Kids yoga does not look like grown-up yoga. There is more barking. More hissing. Somebody is usually a volcano. And at the end, if it went well, a room full of wiggly five-year-olds is lying on their backs, eyes closed, breathing slowly for a whole minute.
That last part still gets me every time.
Yoga gives kids a way to move their bodies, name their feelings, and practice calming down, all while playing. You don’t need a studio or a special mat to start. Here are some easy poses and games to try at home, plus a little about why it helps.
Why yoga is so good for kids
Kids today are asked to sit still and focus for long stretches, often while their bodies are begging to move. Yoga meets them in the middle. It moves the body first, which makes it easier to settle the mind afterward.
A few of the things we see in our kids classes week after week:
- Better body awareness and balance. Standing on one foot is hard. Getting better at it builds coordination and confidence.
- Tools for big feelings. When kids practice slow breathing while they’re calm, it’s easier to reach for it when they’re upset.
- Focus. Holding a pose, listening for the next cue, and noticing the breath are all small attention workouts.
- Confidence. There are no winners or losers on the mat. Every child can do a version of every pose.
- Rest. Many kids rarely get a chance to be still. Learning that rest is allowed (and feels good) is a gift.
Keep your expectations playful. Yoga won’t make any child perfectly calm all the time. But it gives them tools they can grow into.
Easy poses kids love
Make every pose an animal or an object. Kids connect instantly with poses they can act out. Hold each one for three to five breaths, or as long as it’s fun.
Mountain. Stand tall, feet together, arms by your sides. “Be as still and strong as a mountain.” A great starting and resetting pose.
Tree. From mountain, place one foot on the opposite ankle or calf (not the knee). Arms up like branches. Sway in the wind, then find stillness. Switch sides.
Cat and Cow. On hands and knees. Round the back like a scared cat and say “meow.” Drop the belly and look up like a cow and say “moo.” Kids will ask for this one again.
Downward Dog. Hands and feet on the floor, hips up high like an upside-down V. Wag your tail. Lift one leg for a “dog at the fire hydrant,” which is guaranteed to get laughs.
Cobra. Lie on your belly, hands under your shoulders, gently lift your chest and hiss like a snake.
Butterfly. Sit with the soles of the feet together and knees out wide. Flap the knees like wings. Where is your butterfly flying today?
Frog. Squat low with feet wide and hands on the floor between them. Then jump up and “ribbit.”
Star. Stand with feet wide and arms stretched out. Shine as bright as you can.
Boat. Sit, lean back a little, and lift the feet off the floor. Can you row your boat without tipping over?
Child’s Pose. Knees on the floor, sit back on your heels, forehead down, arms resting. “Be a tiny turtle in your shell.” A perfect rest pose any time.
Breathing tricks for little ones
Breathing is where a lot of the calming magic lives. Keep it short and fun.
Balloon breath. Hands on the belly. Breathe in and fill up your belly like a balloon. Breathe out slowly and let the balloon float down. Three to five times.
Bumblebee breath. Breathe in through the nose, then hum like a bee on the way out. The humming makes it longer and slower without any effort. Kids love to feel the buzz in their lips.
Birthday candle breath. Hold up five fingers as candles. Smell the cake (breathe in), then blow out one candle at a time.
Snake breath. Breathe in, then hiss out slowly like a snake. Try to make the hiss last as long as you can.
Games to make it stick
Yoga Freeze Dance. Play music and dance. When the music stops, call out a pose and everyone freezes in it.
Animal Alphabet. Pick a letter. Come up with an animal that starts with it, then invent a pose for it together. (G is for giraffe: stand tall and reach way up.)
Story Yoga. Tell a simple story and act it out with poses. “We walked up the mountain, saw a tree, met a snake, found a butterfly, and rested like a turtle.”
Pose Cards or Dice. Draw simple pictures of poses on index cards, or tape them to a big block. Take turns choosing one.
Mirror Me. Face each other. One person makes a pose, the other copies. Then switch.
Tips for practicing at home
- Keep it short. Five to ten minutes is plenty for young kids. Stop before they’re done.
- Practice when they’re calm. Bedtime or after school works well. Breathing skills are easier to use when upset if they’ve been practiced during calm moments.
- Do it with them. Kids copy what we do more than what we say. You’ll get some benefit too.
- Let them lead. Once they know a few poses, ask them to teach you. They love being the teacher.
- Skip the perfection. Wobbling, giggling and falling over are all part of it.
Comfortable clothes that move are all you need. If you’re shopping for them, our kids leggings come in the same prints as our grown-up capris, and our kids rash guards do double duty for yoga and beach days (UPF 38 to 40). Both are a stretchy poly-spandex blend.
When to bring them to the studio
Home practice is wonderful. A class adds things that are hard to recreate in the living room: other kids, a teacher who knows how to hold a room of little ones, music, props, stories, and a real rest at the end that somehow feels different in a group.
At Revolution Yoga in Rockville Centre, we offer classes for every stage:
- Mommy and Me Yoga (ages 2 to 5 with a parent or caregiver): movement, music, games and connection. Snuggles encouraged.
- Kids Yoga (ages 5 to 10): creative classes built around confidence, mindfulness, movement and emotional awareness.
- Tweens and Teens Yoga (ages 11 to 17): stress reduction, confidence and balance for growing bodies and minds.
- Family Yoga: all ages on the same mat.
We also host yoga birthday parties and bring programs to schools and camps. You’ll find all of it on our Kids and Family page.
Book a class
Try a few poses at home this week. Then come practice with us. It’s a sweet thing to watch your child discover they can breathe their way through a hard moment, and a class is a great place to start.
