Kids love playing yoga games and it is a wonderful way to build strength, teamwork, flexibility and have fun moving their bodies in good and healthy ways.
Find your FREE Games Guide with directions, game downloads, resources and more.
Do you remember as a kid playing a game where you cannot touch the ground at the park or playground?
The Hot Lava Yoga Game is similar to that, but played with yoga mats. It one of the most popular yoga game for the kids! They love to play Hot Lava and cannot get enough.
Thisis a wonderful game to get bodies moving, hearts pumping and smiles on faces while they practice the yoga poses that they just learned.
Place yoga mats in a circle so they are stepping distance apart. Here is where I find my Kid-Sized Yoga Mats.
Place a Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cardat the top of each mat. Play music. Players go in a circle being careful not to touch the floor (hot lava). When the music stops, they must stay on the mat they are on and make the yoga pose.
Leader Notes: This is a fun game for all ages. The younger children tend to stay at the top of the mats so the distance is not as far. The older children enjoy leaping from one mat to another from the back of the mats.
I do not generally have the children get out “out” if they are the last one to make their yoga pose. The goal is after all to get the children moving in positive ways, practice yoga poses, and have fun.
Welcome to our Summer Yoga Games for Children, I’m so happy that you’re here! Welcome to the first of our yoga games for preschoolers.
Grab your FREE Summer Yoga Games Guide with directions, poses and downloads.
Be a Bubble a mindfulness game that I play with my younger aged yoga students. This game is perfect for kids ages 2-5 years old and they love this mindfulness game. It also teaches them body awareness and respecting one another’s personal space.
This game is a lot of fun because kids get to pretend, they get to move their bodies in good and healthy ways, plus you get to incorporate bubbles which is always a good time!
This game and dozens of others are found in our new book, Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for Children. This bestselling mindfulness book includes over 150 yoga games. Be a Bubble is included in the mindfulness chapter of this book.
First introduce Bubble Breath or Bubble Breathing. Have kids think about how they would blow a big bubble. They will need to breathe in and then they exhale. They’re going to pretend to blow a big bubble. The greater the exhale then they are going to have and the bigger bubble!
Have the children move their hands and arms to show how they are blowing the bubble and how big it gets. So breathe in then they’re blowing the bubble. And that is a great way to practice breathing exercises with be a bubble.
Practicing our Bubble Breathing
After Bubble Breathing, it is time to get the kids moving! Have a Bubble Dance! Play music, use real bubbles, and blow them into the center of the dance floor.
Let the kids dance and try to stomp on the bubbles. Let them try to catch them on their hand, on their elbow, on their knee, on their foot, on their head, on their nose, let them try to catch bubbles on different places and body parts. They love this!
After the Bubble Breathing and the Bubble Dance, it is time to bring down the energy a little bit. and play the Mindfulness Game with Be a Bubble. I would tell the children that they have already played with bubbles and they know what happens if we are too rough with it. It pops!
Now it is time to pretend to be a bubble. We don’t want our bubble to pop, so everyone needs to blow up their bubble really big. Now let’s put ourselves into it. Be very careful! Now everyone needs to walk very mindfully and carefully around the room.
Play some slower music, quieter music and I would demonstrate tiptoeing and moving quietly. I don’t want my bubble to pop, I don’t want to bump into anyone or anything, I want to be mindful of my own space.
This is also a great way to teach kids about being mindful of their own bodies, their personal space and other people’s personal space.
When the music stops, have the kids stay “inside their bubble. It is time to make a yoga pose. So this is tons of fun and it’s a great way to practice both mindfulness and yoga poses. So some great ones for kids, I would have from our Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards which include 40 kid-friendly yoga poses and games.
Call out the pose that everyone can make and show the corresponding Yoga Pose Card Visual. For example, “Everyone moves into Chair Pose. The kids would very carefully make their Chair Pose inside their Bubble. They must be careful not to be too rough, as they don’t want their bubble to pop.
Now we are going to go into a Tree Pose and the kids would practice holding that pose “inside their bubble”.
Be very careful to hold Tree Pose inside your bubble so it does not pop!
Next turn the music would turn on again and the children would resume moving around carefully and trying not letting their bubble pop.
This is a great game to bring the energy level back down, bring mindfulness back in and the younger kids love this.
All Aboard the Stilly Train: Yoga Game for Children
Hello, are you ready to play a fun game that kids love because they get to act very silly? Find your Free Yoga Games Guide below and get ready to follow along and play! It is time to jump aboard the Silly Train: Yoga Game for Children.
Have all of the students line up behind the leader in one straight line.
The leader shows the selected yoga pose and ever everyone practices it.
When the leader is ready to start, they will lead the train around the room.
The passengers or people following will dance or move as silly as they can, while staying in line
When the leader turns around, everyone must instantly go into the selected pose. Take turns by changing train leaders.
This is lots of fun and the kids love the opportunity to just be silly while moving their bodies.
Leader Notes:
Play some music for added fun.
Change up the Yoga Poses to keep everyone on their toes while learning and practicing a variety of poses.
Adults make sure you join in as well (even when you are not the leader). Kids love to see you be silly too!
More Favorite Kids Yoga Games
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Welcome to our Active Games for Kids, I’m so happy that you’re here!
Grab your FREE Summer Yoga Games Guide with directions, poses and downloads.
The Yoga Hurdles game has always been a favorite of kids in my yoga classes. Yoga Hurdles is found in our new bestselling book Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for Children.Go Go Yoga for Kids: Yoga Games & Activities for Children includes over 150 games, partner games, breathing exercises, teamwork, group challenges, mindful games. This game is in the Active Movement Game chapter.
A lot of times in yoga we talk about with kids how it’s not just about holding the poses and being still and quiet. It’s also about getting your heart pumping and feeling good and getting that energy there. We call this the Active Movement part of your Kids Yoga Class. By playing Yoga Hurdles, you will get that energy going for sure!
How to Play Yoga Hurdles:
First ask the kids if they know what a hurdle is. Ask if they have seen them at a track and field event.
Tell them that today in this game they are going to be the Human hurdles! This means that they are going to become hurdles themselves!
The kids sit facing a partner and they put their legs out and feet to feet so it creates a hurdle. With younger kids this will be enough and they will feel a good stretch. When playing with older kids you can make varied heights of the hurdles with your hands.
Make a Yoga Hurdle with Your Body and Feel a Good Stretch
The Human Hurdles sit themselves in a line, allowing enough space for the children to jump over each hurdle.
Each child take a turn running through the hurdles. They have to be mindful and careful when doing this and The Human Hurdles need to be still and quiet as well
Game Variations:
The kids have a lot of fun with this game and there are several variations that you can try.
You can easily space the Human Hurdle further apart or this game can easily be changed up and you can make it into a relay or you can make it into a race.
Another way to change it up is by not having the kids be partners but instead, they are lying in a circle with their heads pointed toward the center of the circle.
One child at a time goes around the circle and hops carefully over the hurdles.
Conclusion:
Yoga Hurdles is a game that children love because it is fun and different. I love how it gets their hearts pumping and happy as they prepare to learn and practice their themed yoga poses. Find out how to easily teach yoga poses to children.
Learn about the fun variations with the game Yoga Hurdles.
Games are a great way to get kids moving, build strength, practice following directions, working together, and the opportunity to practice yoga poses in fun and engaging ways.
Plow Pass Relay is a favorite yoga game for children! Although this exercise does involve moving your arms and legs, it is also about firing up your core and using those deep muscles that wrap around your sides and spine.
Core strength is important in all that we do and this is true for children as well. Your core stabilizes your body which helps with balance and mobility which is especially important as we age.
Kids don’t care about this as much though! They just enjoy this fun exercises that can be done by themselves, with a partner, or in a small group.
How to Play Plow Pass Relay: Yoga Game for Kids
Teach the children how to safely how to do Plow Pose.
Next, have the children make two lines. The first person at the front of the line puts the ball between their feet and moves into Plow Pose.
The child then passes the ball (or yoga block) backward to the child behind them.
The ball continues to be passed until the last person has taken a turn.
Sit in a circle. The first person puts the ball between their feet and goes into Boat Pose.
The child then passes the ball to the child next to by only moving their feet.
The ball continues to be passed around the circle.
Teacher Note:
Often times children try to lay on their back while they pass the ball. I like to say, “no sinking ships!” It is important to remember that the main benefits of this game are to increase core strength, practice teamwork and have fun!
It is fun to try a variety of different sized balls while playing Plow Pass Relay. Beach balls are always a favorite!
Plow Pass Relay is a favorite yoga game for children and one that is a wonderful core strengthener. Adults, when you play this game with children you will definitely be feeling it the next day in your midsection!
Although this game and exercise does involve moving your arms and legs, it is really about the core and will fire up those deep muscles that wrap around your sides and spine.
Core strength is so important in all that we do and this is true for children as well. Your core stabilizes your body which helps with balance and mobility which is especially important as we age.
Kids don’t care about this as much though! They just enjoy this fun game can be done by themselves, with a partner, or in a small group.
We have exciting news! You are now able to find your favorite Go Go Yoga for Kids books available in e-book form right from our website and brand new Go Go Yoga for Kids E-Store!
Introducing the Go Go Yoga for Kids E-Store!
Why the Go Go Yoga for Kids E-Store Matters to You:
Now you are able to easily download your Go Go Yoga for Kids books on any device. This means your iphone, computer, tablet, kindle, ipad. Any of these places!
You can also easily transfer your Go Go Yoga for Kids books from device to device.
This is also extra exciting because you are able to easily print out sections that are important to you. You know how much I love writing and putting together kids yoga lesson plans. Now you can easily find which lesson plan you want to use and print it out for your personal use. This is also true for our lesson plan templates, guides and games that are found in our books!
Another great reason to purchase your e-books directly from the author is that it does help me out. You know how kids yoga is my passion and I love being able to get resources and ideas straight to you. When you purchase directly from the author this allows a great connection and helps small businesses such as Go Go Yoga for Kids.
Thank you for checking out our Go Go Yoga for Kids E-Store and directly supporting me, the author. I have changed my shopping habits with so many small businesses feeling the impact from the coronavirus. I so appreciate your support.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards
