50 Yoga Poses for Kids for Strong Bodies and Calm Minds

Looking for a fun and creative way to unleash your child’s inner animal or superhero? These 50 yoga poses for kids can transform energy into focus. This ultimate guide makes fitness fun, relieves anxiety in kids, and helps children nurture strong, healthy bodies [*].

Easy Yoga Poses for Kids

As with any new hobby, start simple! Be patient and give your child time to explore and master these poses at their own comfortable pace. Here are some easy yoga poses for children just learning about yoga.

Mountain Pose

This simple pose improves posture and balance while helping your child feel empowered and strong.

Have your child stand tall with their feet together, arms by their sides, and palms facing forward. Inhale deeply and lift the arms overhead. Look forward and keep the position for 20 to 30 seconds.

Downward Dog

This pose strengthens the arms and legs, exercises the spine, and improves focus.

Start on the hands and knees, then ask your child to lift their hips toward the ceiling to form an inverted V-shape. Straighten the legs and hold the arms shoulder-length apart.

Tree Pose

Like the mountain pose, this pose improves balance, concentration, and focus.

Ask your child to stand on one leg and bring the sole of the opposite foot to the inner calf or thigh. Press the palms together in front of the chest and maintain the pose for 10 to 20 seconds.

Butterfly Pose

This pose stretches the inner thighs and improves flexibility. It also aids in digestion.

Ask your child to sit with their soles together and let their knees drop to the sides. Hold the feet, sit up straight, and flap the knees up and down like a butterfly flapping its wings.

Cobra Pose

The cobra pose strengthens the back and improves posture by opening the chest.

Ask your child to lie on their stomach with their hands under their shoulders. Then, gently lift the chest off the ground while keeping the elbows slightly bent. Remind them to inhale as they lift while lengthening the neck and looking up or forward.

Happy Baby Pose

This is a relaxing pose that helps stretch the inner thighs and lower back.

Start by asking your child to lie on their back, bend their knees, and hold the outer edges of their feet. Ask your child to pull the outer edges of their feet as close to their body as possible, then rock gently from side to side for 20 to 30 seconds.

Child’s Pose

This classic pose promotes a sense of calm and tranquility while relaxing multiple parts of the body.

Ask your child to kneel on the floor, sit back on their heels, and reach their arms forward, palms resting on the ground. Encourage them to relax while breathing in and out for 20 to 30 seconds.

Bridge Pose

This pose helps alleviate stress by encouraging kids to focus on strength and stamina.

Start by having your child lie on their back, bending their knees, and placing their hands on either side of their body. Then, ask them to lift their hips toward the ceiling—provide assistance, if needed—and hold the position for a few seconds while squeezing the glutes and thighs.

Cat-Cow Pose

This fun animal pose promotes spine flexibility and massages the internal organs.

Start on the hands and knees. Ask your child to arch their back while inhaling deeply into the cow position, then exhale as they round out into the cat position.

Warrior Pose

This strong pose strengthens the arms and legs while helping your child to feel empowered.

Have your child stand with their legs wide apart. Turn one foot outwards while bending the knee and keeping the other leg straight. Ask them to raise their arms parallel to the floor and hold for a few seconds before switching sides.

Animal Yoga Poses for Kids

Is your child an animal-lover? Make yoga even more exciting and adventurous with these animal poses.

Lion Pose

This fun pose lets children release energy in an engaging and silly way.

Have your child kneel with their bottom resting on their heels and their hands planted on the ground. Inhale deeply, then as they breathe out, have them open their mouth wide, stick out their tongue, and roar!

Eagle Pose

This powerful stance encourages children to embody a strong, confident eagle with their wings spread wide.

To do the pose, have your child stand on one leg, cross the other leg over it, and hook their foot behind their standing calf. Then, cross the arms, bend the elbows, and press the palms together. If they want to, they can squawk like an eagle.

Fish Pose

For this pose, children must pretend they’re a fish swimming gracefully through the ocean.

Start with your child on their back, with their hands under their hips. Have them use their elbows to arch their chest up and let the crown of their head gently touch the floor.

Turtle Pose

This pose offers a great way to make your child feel safe and secure.

Ask your child to sit on the floor with the soles of their feet together, like in the butterfly pose. Then, slide the hands under the legs and have them rest their forehead down toward their feet.

Frog Pose

This silly pose gets children squatting like frogs, waiting to leap.

Start by having your child stand with their feet wide apart, then bend their knees and squat. Place their hands on the floor between their feet, then have them lift their heels.

Rabbit Pose

This pose is meant to mimic a curious rabbit sniffing the ground.

Ask your child to kneel on the floor and place the crown of their head on the ground between their knees. Then, have them reach back and hold their heels.

Camel Pose

This pose has children stretching their spine and extending up high to release tension in the body.

Start with your child on their knees. Have them tuck their toes or lay the tops of their feet flat—whatever is more comfortable. Then, have them place their hands on their lower back and press the hip bones forward into a stretch.

Crocodile Pose

The crocodile pose provides a fun, playful way to stretch the entire body.

First, have your child lie on their side with their arms long over their head. Then, ask them to raise their top leg to the ceiling. Take the leg up and down for a few rounds like a crocodile opening and closing its jaw.

Flamingo Pose

Like a flamingo, children must test their balance on one leg for this pose.

Have your child stand tall and lift one leg back toward their bottom while grasping their foot. Once they find their balance, have them lift their other arm to the sky and keep their chest out.

Fox Pose

For children who prefer a more challenging animal pose, the fox pose is a good choice.

Prep by having your child start on their hands and knees. Place their palms flat on the floor. Then, have them lift one leg and bend at the knee while pointing their toes to the sky.

Yoga Poses for 2 Kids

Double the kids? Double the yoga poses! Try these two-person yoga poses for siblings or best friends.

Double Tree Pose

This pose helps children build balance while practicing trust and communication with a partner.

Have each child stand next to their partner, then place the foot closest to their partner on their inner thigh or calf. Then, link arms for support.

Back-to-Back Chair Pose

This slightly more advanced pose strengthens the quads and encourages shared stability.

Have each child stand back-to-back with their arms linking at the elbows. Then, slowly move their feet forward with them sliding into a squat so their thighs are parallel with the floor. Hold the pose as long as possible.

Double Boat Pose

This pose provides an excellent stretch for the core muscles while helping your child develop coordination with their partner.

First, each child will sit facing the other with their knees bent. They’ll touch the soles of their feet together, hold hands, and slowly straighten their legs. They must pull on each other to balance.

Partner Plank

This powerful pose exercises full-body strength—especially in the core and arms.

The first child assumes a regular plank position, while the second stands over the first. They’ll place their hands on the first child’s ankles and their feet on the first child’s shoulders. Together, they’ll form a stacked plank.

Partner Forward Fold

This relaxing stretch exercises the hamstrings and upper back to encourage calmness and connection.

Each child stands facing the other with their legs wide. Then, they’ll bend forward at the waist and try to reach down to tap each other’s opposite hands or shins.

Partner Resting Pose

This partnered pose is a great way to take a breather or wind down after a yoga session. It also gently massages the internal organs.

Each child lies on their back, side by side. They’ll place their heads against their partner’s head or cheek, then breathe deeply.

Back-to-Back Twist

This pose massages the inner organs and promotes spinal flexibility.

First, have each child sit back-to-back with their legs crossed. Inhale, then as they exhale, twist to the right. Placing the right hand on the partner’s left knee and the left hand on their own knee. When they repeat this, switch sides.

Partner Mountain Pose

This strong tower promotes good posture and keeps children grounded. It helps them to feel centered and calm together.

Standing side by side, each child will link arms at the elbow and press their feet firmly to the ground. They’ll stand as tall as they can, practicing a few deep breaths.

Partner Warrior Pose

This high-focus pose encourages children to learn to hold eye contact while strengthening the legs and shoulders.

Both children will stand facing the same direction in a wide stance. They’ll turn their front foot out and bend the knee, then stretch their arms out to their sides. They’ll then hold eye contact with their partner.

Mirror Pose

This relaxing pose helps children develop body awareness and practice non-verbal communication.

Both children stand facing each other about two feet apart. Each child will take turns deciding on a slow, simple standing pose and perform it simultaneously, with the opposite child mirroring their movements.

Yoga Poses for 3 Kids

When it comes to yoga, three isn’t a crowd—it’s just a lot more fun! Here are some yoga poses you can try with three kids.

Three-Way Tree Pose

This three-way pose helps children exercise collective balance and interdependence.

All three children must stand in a triangle shape facing the center. Then, they’ll stand on their outer leg and place the foot closest to the center on their inner calves. They’ll hold hands toward the center to create one large, stable tree.

Seated Triangle Pose

This pose offers gentle spinal stretching and helps improve group awareness.

The kids start by sitting on the floor facing each other to form a triangle. They’ll extend their legs toward the center and hold hands with the person across from them. They’ll lean back to perform a light stretch.

Rainbow Bridge

This pose encourages spatial awareness while two kids practice back and core strength.

Two kids must first get into the table or bridge pose, side by side. The third child will slowly crawl under the bridge.

Group Cobra

This relaxing backbend pose promotes synchronization and helps children strengthen their back muscles.

The three kids must lie on their bellies side by side. They’ll rise into the cobra pose together by lifting their chests with their hands under the shoulders. Then, they’ll look left and right in unison.

Flying V Formation

This pose improves leg strength and individual focus while allowing participants to practice giving support and stability.

First, the child in the middle gets into a regular warrior pose. Then, the two children on either side of the middle child hold hands to provide balance and support.

Caterpillar Train

This interactive pose encourages group rhythm and synchronization. It strengthens the legs and arms through motion.

The three kids will first line up and get into a low squat. Together, they’ll move forward while in sync.

Group Warrior

This strong pose builds leg endurance and fosters a sense of unity.

Each child stands in a line facing the same direction. They’ll stand wide and turn their front feet out while bending the same knee. They’ll link arms with the person next to them and do a few deep breaths.

Group Frog Pose

This fun and silly pose strengthens the lower body and requires group synchronization.

First, all three kids squat low with their feet wide and hands on the floor. They’ll count to three and jump up together, clapping their hands above their heads before returning to the low squat.

Assisted Plank Pyramid

This challenging but satisfying pose builds intense arm and shoulder strength and is an excellent exercise in trust.

The first child will hold a plank while the second places their hands on the floor with their feet on the first child’s lower back to create an inclined plank. The third child places their hands on the floor and their feet on the second child’s lower back.

Snuggle Bugs

This collective child’s pose creates a sense of peace, quiet, and calmness while being in the moment.

Each child starts out kneeling, with the first child going into child’s pose. Then, the second goes into child’s pose while resting their head near the first child’s hips. The last child goes into child’s pose and rests their head near the second child’s hips to form a curled-up circle.

Hard Yoga Poses for Kids

For children already familiar with yoga or with a background in gymnastics, these harder yoga poses may provide a more appropriate challenge.

Crow Pose

This advanced pose improves arm strength and focuses core engagement while learning to balance.

First, the child will squat down with their hands flat on the floor in front of them. Then, they’ll place their knees on their upper arms or triceps. From there, they’ll slowly lean forward and shift their weight onto their hands while lifting their feet off the floor.

Starfish Plank

This pose helps strengthen the obliques and outer core muscles while improving lateral balance.

Have your child start in the plank pose, then shift their weight to the right hand and the outside edge of the right foot. Next, have them stack their left foot on top of their right and stretch their left arm up toward the sky. Repeat for the other side.

Dancer Pose

This challenging pose provides a powerful stretch while drastically improving balance.

Have your child stand on one leg, then reach back with the hand on the same side to grab the ankle or foot of the leg on the opposite side. Reach the other arm forward to balance.

Headstand

This advanced inversion exercises core and shoulder stability while improving blood flow and focus.

Have your child start by kneeling down and clasping their hands together. Have them place their forearms on the floor in a triangle shape. They’ll then place the crown of their head on the floor inside their hands and slowly lift their feet toward their head and toward the sky.

Half Moon Pose

This pose requires full-body coordination and dramatically improves balance.

Have your child start in the triangle pose, then place one hand on the floor in front of their front foot. Ask them to shift their weight onto that foot while lifting the back leg up parallel to the floor as they reach their top arm toward the sky.

Bow Pose

This more advanced backbend strengthens the entire back while opening the chest, shoulders, and hips.

Start with your child lying on their belly. Then, have them bend their knees and reach both arms back to grab their ankles or feet. Lift the chest and thighs off the floor.

Firefly Pose

This advanced arm-balancing pose exercises the triceps and builds core strength while creating a sense of lightness.

First, have your child squat down with their feet wide. Have them put their hands flat on the floor between their legs. Then, have them lift their hips up, slide their arms under their legs, and plant their palms. Have them lean back while lifting their feet off the floor and stretching their legs out wide.

Reverse Table Top

This pose strengthens the back of the body, including the glutes, hamstrings, and triceps.

Start with your child’s knees bent and feet flat. Have them place their hands behind them with their fingers pointing toward their feet. Then, press into their hands and feet to lift their hips up into a reverse tabletop position.

Camel Pose

This U-shape backbend variation stretches the entire front of the body and strengthens the back muscles.

Ask your child to kneel with their knees hip-width apart. Then, have them place their hands on their lower back and gently lean back while they reach their hands down to grab their knees. Remind them to push their hips forward and lean their head back.

Airplane Balance

This more complex version of the warrior pose helps children develop laser focus and builds strength in the core of the body.

Start standing, then ask your child to shift their weight to one leg while lifting the other leg straight back behind them. Hinge forward at the hips until the torso and raised leg are parallel to the floor. Raise their arms up to the sides like an airplane.

The Bottom Line

These 50 yoga poses are a welcome invitation for your child to play, stretch, and connect with others. Integrating these movements into your child’s daily routine can give them the lifelong gifts of mindfulness and body awareness.

Look through our self-care worksheets and stress management worksheets to find other ways for your child to treat their body well.

Sources

1. Shreve M, Scott A, McNeill C, Washburn L. “Using Yoga to Reduce Anxiety in Children: Exploring School-Based Yoga Among Rural Third- and Fourth-Grade Students.” Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 2021.