Congratulations! You have made it to the main part of your yoga class where you can introduce and teach poses to your students. Kids enjoy learning new yoga poses and often get excited about adding new ones to their repertoire.
Boat Pose at the Park: Yoga is a Great Exercise for All Ages
How to Teach Yoga Poses to Kids
When teaching yoga poses to kids, I have found it helpful to group the yoga poses together by a theme. It is also helpful to only introduce 4-6 yoga poses per class. This really gives children the opportunity to practice the yoga poses and remember them outside of class.
I have found that concentrating on fewer poses in class allows the children to truly focus, pay more attention to correct form and achieve success. They will feel themselves getting stronger, longer and more flexible as they become more comfortable with the poses. Your theme-related yoga poses are also a great way to differentiate and accommodate for the varying needs of your class.
How to Introduce the Yoga Poses
When introducing the yoga poses, it is important to be excited about the poses and build anticipation. This is a great technique and you will have the kids in the palm of your hand and so excited to learn what the next pose will be.
Gather the children in a circle
Have some sort of seasonal bag or prop (colorful gift bag, basket, stocking cap, sand pail) that you have placed the 4-5 pose card visuals. I use The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards.
Call on a child to come and “draw out” the next pose.
Everyone practices the pose. Discuss what parts of your body you feel working and getting stronger.
Call on another child to draw out the next pose and practice.
Continue in this format until all of the poses have been drawn.
I like to give the students a “test.” Since I am a teacher they find this highly interesting and engaging. I call out a pose that we have learned and the students must get into it as quickly as they can. For younger ages, it is fine to show the Kids Yoga Pose Card to help them find success.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards include 40 yoga pose cards. Partner yoga poses, yoga games, and mantras for mindfulness are included.
How to Teach Yoga Poses to School-Aged, Tweens, and Teens
After learning and practicing the yoga poses with older students, we will flow the poses together. Our yoga mats are already placed in a circle and I then place the yoga pose cards (that we just learned) in the center in the center in the circle and also order that we will flow. The children really enjoy this and they feel very grown-up.
They are definitely not too grown-up, however, when the Yoga Flow ends and it is time to practice the poses with a Yoga Game! Kids never ever want to pass up a yoga game!
Stay tuned for our favorite Kids Yoga Games in our Kids Yoga Lesson Planning 101 coming up next!
We are thrilled to be in the Top 15 Best Kids Yoga YouTube Channels! Find your kids yoga props, lesson plans, kids yoga classes, poses, teacher training, partner poses, mindfulness and much more!
There are lots of fun Spring yoga poses and games that can be done at any time. Today we are going to take you through some of the Spring themed Easter Poses. You can find an entire list of Spring and Easter Yoga Poses and Games at https://www.gogoyogakids.com/spring/
This kids yoga class is geared toward children ages 3-10. I do have my helpers here with me today, I know that they are little older, but they still love to have fun with yoga. You do not need to have any props, but I am using some plastic eggs and our Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards.
We are going to have fun with this Spring Family Yoga class!. Let’s learn and practice our Spring Easter Poses!
Join Go Go Yoga for Kids for a fun-filled partner yoga class at Athleta.
First the children warmed up their bodies with some sun salutations and exercises. Then they got into pairs to determine a team name which they loved!
I used the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards to unveil the 5 different leveled partner poses. We started off easy with See Saw Partner Pose. First I showed the partner pose card example and then had a partner pair demonstrate the pose. We also talked about being safe and careful with our partners.
Next we were ready to move into the Level 2 Partner Pose which is Raindrop, followed by Double Boat and Double Down Dog. To celebrate our success we played a fun group yoga game with Down Dog Tunnels which was so much fun. No kids yoga class is complete with Stillness and Savasana and the children settled right into it.
A Partner Pose themed yoga class is a lot of fun for kids as they love working together and teamwork. Find out more about the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards we used during class: http://www.gogoyogakids.com/store/
As a teacher and a parent myself, I understand that more than anything that we want to help set our children up for success. We want our children to be prepared and confident at school, sports, activities, and at home.
We desire for our children to be in a collaborative, creative, calm and supported classroom environment. That is the kind of classroom I strive to provide for my students and you can be sure that is the kind of environment I want my own children in.
The good news is that we can help our own children and students be successful in their experiences. By incorporating easy breathing exercises, mindfulness, and simple stress-reducing yoga poses into brain breaks, kids will become more focused and attentive. That will then help our children to develop greater empathy toward one another and feel more confident and successful themselves.
Kids Need Brain Breaks
Yoga for kids is becoming more common throughout schools, clubs,and activities. With only a few moments each day, you can help kids achieve the benefits that yoga provides. These can be done at home, school, camps, or clubs.
I am a firm believer that children need active brain breaks throughout the day to learn best. Research has shown that students learn best by taking a break or moving their bodies every 15 minutes. Sadly, recess and physical education times are already being reduced in schools, which takes away the active movement that children need.
When using yoga with children, it does not need to be in a structured class with objectives and benchmarks. You are simply allowing the children to move their bodies in good and healthy ways. It doesn’t need to take long and can subtly be incorporated into what you are already doing.
Favorite Kids Yoga Brain Breaks:
Pick a Card Any Card:
When children are waiting for the next activity or standing in line, fan out the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards and select one child to pick a card. Everyone then practices the pose. This is perfect to use during a transition time when you only have a few moments.
Practice fun breathing exercises. These techniques reduce stress and improve focus before tests, transition times, or during an activity that you know will require concentration and focus.
Waiting quietly in line for the next activity can definitely be a challenge for children. Make the time pass quickly by selecting a balance pose from the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards. The children will then hold that balance pose while counting by 5’s or 10’s. I also like to have them count to 10 in another language.
I love creating new games to use in my kids yoga classes. Kids naturally love to play games and they are a good way to get them moving. Games also lead to laughter and fun which helps build community and friendships. Yoga Games such as the Kids Yoga Obstacle Course are also the perfect way to practice all of the fun yoga poses that the kids have been learning.
How to Create a Kids Yoga Obstacle Course:
Kids LOVE obstacle courses and this is one of my favorite ways to get kids moving in healthy and good ways. This is exactly what kids need as their school days involve a lot of sitting as well as the national increase of video games and screens.
Every kids yoga class that I teach follows the Go Go Yoga for Kids Lesson Plan Format. This lesson plan framework ensures that kids are getting exactly what they need with breathing exercises, poses, movement, teamwork, mindfulness and more.
Select 4-5 poses that you want to introduce to children. I use the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards as visuals for the poses. I will place the selected cards into a colorful gift bag and allow the students one at a time to draw out a pose to learn. After the yoga poses have been introduced and practiced, it is the perfect time to begin The Yoga Obstacle Course!
Be creative with this! Please do not go out and buy anything. Use whatever objects you have available to make an obstacle course.
Obstacle Course Prop Examples
Hula hoops laid on the ground to do high knees through
Jump ropes laid parallel so kids can jump across them like a river
Cones to jump over or hop to
Yoga blocks for stepping stones
Yoga mats placed end to end for bear walks, log rolls, frog hops, etc.
The ideas are endless for using creating different obstacles and I do like to change it up to keep things fresh and fun.
Place the objects in a large circle. Between each obstacle I place a yoga mat and a Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Card.
Get Ready to Go!
First, I demonstrate how to go through the obstacle course. I make a big show out of hopping through the “rings of fire,” (hula hoops) or carefully crossing over the “icy river on blocks of ice” (yoga blocks).
Kids are completely mesmorized as they watch you carefully navigate through the obstacle course. Be sure to pause after each obstacle to hold the pose on the yoga pose card.
Next, I put on some fun music and it is the kids turn to move around the obstacle course and perform the yoga poses that are shown on cards. They love this and would do it forever if allowed. I recommend not letting the obstacle course go on “forever” as you want to keep things fresh and fun. Learn more Secrets to Teaching Yoga to Children here.
Summer is here! Let’s celebrate! One of my favorite things to do is teach yoga to children. I enjoy taking the yoga poses that we know and practice as adults and making them kid friendly with yoga games to play, learn, and have fun with yoga.
Yoga games are a favorite part of class because kids naturally love to play games. Games are also another great way to get kids moving, which is important for growth and health. I love taking favorite childhood games I played as a kid and recreating them into yoga games.
Summer provides the perfect opportunity to get kids up and moving while getting fit, flexible and having fun with yoga. Here are some of my favorite games that work well for summertime fun!
Yoga Beach Ball
Yoga Beach Ball is all time favorite game of kids! There is something so memorizing and fun about a beach ball. This game also provides the opportunity to work together and practice many different yoga poses. Find out how to play Yoga Beach Ball.
Yoga Beach Ball
Yoga Triangle Tag
Tag is always a favorite game of kids and they love this twist with Triangle Pose. Begin by practicing Triangle Pose with the children.
Begin standing with legs spread more than hip distance apart. Turn one foot so it is pointing to the side.
Keep your arms straight and bend through your hips over your foot with your toes pointed out.
Rest your lower hand on your ankle or shin while your other hand points toward the sky.
Hold this pose for a couple of breaths and lower hands to your side.
This yoga game is a wonderful mental and physical challenge for kids. It also promotes creativity and teamwork. No worries about knowing the actual yoga pose names. It is much more fun to think outside the box. The Opposite Yoga Pose Game is best suited for ages 7+.
Tag is one of the classic yoga games for kids and often a favorite. They love playing with this twist by using Triangle Pose. First, learn how to safely teach Triangle Pose to the children and practice this pose with them.
Once everyone has practiced Triangle Pose then you are ready to play Triangle Tag!
How to Play Triangle Tag:
Ages: 5+
Players: 8+
Materials: None, but sometimes when playing tag with children I recommend using these “pool noodles” as they help with tagging and any accidental pushing. I cut the pool noodles to around 12 inches which provides the perfect size to whoever is “It” to safely tag the other children.
Determine out of bounds lines dependent on the size of the group. Select one person to be “It.” The person who is “It” chases the other kids and tries to tag them.
When she successfully tags a player, the player must freeze in Triangle Pose.
Triangle Pose creates a tunnel which another player must crawl through to unfreeze them.
If a player is tagged while trying to unfreeze another, they must stand in front of the person and do Triangle Pose as well. This creates a double tunnel for someone else to crawl through.
The game continues until all runners have been frozen, and then a new person becomes “It.”
