Child's pose: Yoga & Meditation for Kids

What if we told you there was a way to stop temper tantrums before they happen — and that you’d need nothing more than a mat?

 

Emotional regulation is just one of the many skills children can learn from yoga and meditation. Kids who regularly practice yoga also see improved self-esteem, concentration, flexibility and discipline — not to mention it’s a great way to help children learn about their bodies’ potential.

 

But, getting a child to sit still long enough to focus on their breathing can seem like a daunting task.

 

That’s why we’ve pulled together these fun yoga and meditation activities that will keep your kids engaged.

 

1. Nursery Rhyme Time

Adding a song to your yoga routine can help your little one memorize the poses, while also helping them concentrate on the activity at hand. Start out with these four from Cosmic Kids, and then try creating some of your own to go along with your kid’s favorite rhyme.

 

2. Yoga Freeze Dance

This fun yoga game combines free movement with structured poses and breathing exercises. To start, simply play some upbeat music and tell your little one to move to the beat. Then, pause the song and demonstrate a yoga pose you’d like them to imitate. As they copy your pose, ask them to inhale and exhale deeply while thinking about their breathing. Once they’ve nailed the pose, press play on the music and repeat.

 

3. Root to Rise

This yoga activity from Mindful Littles will help your tot feel calm and grounded. Plus, the affirmation piece can help establish self-love and self-care techniques that will be beneficial as your little one grows and develops.

 

4. Breathing Boards

When it comes to yoga, mastering the breathing techniques is almost as important as mastering the poses themselves. Teach your child to meditate and be still with these finger exercises from the University of California Irvine. Be sure to put on some tranquil music in the background to help set the tone for the activity — and join in yourself to make it a family affair.

 

5. Animal Yoga

Use your yoga time as a way to introduce new animals with these poses from Kids Yoga Stories. Walk your child through how each animal moves and breathes, adding in new poses based on their favorite animals. For an added level of fun, try incorporating these moves that go along with the classic children’s book Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?.

 

6. Blindfolded Yoga

Fill a small cloth bag with some of your kid’s favorite objects or toys that match yoga poses (e.g. toy stars, animals, planes, etc.). Then, have your child put on a blindfold and reach into the bag. Once they pull out a toy, ask them to mimic a pose that matches the toy they think they pulled out. This is a fun way for them to test out their problem solving skills, while also practicing their yoga poses.

 

Want to learn more about how you can promote mindfulness with your child? Our online Mindfulness Activities for Families course has you covered! Access it (and over 70 others) for free when you sign-up for our seven-day trial.