Children’s yoga poses don’t have to be difficult to introduce. You may be surprised at how easy it is to introduce your children or students to yoga, which can help instill a lifelong love of yoga.

Yoga is an excellent way to introduce children of all ages, including toddlers preschoolers, to the benefits of self-care and exercise. With yoga for children, poses are often playful and imaginative, encouraging creativity and imagination instead of strict postures. It’s a great way to get kids active while helping them focus on mindfulness and relaxation techniques that can benefit them in many areas of their lives.

From yoga games and stories to yoga-inspired crafts and activities, there are so many ways to keep your child engaged in yoga practice! By exploring yoga poses with your child, you’re providing them with the tools they need for healthy growth – both mentally and physically. So why not try yoga with your little one today? Together you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of yoga and find creative ways to stay active.

If you’re a teacher and considering using children’s yoga in the classroom, I say, “YES!!!!” A few things if you aren’t sure how to go about doing it — especially if you have never practiced yoga before.

Be an Active Participant
Children love participating with grown-ups. They love it when you’re silly and just having fun. I cannot stress this enough — children will get SO MUCH MORE out of yoga if you participate with them. Don’t just get some pose cards out or turn on a video and hope they engage. If you do it with them, it has much more of an impact. You know what’s great about preschoolers? They’re 2-5 years old. They don’t judge you or your yoga skills. You can only do what you can do — just do your best (you know, the same thing we tell our students daily!) If you can’t bend down and touch your toes, it’s OKAY!

Talk About the Benefits
When doing yoga, say things like, “Wow! This is a great stretch! I can feel it in my arms and legs. It gives me energy,” or “This pose makes me feel calm.” Talk about the feelings and benefits of each of the poses as you do them. Ask the children how a pose makes *them* feel.

Consistency is Key
Consistency IS key. The more you practice, the more results you can see — not just with your students, but with yourself. How many jobs are out there where you can be active, engage small humans AND see the benefits of the activity within yourself? Make yoga a part of your students’ day, just like any other activity. Put it on the schedule. Incorporate it into your every day preschool life: “Jacob, I see you are frustrated. What are some things we can do when we’re frustrated? How about volcano pose? Let all your frustration out. We can do it together!”

Make It Fun
What are some ways to make yoga fun for preschool and kindergarten? Play yoga and movement games (if you haven’t already, check out our YOGA BUNDLE FREEBIE in the sidebar!). Have children make up their own poses based on your theme. You might be surprised –sometimes they come up with some great ideas. It helps them creatively, but they also feel part of your classroom community. This is something you all do together.

Use the Blank Cards
Most of Yogalore’s yoga pose card sets come with blank cards. They feature unique borders, many of which were done by my preschool and kindergarten students. Have children draw their made up yoga poses, or take photos of them doing their made up pose and then attach it to the blank card and then they have their very own yoga pose card. Put them together and you will have an entire set of yoga pose cards featuring your students! What a great end of the year gift for them to take with them to remember your time together.

Using children’s yoga poses in your home and classroom can be a game-changer. Not only does it benefit your students, but it also can benefit you!