How to Teach Yoga to Kids: A Simple Guide for Teachers and Parents

The first time most adults try to teach yoga to kids, they plan a lovely, calm sequence. Then five minutes in, someone is a lion, someone is a volcano and someone has decided to lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling. That’s okay. That’s kids. Learning how to teach yoga to kids is mostly learning how to work with that energy instead of against it.

Here’s what I’ve learned from years of kids classes, parties and family yoga at our studio.

Start with play, not poses

Children don’t come to yoga for alignment. They come to move, imagine and be with other kids. So the best kids classes are built around a story, a theme or a game, with the poses woven in.

Instead of “now we’ll do cobra pose,” try “we’re walking through the jungle, and oh, there’s a snake. Let’s be the snake. What sound does a snake make?”

The pose is the same. The experience is completely different.

A simple structure for a kids yoga class

This outline works for most ages, with small changes:

1. Welcome circle. Names, a quick check-in, maybe “show me with your body how you feel today.”
2. Breathing game. Something playful, like blowing out birthday candles or smelling a flower and blowing out a candle.
3. Warm-up movement. Shake it out, stretch tall, wiggle.
4. Theme adventure. A story or journey with poses along the way.
5. Game. Freeze dance with poses, yoga “Simon says” or a partner pose challenge.
6. Relaxation. A short, guided rest. Keep it brief for little ones.
7. Closing circle. One word about how they feel now.

Having a clear rhythm helps kids feel safe. They learn what’s coming next, and transitions get easier.

How to adapt for different ages

Toddlers. Short attention spans and lots of movement. Use songs, repetition and very simple poses. Grown-ups usually practice alongside them. Our Mommy and Me classes are built this way.

Young kids (about 4 to 7). Stories and imagination are everything. Keep instructions short. Use animal poses, sounds and silly moments.

Older kids (about 8 to 12). They like challenges and games with rules. Partner poses, balance challenges and a little more explanation of why we breathe the way we do go over well.

Teens. Treat them like the young adults they’re becoming. They often appreciate stress relief, strength, real breathing tools and a quiet rest at the end, without any “baby” themes.

Breathing tools kids actually use

Breathing is one of the most useful things we can teach children. A few favorites:

• Balloon breath: breathe in and make your belly big like a balloon, breathe out and let it float down.
• Bumblebee breath: hum on the exhale and feel the buzz.
• Snake breath: a long hiss on the way out.
• Starfish breath: trace your fingers with the other hand, in up one finger, out down the other side.

Practice these when kids are calm, so they can find them when they’re upset.

Managing the room with kindness

Every kids teacher needs a few gentle tools:

• Use a signal. A chime or a special word means “freeze and listen.”
• Give jobs. A wiggly child can be your helper, handing out props or ringing the chime.
• Say what to do, not what not to do. “Feet on your mat” works better than “stop running.”
• Keep instructions short. One step at a time.
• Let go of perfect. If they’re moving, breathing and smiling, the class is working.

It also helps to remember that kids are still learning to regulate their bodies and feelings. Your calm is contagious.

Keep it safe

• Know any health concerns or injuries ahead of time.
• Avoid forcing any pose or holding kids in shapes.
• Keep a clear space, and watch balancing and partner poses closely.
• Have another adult nearby for larger groups.
• Be thoughtful about touch, and ask before any hands-on help.

Do you need a certification to teach kids yoga?

There’s no single legal requirement, but training makes a real difference in your confidence and your safety. It also matters to schools, camps and studios that may hire you.

A good kids yoga training covers child development and age groups, creative movement and play, breathwork and emotional regulation, mindfulness for children, trauma-aware and inclusive teaching, sequencing, classroom management and family yoga.

Our Kids Yoga Teacher Training

Our full Kids Yoga Teacher Training is in development. It’s planned as an online, self-paced training, with in-person trainings to follow. No prior experience teaching children is required. It’s designed for yoga teachers, classroom educators, parents and caregivers, therapists and community leaders.

Planned tuition is $247 online and $555 in person, with a Kids Yoga Teacher Certification on completion and Yoga Alliance CE credits for current RYTs. Join the interest list and we’ll email you first when enrollment opens.

If you’re already in our 200-hour training, a recorded kids yoga mini training with Micheline is available to 200-hour trainees now.

Try it at home first

You don’t need a certificate to do yoga with your own kids. Start with five minutes before bed: a couple of animal poses, one breathing game and a short rest. See what they love, and build from there. And if you’re in Rockville Centre or nearby on Long Island, come watch how our teachers do it in a kids class or a yoga birthday party.

Be the first to know

If you’d love to share yoga and mindfulness with children, I’d love to help you do it well. Join the interest list and you’ll hear first when the training opens.

Join the Kids Yoga Teacher Training interest list