tai Chif for Kids

Brilliant book. Children find it easy to understand. The exercises described are fun and easy to do.

Tai Chi for Kids -- wonderful!

This really unique book is not what me and my kids expected. The authors succeeded in presenting a Tai Chi book that in a way is not a Tai Chi book. They combine simple, but important traditional Tai Chi exercises, combined with fun partner drills using balls, push-ups, and other easy to teach exercises, all based on real Tai Chi principles. Don't expect the book to teach the standard Tai Chi forms. This is completely different and teaches easy to learn exercises that offer Tai Chi benefits, (usually promoted for adults), for kids. The illustrations are great and the anecdotes, such as how important Tai Chi practice is for kids in Chen Village (Tai Chi's birthplace in Northern China), give this very unique book a charm and usefulness all its own. Even if my kids don't continue practicing the Tai Chi exercises, they love looking at the illustrations of a boy and girl doing the moves, as well as reading the clear text of the history and storys about Tai Chi. Compared to other kids oriented Tai Chi books out there, this is by far the best available. We adore it.