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.
Bring a buddy and join the fun for our Kids Yoga Partner Class with Go Go Yoga Kids at Athleta, Jordan Creek on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 8:30 AM. No buddy, no problem. We got you covered! See you then!
Yoga can be done with all ages and has numerous benefits for your body both inside and out. Trying these four progressive kids yoga poses and easy-to-remember mantras will give your body many physical and mental benefits.
These fun and family-friendly progressive poses only take minutes each day. By consistently pairing these poses with saying the given mantra, you will begin to feel many physical and mental benefits take place.
Child’s Pose
This still and quiet centering pose is a perfect one to begin with. Sit back on your heels, slowly bring your forehead to the ground, and stretch your arms out overhead. Take a few deep breaths in and out of your nose.Mantra: I am calm and centered.
Down Dog
Place your palms flat on the ground and step your feet back to create an upside down “V” shape. Keep your head loose and look between your knees. This is a great pose for building arm and leg strength. Kids love to hear how this pose lengthens their hamstring muscles and can make them seem taller.
Mantra: I am strengthening and lengthening.
Boat Pose
Balance on your bottom, tighten your stomach, and bring your legs up to make a “V” shape while maintaining a flat back. Try to move your arms slowly from side to side as if you are rowing a boat. This is fun for kids and wonderful for building good core strength.
Mantra: I am strong and balanced.
Plank Pose
This pose will work every muscle in your body. Hold that perfect plank position with your body while forming a straight line from head to feet. Try to hold this pose for 15 seconds. Squeeze your stomach and legs together to feel lighter. See if you can hold this pose for 30 seconds. Try to work up to a minute which is definitely an extra challenge!Mantra: My body and mind are strong.
Practice these five poses every day and notice the changes you feel in your body and mind. These brand new pose cards will challenge you and your family with balance, flexibility, mindfulness, and more. It will only take minutes each day to gain lifelong skills and health benefits. This yoga card deck includes thirty poses including partner poses, confidence building pose mantras, and fun games to play together using our Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards.
The Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards include:
40 progressive kids yoga poses with colorful illustrations
Empowering pose mantras for beginners and also for meditation
15 Bonus Yoga Games to play with pose cards
Poses rated from 1-5 stars based on difficulty
Easy to flow poses for your own yoga routine
Tested and proven kids yoga poses to bring the most mental and physical benefits
Looking for more kids yoga lesson plans and games? Get your copy of Go Go Yoga for Kids books here.
Does the Winter gray weather got you and your kids feeling cooped up? In just 5 minutes, I promise you will be feeling more fit, flexible and focused while having fun with your kids.
Five Ways to Cure Kids’ Cabin Fever with Yoga
Cold weather during the winter months can keep kids cooped up inside. It is important for kids to move and be active during these winter months. Physical activity helps stimulate those happy endorphins and keeps your body healthy and strong. So next time your kids have been cooped up and need to burn off some energy, turn on some music, and try these fun kid-friendly yoga poses to get fit, focused, and flexible together. No props or materials needed!
Tree Pose
This pose is a favorite of kids and parents! Tree Pose in yoga also has many benefits. It is a perfect way to practice balance and focus! Bring your foot to your calf and place your hands at heart center. As you become more steady, bring your foot to your thigh and move your hands overhead for tree branches. A tip for holding tree pose in yoga is to focus on a spot on the ground that is not moving.
Warrior 2 Jumps
Kids love this pose. It is a great way to get the heart pumping and keep it healthy. Stand strong in Warrior 2 with arms outstretched and your front leg bent. Try jumping and switching directions while landing in Warrior 2. Try to get a little hang time in your 180-degree jumps. It is almost like snowboarding but much warmer!
Plank Pose
This pose will work every muscle in your body. Hold a plank pose with your body forming a straight line from head to feet. Try to hold this pose for 15 seconds. Squeeze your stomach and legs together and it will make you feel lighter. Can you hold this pose for 30 seconds? Try to work up to one minute for an extra challenge!
Down Dog Push Ups
We have all done push-ups and feel the effects in our arms. Down Dog push-ups work not only your arms but also increase the length of your hamstring muscles. Move your arms to a push-up form while in the Down Dog pose. Kids probably won’t be able to get as close to the floor, but they will work their arms and legs in a whole new way!
Row Your Boat
Balance on your bottom and bring your legs up to make a “V” shape. Try to move your arms from side to side as if you are rowing a boat. This is fun for kids and wonderful for building good core strength.
Keep practicing these yoga poses and notice how your body changes. With these simple exercises, kids are working together on balance, flexibility, focus, and core strength while making their hearts and minds healthy and happy!
40 progressive yoga poses for kids and adults to practice and master. Each pose card includes a mantra to incorporate mindfulness and meditation. Each card deck comes in a sturdy burlap drawstring bag and is 4×6 inches big.
Looking for something active and fun to do with children this winter?
Children love this Snow Much Fun Kids Yoga Lesson plan. All you need are some names of yoga poses that you want to teach, some plush white balls, and some pose card visuals which make it helpful for children to see and understand what the pose looks like.
Before plying with kids I attach a small sticker or tape to the snowballs with the name of a yoga pose on each one. Fun poses to include that children always enjoy learning and practicing are Star Pose, Warrior 2, Boat Pose, Chair Pose, and Triangle Pose.
Select just 4-6 yoga poses for the children to learn and practice for each themed cold yoga class. It is best to focus on practicing a few yoga poses during a class instead of many yoga poses.
I like to use a present box or holiday gift bag to put the snowballs in. It creates a lot more anticipation when the kids take turns drawing the pose (snowball) out of a box or bag.
After one snowball pose is drawn, all of the children practice that pose before drawing out a new pose.
I model the poses myself or use the Kids Yoga Challenge Pose Cards or the Kids Yoga Challenge App to help demonstrate the pose. After all of the snowballs have been selected, then it is time to play some yoga games to practice the poses.
Kids also love practicing balance with their snowballs. I like to line the children up on one end of the room. Slowly they try to walk and balance their snowball on their outstretched hand, in their elbow, under their chin, or on top of their heads. Ask the children where else they could balance their snowball. They are sure to have ideas.
Children can also use their snowball for a breathing exercise called the Snowball Race. Students line up their snowball at the back of their yoga mat. On your mark, get set and go! They try to use their strong breath to move the snowball to the end of their mat.
At the end of class, have the children slowly melt into their mats, and place their snowball on their bellies. As they breathe deeply, they can notice the rise and fall of their breath with the snowball.
