In 2016, when my last baby was just a couple of months old, I started my yoga for children teacher training. I had been off work for a while and was eager to get back, but wanted something that would work with my busy life, having four young kids. I had been practicing yoga myself since university and enjoyed prenatal yoga with my last three pregnancies. Before having my own family, I had always worked with children. Discovering that Children’s Yoga Teacher Training even existed enticed me; it felt like the perfect fit.
During my teacher training with Young Yoga Masters out of Toronto, I was introduced to some incredible resources for teaching yoga to children. Including different props in a yoga class for kids helps to keep their attention and make the experience more interactive for them. From books to plush, from websites to music CDs, this list introduces you to my favorite yoga resources that I have collected over the past 10 years as a yoga instructor for kids. Most of these I own at home, some I source online or from my local library.
Calm: A Board Book Written By Paloma Rossa
Calm is a board book from the ‘Mini Mindful Moments’ (available on Amazon) collection. I came across this sweet little book recently at my library. It has the cutest illustrations by Katia Klein. Inside this book are hands-on tactile pages that toddlers and preschoolers can trace their fingers along. For example, an embossed lotus flower reads, ‘Take three deep breaths as you trace the lotus with your finger.’
The book offers families suggestions for calming the mind, including counting to ten, asking for a hug, stretching your body, and shaking it out. It also instructs kids how to do the cat-cow yoga pose, a perfect beginner pose for young ones. This is a sweet introduction for the youngest of yogis.
Breathe Like A Bear: A Board Book By Kira Willey
From the ‘Mindfulness Moments for Kids’ collection, Breathe like a Bear tells the story of Bear as he looks for a cozy cave to rest. Kira Willey is an American musician, author, and yoga for kids guru. Her books and music are celebrated by the yoga world and educators alike. In my collection, you will find many resources by Willey.
This charming board book is beautifully illustrated again by Anni Betts. The story teaches toddlers how to breathe calmly, ‘breath in sloooowly, then let it all out’ as Bear meets Fox, and his family of bears. Bear learns to breathe on his journey and finds relaxation in his cave.
Meddy Teddy
This fun bear was one of the first plushies I added to my kids yoga arsenal. Meddy Teddy is made of posable limbs, making it the perfect companion for kids’ yoga. Children can bend and shape it into a variety of yoga poses and then do the same pose alongside the sweet bear. I use Meddy Teddy to demonstrate kids’ yoga poses in a fun and interactive way, often letting the kids take turns to pose Meddy themselves.
Meddy Teddy is a family-run U.S. business with a foundation that works with communities to bring yoga and meditation to children in the classroom and at home. Meddy Teddy comes with a pair of yoga pants, but you can also purchase additional clothing. The bendable bear now also has its yoga books featuring its favorite yoga poses.
Yoga Kids And Animal Friends: A Board Book Box Set
Yoga Bear, Yoga Bug, Yoga Whale, and Yoga Bunny are all included in this collection. I have acquired them all individually over the years because I love the different kids’ yoga poses they illustrate. These books are not a story, but rather an animal or insect performing a pose it is named after, accompanied by a child doing the same pose on the adjacent page. The books are bright, and the illustrations by Sarah Jane Hinder are engaging.
I love using them in my classes to demonstrate and have kids try new and different shapes. Firefly, stick bug, sloth, dolphin, and bunny are just a few of the fun poses families will find. An easy way to introduce your little ones to movement through yoga.
Yoga Animals So Cute: A Coloring Book By Kimma Parish
I love coloring as a mindful activity for both children and adults. This ‘mindful menagerie to color’ showcases the most lovable animals doing yoga poses. From the front cover alone, a meditating sloth, I knew I had to have this for my collection. The recommended reading level for this book would likely be ages eight and up. I would target it towards the tweens in my classes, as well as at home.
I love inviting kids to color at the beginning of my classes. I will often select a coloring book or page for the session and have it set out on their mats when they arrive for practice. It is a great way to ‘arrive’ in the space, center the child, and set the right atmosphere to begin our yoga session. I love Yoga Animals So Cute for its cute yet intricate illustrations.
My Daddy Is A Pretzel: Book By Baron Baptiste
A book for school-aged children, this resource relates yoga poses to parents’ professions. ‘My mommy is a pilot, sometimes my daddy is an airplane’ for example. The following pages describe how a child can do the airplane pose. ‘My daddy is a builder, sometimes my daddy is a bridge’ is another excerpt from the book, and children are invited to try the bridge pose. The book is creative in its concept, and the illustrations by Sophie Fatus are whimsical.
I have read My Daddy Is A Pretzel in my classes many times. I love its inclusiveness, showing moms and dads in a variety of non-stereotypical careers. It is divers,e introducing characters from all different cultures and races. The book not only teaches kids about yoga poses but also makes them consider the diversity around them. Which is also ‘yoga’.
Yoga Pretzels: A Card Deck By Tara Guber And Leah Kalish
Probably one of my most frequently used wellness tools, both as a yoga teacher and a parent. The Yoga Pretzel deck includes 50 fun yoga poses and activities for children. The cards are color-coded by type of activity: Breathe work, Games, Partner Poses, Balancing, Time-In activities, Folds, Bends, and Twists. Parents and teachers can theme their lesson plans by the type of card or allow kids to randomly draw to explore a new pose.
I was introduced to this card deck through Barefoot Books; a company known for its award-winning, diverse books and gifts. I keep this deck of cards on hand for any yoga class I teach to adults, and I have gifted them to many of my children’s teachers. It’s a convenient and easy-to-use resource to have close by when you need a moment of mindfulness.
Yoga Planet: A Card Deck By Tara Guber And Leah Kalish
A follow-up to the Yoga Pretzel deck, Yoga Planet, in my opinion, takes a step up in pose difficulty level. This 50-card deck offers even more kids’ yoga poses and introduces green activities for a healthier planet. Card examples include a partner pose called ‘knapsack’ and ‘ fire up your core’, and breathwork called ‘sounding breath’ and ‘all good things’. The deck is again divided into categories: Earth, Moon, Fire, Air, and Space.
I loved Yoga Pretzels so much I needed to add Yoga Planet to my collection. I now have 100 activities at my fingertips. This deck, as I mentioned, takes the yoga level up a notch, so it allows me to offer more challenging poses for older kids or kids that visit me regularly.
Llamaste And Friends: A Board Book By Pat-A-Cake
Llamaste is a llama who loves yoga. In this fun and cute story, Llamaste helps Tiger calm down and Koala be brave by teaching her friends simple yoga poses. Kids will find more of their favorite animals, like flamingos and zebras, learning different yoga poses throughout the pages. The simple text encourages children not only to try yoga but also to explore their emotions.
For a few summers, I taught family yoga at an alpaca farm, and I just had to share this apropos story. It was also when every child loved llamas. I adore the illustrations in this book; they are bright and fun. The illustrator, Anabelle Tempeste, does a super job of capturing the yoga poses. I am also a big fan of stories that demonstrate kindness and help kids develop empathy skills. Llamaste and Friends is worth picking up if you have a young child interested in yoga.
Dance For The Sun: Music By Kira Willey
Music is essential, in my opinion, for a yoga class, regardless of age. But I especially love incorporating music in my children’s programs. Kira Willey is well known for her children’s music, and this album is a fun and beautiful collection of yoga songs. Dance for the Sun was Willey’s debut album, and its songs have been used by teachers worldwide. The album features 13 original songs, ranging from calming to instructional and upbeat, and includes a mix of genres.
I keep this album downloaded at all times when I’m teaching a kids’ yoga class. Its songs are a great way to connect and encourage kids to participate. The song ‘Dance for the Sun‘ helps guide children through the poses of a sun salutation. I can physically move through the sequence to demonstrate while Willey’s lyrics sing the poses. The song ‘Colors’ I use for relaxation time, encouraging kids to close their eyes and pick out all the colors they hear. It’s amazing how kids can actually stay in savasana if guided by music. Dance for the Sun is available on Apple Music and CD via Willey’s website.
Chakra Kids: Card Deck By Inner Rainbow Project
This card deck, created by Inner Rainbow Project, is just the sweetest. It’s bright, creative, and whimsical. Carly, the creator of the deck and other kids’ yoga resources, is a licensed psychotherapist and an ‘intuitive, spiritual mom’. The Chakra Girls deck that I own includes 24 kids yoga poses ‘for emotional balance and wellness’.
I love this deck for my tween groups, as it not only allows me to use it for yoga poses but also provides an opportunity to introduce the concept of chakras. The illustrations are a collection of kids, each from a different color of the rainbow. Each chakra kid then has attributes associated with that chakra’s color, as well as a corresponding yoga pose. Some of the poses include pigeon, dancer, upward-facing dog, shoulder stand, and bow.
The Day I Ran Away: A Book By Holly L. Niner
The Day I Ran Away tells the story of a little girl’s tale about how she ran away after she was upset with her mom. The child retells her day to her father from her argument with her mom, to her packing up her belongings, to running away to her tent outside. The story includes a range of emotions children can identify…mad, frustration, sad, proud, lonely, and finally comfort.
So, how is this a good yoga resource? Well hidden within the illustrations by Isabella Ongaro are yoga poses. As she tells her story to her dad, both sit in lotus pose on her bed. As she plays with her pet dog, she goes into downward dog and cobra pose. I use this book for story time and then ask the children if they can spot the yoga poses, encouraging them to try the poses as I read. I love combining literacy with movement.
Kids Yoga Stories: Website And Books By Giselle Shardlow
If you’re interested in incorporating kids’ yoga and mindfulness into your classroom or home, Kids Yoga Stories is a treasure trove of resources. You can download free yoga pose posters, shop their array of books and card decks, listen to a podcast, or inquire about your own kids’ yoga training. Founder Giselle Shardlow has been teaching children’s yoga since 2005 and holds a Master’s degree in International Education. Her mission is to bring health, happiness, and education to kids everywhere.
I have used Kids Yoga Stories for their printed books, a couple of my favorites are ‘Rachel’s Day in the Garden’ and ‘Jenny’s Winter Walk’. I use them to theme a seasonal kids’ yoga class. I have also printed out many free yoga pose coloring pages from their site. Exploring their site, you will find a large assortment of products to purchase or download for free to add to your kids’ yoga collection.
Yoga Dice: A Game By Chronicle Books
Yoga dice are a great way to make a kids’ yoga session interactive. These wooden dice by Chronicle Books come in a convenient tube to toss in your bag of props. Seven dice (one for each chakra) represent different types of poses -seated, standing, balancing, twists, and when rolled together, they generate a variety of yoga practices.
In class, I will let kids take turns rolling the dice and demonstrating the pose they landed on to the other children. For older kids and tweens, I will put them in groups; they can shake up the entire tube and create yoga flows together to teach the class. There are several sets of yoga dice available on the market. I like these for their wooden construction and the variety of poses they offer.
Yoga Tots: A Board Book Collection By Tessa Strickland
Yoga Tots is a four-book set that includes the titles Calm Bunny, Strong Puppy, Brave Bear, and Happy Tiger. Following the animals through a series of kids’ yoga poses, children will be inspired to find calm, strength, bravery, and happiness. Choose which title you are trying to bring awareness to with your child(ren). These board books are a great introduction to yoga for toddlers and preschoolers.
As I mentioned previously, I am a big fan of Barefoot Books. This set is another example of the high-quality books published by the team behind Barefoot. The illustrations by Esteli Meza are inclusive and diverse, allowing all children to see themselves reflected in the characters as they explore different poses throughout the pages. I always recommend Barefoot Books to parents and educators seeking diverse and educational stories to add to their libraries.
I Yoga You: A Book By Genevieve Santos
I Yoga You is a sweet and straightforward story about all the ways children love the people in their lives. Featuring diverse characters, both young and old, the illustrations cross cultures and generations. The story depicts children experiencing a range of emotions and reminds them that their parents love them unconditionally, regardless of what happens. Each page also sneaks in yoga poses that kids will learn to recognize.
I love the combination of a storybook that plants yoga poses throughout the illustrations. This is not an instructional yoga book; it is simply a telling of kids’ relationships and emotions, illustrated through yoga. I would suggest this book for parents to read and do the stretches alongside their toddler. I use it in my parent-and-tot classes and with preschoolers, asking them to identify and pose the things they see in the story.
Frog Yoga Alphabet Deck: By Young Yoga Masters
I would be remiss not to mention the resources I received during my own children’s yoga teacher training with Young Yoga Masters. Designed by founder, speaker, and teacher Kathy Aruna Humphreys, the Frog Yoga Alphabet card deck is by far the yoga resource I have used the most over the years. Aruna is an internationally recognized expert in teaching yoga to children worldwide, as well as locally in Ontario, Canada. This deck is introduced to Young Yoga Master students in her 16-hour yoga literacy for children module. Check on the Young Yoga Masters website for information on the teacher training I received or to download free resources to use at home.
In my opinion, any kids’ programming is a great time to combine early literacy. Often, literacy can be closely tied to a child’s extracurricular activities. I love the concept of yoga literacy, which is why I include so many books in my repertoire. The Frog Yoga Alphabet has a yoga pose (illustrated with a frog) for each letter of the alphabet. I use these on the first day of a new class to learn the children’s names. I combine the cards to spell a word (e.g., SPRING, WINTER, HOLIDAY) when I’m teaching a themed class, and the kids have to follow the yoga flow in order. I own two decks of these cards so that we can spell more words, play hangman, or play a giant game of ‘memory’. A few of the kids’ favs!
I hope that, upon reading this list, parents and teachers recognize that yoga for kids differs significantly from typical adult yoga. We play games, read stories, use music and props to create a fun, interactive experience. Of course, we also incorporate the traditional elements of yoga, including breathwork, poses, mindfulness, and relaxation. Still, they are facilitated in a way that engages the child and makes them want to return… or even better, practice at home. Yoga can provide fun and education as well as a space for calm and physical fitness. I also hope this list inspires you to try out one of these resources and use them at home with your children. Namaste.
