Kids can do yoga too! One of my passions is teaching yoga to kids and helping others learn how to use yoga with kids in fun and engaging ways. Kids yoga doesn’t need to be overly complicated or time-consuming. You just need a sense of humor and willingness to have fun!
You don’t need to have many supplies or materials to teach yoga to kids, but being knowledgeable of some different items and having a few tricks up your sleeves, helps with keeping the interest level high with kids. Shorter sessions and having a few props that accompany the poses are very beneficial. Child size equipment is also useful for children practicing yoga, and child size mats, balance balls, and accessories will enhance their practice.
I always enjoy highlighting a few favorite props and resources that I use while teaching yoga to kids including a breathing ball and great read aloud books that inspire yoga poses and movement with kids.
I am also a new fan of grippy socks or sticky socks for kids. These inexpensive little accessories help with balance, stability and allow young yogis to practice anywhere–even without a mat.
When I teach my kids yoga classes, I always have the students remove their shoes and socks. Normal socks are slippery and make it difficult to hold poses. It can sometimes be a slow process of helping preschool aged children put on their socks again after class, but if they had these yoga socks it would definitely go faster because they could leave them on for the whole class.
One of my new favorite items to use in teaching kids yoga is the Breathing Ball or Hoberman Sphere . It provides a great visual for teaching kids to slow down their breath, and take long and even inhales and exhales. We also talk about how the Breathing Ball is similar to the the work our lungs or diaphragm does.
How to Use a Breathing Ball with Children:
As a teacher or leader, model using it together as a whole group. As you stretch the ball out, take a deep long breath, together as a group. Then as you squeeze the ball together, let out a long deep exhale. You can experiment with the pace and show what happens when we breathe in and out too quickly. Talk about the difference in how your body feels when you take short quick breaths compared to long deep breaths.
If it is a smaller group, pass the ball around the circle and let each child take turns opening and closing it in time with their breath.
The ball is also fun to toss around the circle as it opens and shuts. Have the children participate in a team building and cooperation exercise to see how many times they can catch the ball without it dropping. This is also a good exercise in building mindfulness.
Let’s begin with breath. Why is breath important? Deep breathing helps calm us if we’re nervous or anxious. With yoga it helps us hold the poses longer and center ourselves. This is especially important for kids who are maybe nervous or anxious at home or at school. We’re going to show you some kid-friendly ways to practice breath work from our kids’ yoga teacher training.
We’re going to learn eight breathing techniques that kids can remember and use in the home, at school, any time they’re feeling anxious, nervous, or upset. So why is breath important? Deep breathing helps calm us if we’re nervous or anxious. With yoga it also helps us hold the poses longer and center ourselves. I’m going to teach you some fun kid-friendly ways to practice that deep breathing and breath work.
First is our Belly Breathing. You can place your hand right on your belly and go ahead and breathe in and breathe out and you can actually feel the breath moving inside. Another fun way to do it that kids love if they know each other is lay on their tummies and breathe deeply and see if they can feel their friend’s breath work as well.
Next is Window Fog. Pretend like you’re trying to fog up a car or maybe you’re stepping outside in the cold air and you’re kind of seeing your breath. Go ahead and breathe deeply in and out as hard as you can. Put your hand there so you can feel your breath moving.
Blowing out the Candle is especially fun too. Put your index fingers together and then you’ll breathe in then and breathe out as if you’re blowing out those birthday candles.
These Breathing Balls are another great visual to see your breath actually working. The training video shows you how the ball expands and decreases. Kind of how your diaphragm would work with your breath.
Feathers are a great tool for breath work as well. You can blow your feather up and down your yoga mat. You can blow it across the room. These are inexpensive ways to actually see your breath in action.
Pinwheels are another great resource. You can take it outside, you can take in the house and practice blowing it fast or blowing it slow. You can practice different ways of utilizing your breath.
Bubbles are a great way too to see how your breath is actually working.
Finally, we must remember Sun Salutations. These are important with yoga to connect this movement of reaching up high to the sun and then diving forward towards your toes. Go ahead and breathe in as you rise up and exhale as you fall down. That really helps you connect the movement with the breath and really warms up your whole body.
Thanksgiving is all about family, friends, food and being thankful. Go Go Yoga for Kids shows fun Thanksgiving yoga poses that can be done to prepare your mind and body for the holiday.
First is our fun Turkey Breathing that will help get your mind and breath connected. Next we lead you into our Planksgiving Challenge. Enjoy!
Ready for more? Get our free Let’s Give Thanks Kids Yoga Lesson Plan
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This mindfulness and thankfulness activity for the classroom.
First, brainstorm with the students about positive qualities that they see in themselves. For example being kind, honest, hardworking, caring, strong, etc. Write these qualities on the board.
Next, the students took the “hand template” and wrote qualities that described themselves. They did this by writing around the hand template.
Finally, the students were able to put the yoga poses and mantras for success together to practice and perform. This absolutely made the lesson even more memorable as it ties together so many different types of student learning such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning.
If you are already teaching kids yoga or even if you are just beginning to learn some yoga poses, you have probably already experienced, read or heard about the benefits of yoga for all ages. Why wouldn’t you want to introduce it those you care about most? Your family and loved ones need to know about this!
I love how yoga actually lets you connect with your child and is something you can actually do with them as opposed to being a spectator to such as soccer games, dance recitals, piano recitals, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I love cheering my kids on at any of their sporting events or competitions, but the memories are made when you actually do something with them.
It doesn’t need to be a big orchestrated event, just get down on the floor and be engaged. They will love it!
Easy Ways to do Yoga At Home With Your Kids
Make it a Routine: Doing some yoga poses together does not need to take long. Incorporate some little ways to use yoga at the same time every day. It could be first thing in the morning or by doing some bedtime calming stretches each night. These are good places to start!
Use Props: Grab some beach towels or yoga mats to lay out and sit on. Kids love having their own space and this will give them boundaries and a sense of ownership. Include your child’s favorite stuffed animal and have it participate along with you.
Pick a Card: I love these Yoga Pose Cards and they are great for providing a visual. Let them pick 3-5 yoga pose cards at a time to learn, practice and have fun with. Make sure that you participate as well and gain all of the benefits too.
Teaching kids yoga at home doesn’t need to take long. Just have fun with yoga together and make it a part of your life. There is no right or wrong way, but the simple fact that you are together, learning and moving will create lasting memories with your children!
For more ways to teach yoga to your kids visit here.
I love how yoga is something that you can actually dowith your child as opposed to being a spectator to. Sports and activities such as soccer games, dance competitions, piano recitals are all fun to be an audience to, but I love how easy it is to do a few yoga children poses with your kids.
Yoga can be done anywhere. Take it outside, try it on the trampoline, or in the rain! Just use your imagination. Laugh and have fun. Enthusiasm is contagious. This is something that they will definitely remember doing together with you.
8 Ways to Do Yoga At Home With Your Kids
1. Use Props
No need for formal yoga mats. Grab some beach towels to lay out and sit on. Kids love having their own space and gives them a great nonverbal boundary. Include your child’s favorite stuffed animal and have it participate in balance exercises and to snuggle with during savasana. We love playing Toega with pom pom balls.
Using the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards at home gives your kids the opportunity to choose poses they want to practice and provides a good visual. Let them pick 5-10 yoga pose cards and then practice them with games and challenges.
4. Use a Story:
This is one of my favorite ways to practice yoga with kids. I love reading aloud to my kids anyway so this is two birds with one stone; the benefits of reading aloud AND practicing yoga. Animal stories work well. When you get to a part about a particular animal such as snake, cat, horse, or bug then pause to do the corresponding yoga children poses. This is so much fun! See some of our favorite read-aloud books.
5. Just Breathe:
Doing yoga at home doesn’t need to be a full-blown class with all yoga poses and balance. During a stressful or frustrating time, remind your child to use their breath. Children become more aware of their breath as they practice. Do not expect them to breathe deeply with focus during the first few times. This will come with practice and time. Here are some favorite breathing and exercises that really work with kids.
6. Keep it Simple:
It can be fun to use a theme and choose poses that correspond but it is not required. You can choose a certain skill to practice such as balance or mindfulness. A few moments a day can go a long way in making a difference. Find out more Secrets to Teaching Yoga to Children.
Have Fun:
Your child should feel like yoga is play and not work. Get down on the floor with them and be playful. Be in the moment! They will love it! Kids yoga is very different from adult yoga so understand they will not have the same attention span.
Kids can do yoga too! One of my passions is teaching yoga to kids and helping others learn how to use yoga with kids in fun and engaging ways. Kids yoga doesn’t need to be overly complicated or time-consuming. You just need a sense of humor and willingness to have fun!
If you are already teaching kids yoga or even if you are just beginning to learn some yoga poses, you have probably already experienced, read or heard about the benefits of yoga for all ages. Why wouldn’t you want to introduce it those you care about most? Your family and loved ones need to know about this!
frustrating time, remind your child to use their breath. Children become more aware of their breath as they practice. Do not expect them to breathe deeply with focus during the first few times. This will come with practice and time. 
moment! They will love it! Kids yoga is very different from adult yoga so understand they will not have the same attention span.
