Yoga for kids involves simple and playful body movements in short sessions.
Introducing yoga to your child can improve their physical and mental health. They’ll be more focused, stronger, and more confident.
Some poses you can try with your child include the tree pose, bridge pose, downward dog, and butterfly pose.
Nowadays, it can feel impossible to pluck a child away from their screens. Their worlds are rife with digital distractions and rising pressures in school.
Enter yoga for kids—a simple, fun, and powerful practice for managing emotions and finding a peaceful center. Yoga provides a powerful toolkit for achieving mindfulness, focus, and body awareness. Because of this, we’ve seen yoga programs for kids pop up everywhere. They’ve even become staples in school physical education curricula.
Discover how yoga for kids works, what its benefits are, and simple poses you can teach your child.
What is Yoga for Kids?
Yoga for kids entails simple body movements, deep breathing, and mindfulness. It’s a modified version of traditional yoga that focuses on physical movements, self-awareness, and emotional regulation from a more playful and casual perspective.
While adult yoga is more structured, focused, and meditative, children’s yoga is more playful, energetic, and imaginative. It also occurs over a shorter period—typically between 30 and 45 minutes per session, whereas adult yoga can run up to 90 minutes.
If you’re working with toddlers, an age-appropriate method for introducing yoga is through play. You can have them pretend to be animals and introduce simple poses in short five to 15-minute sessions. For school-age kids, you can have them focus on following a sequence or narrating a story to keep them engaged.
Benefits of Yoga for Kids
Yoga offers a welcome opportunity for children to unplug from their screens and connect with their mind and body. Here are ways that slowing down, taking a deep breath, and practicing mindfulness can benefit your child physically and mentally.
Physical Benefits of Yoga for Kids
Improved strength and flexibility: As children stretch into different poses, they exercise the muscles and joints. It also improves their balance and aerobic capacity [*].
Better posture and body awareness: When children learn to position themselves in proper alignment, they become more attuned to their bodies. They’ll start noticing how they position their back, shoulders, and limbs. They’ll learn to listen to their bodies and spot cues that prevent injuries.
Healthy physical habits: Yoga’s non-competitive nature can help children appreciate physical activity without needing to “win.” It’s also highly adaptable, which allows children to participate at any level. Yoga’s inclusive approach motivates children to engage in physical activity.
Mental Benefits of Yoga for Kids
Better focus and concentration: The deep breathing aspect of yoga helps children focus on one thing at a time while clearing their minds. According to research, teachers have found that short yoga breaks improve their students’ working memory and classroom behavior [*].
Reduced stress and anxiety: Yoga teaches children to relax their minds and bodies. This combination of breathing and mindful movement helps release tension and promotes a sense of calm and peace in children [*].
Higher confidence and self-esteem: Unlike team sports and competitive activities, yoga asks children to focus on their inner strength. When they find their balance and learn new poses, they can enjoy a sense of accomplishment, which leads to self-assurance and higher confidence.
Fun and Easy Yoga Poses for Kids
Getting started in yoga doesn’t require a specialized studio or hours of peace and quiet. All your child needs is a bit of space and playful motivation. Below are a few fun and easy yoga poses tailored for children.
Mountain Pose
The mountain pose is an ideal starting position for children just beginning their yoga practice. Have your child stand with their feet together and arms relaxed at their sides. Then, instruct them to stand tall, like a mountain, with their head facing the sky and their shoulders relaxed.
Tree Pose
Starting from the mountain pose, ask your child to shift their weight onto one foot. Then, bend the opposite knee and place the sole of their foot onto their standing leg. Once they find their balance, ask them to bring their hands together as if in prayer. Breathe deeply in and out.
Downward Dog
Have the child start by getting into a position with their hands and knees on the floor. Spread their fingers wide and reach forward. Tuck the head in so that their body resembles a V-shape, upside down. This pose is excellent for stretching the whole body.
Warrior Pose
From a standing position, have your child step one foot forward into a slight lunge. Then, raise both arms toward the sky. You can invoke a brave character, such as a soldier or superhero, to help them focus.
Cat-Cow Pose
Have your child start on their hands and knees. To do the cat pose, have them round their back up toward the ceiling and tuck their chin into their chest—kind of like a hissing cat. The cow pose is the opposite. They’ll drop their belly down to the floor and lift their head back as if ready to moo.
Cobra Pose
First, the child will lie on their tummy and place their hands on the floor, under their shoulders, with their elbows bent as if to do a push-up. Then, they’ll lift their head and chest off the ground while their tummy remains in contact with the floor. As they lift up, encourage them to hiss like a cobra.
Lion Pose
Have your child kneel and sit back on their heels. Have them place their hands on their knees and ask them to take a deep breath through their nose. As they exhale, ask them to stick their tongue out and release a loud “ROAR!”
Butterfly Pose
Have your child sit on their bottom and bend their knees to bring the soles of their feet together. The legs will naturally drop open to form a “wing shape.” Have your child “flap” their legs like wings and encourage them to imagine they are butterflies in a tranquil garden.
Child’s Pose
For this calming pose, have your child kneel on the floor and sit back so their bottom rests on their heels. Fold the upper body forward and drape over the thighs to let the forehead rest on the ground. Keep the arms outstretched or relaxed on your child’s sides. Adapt imagery to get your child into the zone. For example, you might relate the pose to “being a quiet mouse.”
Bridge Pose
This dynamic pose is excellent for older children who have already started practicing yoga. First, have your child lie on their back with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then, instruct them to lift their hips up to the ceiling to create a bridge with their body.
How to Get Kids Excited About Yoga
Yoga shouldn’t feel like a chore. Here are a few fun ways you can get your child excited about yoga.
Create a calm, safe yoga space
Pick a cozy spot in your home where your child can move around safely. Move any potential hazards, including breakables and gadgets. Provide a yoga mat or something suitable, like a small rug or towel.
Remove any distractions and create a soothing atmosphere by playing calming music or using only dim lights.
Incorporate yoga into daily routines
Yoga shouldn’t feel like a chore to your kids. Instead, you can make it a seamless part of their daily routine. For example, you might introduce simple yoga poses are part of a daily morning stretch or a before-bed ritual. Lead by example by practicing yoga alongside them.
Keep sessions short and consistent
Children have notoriously short attention spans, so don’t make sessions too long. Short three to five-minute bursts will keep kids engaged more effectively. Keep the routine predictable and keep the same time each week (for instance, every morning or immediately after your child returns home from school).
Encourage participation, not perfection
A good yoga session doesn’t mean forcing your child to get into the perfect pose. Instead, it should be playful and pressure-free. Celebrate your child’s attempts—even the wobbly, imperfect ones. Let your child’s imagination run wild by inventing poses and turning them into games or stories.
The Bottom Line
Weaving yoga into your child’s daily routine can help children nurture their bodies and minds. This simple break from life's stresses can be a powerful way to unwind and recenter.
Discover other stress management worksheets and activities in our collections to supplement your child’s daily yoga routine.
FAQs
Is yoga safe for children?
Yes, yoga is safe for children, provided they are guided by an adult through the practice. Consider finding an instructor who specializes in children’s yoga, or follow a guided yoga video by a certified instructor.
At what age can kids start yoga?
Children can start learning yoga as early as infancy. At six weeks, parents can try baby yoga, which involves gently moving the baby’s body while singing, talking, and maintaining eye contact. This early-stage yoga focuses on bonding and sensory input.
Between the ages of two and three, children can begin learning animal poses, such as downward dog and lion’s breath, to develop their gross motor skills.
How often should kids practice yoga?
There is no set number for how often children should practice yoga, but consistency is more important than frequency. Younger toddlers can typically manage daily five-minute sessions or one organized class per week, while children between five and 11 can participate in a 30- to 45-minute session once or twice a week.
Sources:
Berger. “Effects of yoga on inner-city children’s well-being: a pilot study.” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2025.
Weaver LL, Darragh AR. “Systematic Review of Yoga Interventions for Anxiety Reduction Among Children and Adolescents.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2015.
