🧘‍♂️ What Is Kids’ Yoga & How Is It Different from Adult Yoga?

Jordan Concannon
Feb 2
9 min read

Table of Contents:

Introduction
What Is Kids’ Yoga?
How Kids’ Yoga Is Structured
Key Differences Between Kids’ and Adult Yoga
Benefits of Kids’ Yoga
Common Misconceptions
Tips for Adults Teaching Kids’ Yoga
Conclusion

Kids’ yoga uses storytelling, movement, and imagination to help children connect to their bodies and breath in joyful ways.

Yoga is widely known as a powerful practice for increasing flexibility, focus, and emotional well-being. But when it comes to teaching children, yoga takes on a unique form—one that honors how kids learn, move, and express themselves.

Kids’ yoga is not just a simpler version of adult yoga. It’s a developmentally appropriate, creative, and joyful experience that engages the body, mind, and imagination in age-specific ways.

🌟 What Is Kids’ Yoga?

Kids’ yoga is a child-centered, play-based approach to movement and mindfulness that adapts traditional yoga practices to the unique developmental needs of children. It’s not about mastering perfect postures or holding challenging poses—it’s about creating a joyful, engaging experience that nurtures the whole child.

At its core, kids’ yoga is a blend of movement, breath, imagination, and emotional awareness. Classes are designed with age-appropriate sequences that help children build body awareness, improve coordination, and cultivate calm—all in a format that feels like play rather than instruction.

Instead of rigid structure or technical alignment, kids’ yoga prioritizes:

🧠 Imagination and Storytelling – Children embody animals, nature, or characters as they move through themed yoga adventures like "Jungle Safari," "Space Explorers," or "Ocean Friends." This makes the practice exciting and relevant to their world.
⏳ Short Attention Spans – Sequences shift frequently and include interactive elements like songs, props, or visual cards to keep engagement high and boredom low.
🤸 Movement Exploration – Kids are encouraged to explore how their bodies move, stretch, and balance in creative ways, promoting a sense of autonomy and physical confidence.
🧩 Group Cooperation and Fun – Partner poses, games, and group storytelling encourage teamwork, empathy, and social connection.

Unlike adult yoga—which often emphasizes inner stillness, form, and flow—kids’ yoga embraces the natural wiggles, laughter, and curiosity of children. It's just as common to hear giggles as you are to see stillness.

Kids’ yoga may also include:

🎶 Songs and chants to introduce breathwork and rhythm
📚 Books and themes to structure movement flows
🧸 Mindfulness exercises like glitter jars or listening games
🎨 Creative activities like drawing or affirmations

Most importantly, kids’ yoga meets children where they are—physically, emotionally, and developmentally—and helps them discover the tools they already have inside to move their bodies, calm their minds, and feel strong, safe, and loved.

🧠 How Kids’ Yoga Is Structured

Unlike traditional adult yoga classes—often rooted in structured sequences like Vinyasa, Hatha, or Ashtanga—kids’ yoga is designed with flexibility, spontaneity, and creativity in mind. While adult classes typically follow a familiar rhythm focused on alignment and flow, kids’ yoga prioritizes engagement, imagination, and age-appropriate development.

A well-structured kids’ yoga class typically includes a blend of movement, mindfulness, and play, delivered in bite-sized portions that align with children’s developmental needs and attention spans. Each component is crafted to support body awareness, emotional intelligence, and social connection.

Here’s what a typical kids’ yoga class may include:

🎲 A Warm-Up Game or Movement Song

Instead of jumping straight into poses, kids begin with movement-based games or action songs to loosen up their bodies, get their energy flowing, and transition into a focused space. These warm-ups promote gross motor skills, coordination, and social engagement.

Examples: “Yogi Says” (like Simon Says), Animal Freeze Dance, or singing a yoga-themed movement song like “The Sun Salutation Song.”

🌟 Themed Yoga Poses

Themes help bring structure and excitement to the session. Whether it’s a jungle safari, a trip to outer space, a beach day, or a storybook adventure, the poses align with the theme and encourage imagination and physical exploration.Example: Pretending to be a tree in a forest (Tree Pose), a lion roaring (Lion’s Breath), or a rocket blasting off (Chair Pose to Mountain Pose).

🌬️ Mindfulness or Breathing Practice

Each class includes simple breathwork or mindfulness activities, taught in playful, relatable ways. Breathing tools like stuffed animals (belly breathing), feathers, or bubbles are often used to help kids understand how breath feels in their body.This segment teaches emotional regulation, nervous system calming, and self-awareness.

📚 A Creative Story Flow

The heart of many kids’ yoga classes is a narrative journey—a short story that integrates yoga poses along the way.This could be a tale about visiting animals on a farm, exploring the planets, or going on a treasure hunt. These stories guide the child through physical movement while stimulating imagination, literacy, and sequencing skills.

💤 Rest or Quiet Time (Savasana)

Every class ends with rest and reflection, but not in the silent, still way expected in adult yoga.Instead, children lie down or curl up in a comfy position, listening to soothing music, guided imagery, or a calming story.Some teachers use eye pillows, dim lights, or mindfulness bells. This helps children learn to pause, process, and access a state of rest and calm.

🎯 The Goal Is Experience—Not Perfection

Above all, kids’ yoga is process over performance. The purpose is not to perfect poses, hold still, or replicate the teacher exactly.

It’s about:

Encouraging self-expression
Inviting curiosity about body and breath
Building a positive relationship with movement
Helping kids feel safe, successful, and seen

No two kids’ yoga classes look exactly the same—and that’s what makes them magical.

🔍 Key Differences Between Kids’ and Adult Yoga

While both adult and kids’ yoga stem from the same foundational roots—breath, movement, and mindfulness—the way these elements are taught and practiced varies significantly. That’s because children learn and process the world very differently than adults do. Kids’ yoga is not just a simpler version of adult yoga—it’s a completely different experience, uniquely tailored to meet kids where they are developmentally.

Here’s a breakdown of the key differences between the two:

Feature	Adult Yoga	Kids’ Yoga
Focus	Alignment, breath, inner awareness, and fluid flow	Movement, imagination, play, and emotional expression
Structure	Follows consistent, often traditional sequences (like Sun Salutations, Vinyasa flow, etc.)	Flexible, theme-based, and story-driven with varied activities
Duration	45–90 minutes	20–45 minutes depending on age and attention span
Instruction Style	Minimal verbal guidance, more internal exploration	Highly guided, interactive, and playful with ongoing engagement
Language Used	Technical Sanskrit or English pose names	Child-friendly descriptions, metaphors, and storytelling (e.g., “grow like a tree” instead of “Vrksasana”)

🧠 Why These Differences Matter

Children are still developing emotionally, physically, and neurologically. Their brains are rapidly forming connections, their bodies are learning coordination, and their emotions are often big, fast, and hard to manage. That’s why traditional adult-style yoga—quiet, still, and inward—is often not a good fit for young learners.

Kids’ yoga adapts to:

✨ Short attention spans
🎨 Need for play and imagination
💬 Preference for storytelling and visual learning
🧠 Emotional development and regulation challenges
🤝 Desire for social interaction and movement-based learning

When we meet children at their developmental level, yoga becomes more than just physical movement—it becomes a tool for growth, a way to self-soothe, and a practice of self-discovery.

That’s the power of kids’ yoga: it’s not just different—it’s designed just for them.

💪 Benefits of Kids’ Yoga

Kids’ yoga is more than just stretching or posing—it’s a whole-child wellness tool that nurtures development across physical, emotional, cognitive, and social domains. When children practice yoga regularly, the benefits go far beyond the mat.

Let’s break it down:

🧍 Physical Development

Yoga helps kids build:

Strength – Poses like Plank, Warrior, and Chair Pose develop core and muscular strength.
Balance – Balancing poses such as Tree Pose and Eagle Pose support proprioception and body awareness.
Coordination – Sequences that involve left-right movement or crossing the midline (like Cat-Cow or Windmill Arms) enhance brain-body integration.
Flexibility – Gentle stretching supports mobility and reduces physical tension, especially helpful during growth spurts.

Why it matters: These physical skills support kids in sports, play, posture, and daily activities—while reducing risk of injury and boosting physical confidence.

😊 Emotional Development

Through breathwork, movement, and mindfulness, kids learn how to:

Name and notice emotions in their bodies
Self-soothe using breath or calming poses like Child’s Pose
Build emotional resilience by practicing patience, letting go of comparison, and returning to calm after excitement or upset

Yoga creates space for children to feel their feelings—without judgment or rush.

According to the Child Mind Institute, yoga and mindfulness reduce emotional reactivity and support emotional regulation in both neurotypical and neurodivergent children.

🧠 Cognitive Development

Kids’ yoga strengthens brain-based skills such as:

Focus and attention – Breath and balance-based activities teach sustained concentration.
Listening and memory – Following multi-step instructions in a playful context improves working memory and sequencing.
Impulse control – Poses that require stillness or restraint (like Yoga Freeze or Savasana) practice self-regulation in a supportive way.

These cognitive tools transfer into the classroom, helping children stay on task, solve problems, and navigate transitions.

A review in The International Journal of Yoga found that consistent yoga practice was associated with improved executive functioning, including working memory, task flexibility, and attention in children.

🤝 Social Development

Group yoga experiences foster:

Teamwork through partner and group poses
Empathy by tuning into others’ energy and respecting shared space
Confidence in a safe, non-competitive environment
Respect for boundaries—both physical and emotional

Yoga classrooms become mini-communities where kids practice kindness, cooperation, and communication.

Kids’ yoga meets children exactly where they are—offering movement when they’re wiggly, calm when they’re overwhelmed, and connection when they feel alone. Over time, this builds the foundation for lifelong habits of self-care, compassion, and emotional intelligence.

❌ Common Misconceptions About Kids’ Yoga

Despite its growing popularity, many adults still carry outdated or limited ideas about what kids’ yoga really is.

Let’s clear up a few of the most common myths:

🧘‍♀️ “It’s just stretching.”

This is one of the biggest misconceptions—and it's far from the truth.

Yes, yoga involves stretching—but kids’ yoga is so much more. It blends:

Imaginative play (like becoming jungle animals or flying through space)
Breath awareness (learning to calm their bodies through simple breathing tools)
Mindfulness and emotional literacy (noticing how they feel and what to do about it)

A 5-year-old in yoga class isn’t just stretching—they’re learning how to focus, self-soothe, express themselves, and have fun all at once.

🙃 “My child can’t sit still for yoga.”

Perfect. That’s actually why yoga is ideal.

Kids’ yoga isn’t about stillness—it’s about movement with purpose.

In fact, yoga helps wiggly kids:

Burn off excess energy
Strengthen attention through short bursts of focus
Learn to shift from movement into rest gently

Unlike adult yoga, where long holds and stillness are expected, kids’ yoga adapts to their developmental need to move. It's not about keeping them still—it's about helping them find tools to regulate when they need stillness later.

🌀 “It’s only for calm kids.”

Quite the opposite. Kids’ yoga is especially powerful for children with:

Big emotions
ADHD or other neurodivergent traits
Sensory sensitivities
Anxiety or overwhelm

These children often benefit the most from mindful movement. Yoga gives them:

Predictability through routine
Control over their bodies and emotions
Relief from the stress of overstimulation
Confidence from mastering age-appropriate poses and skills

Even just a few minutes of yoga per day can help kids self-regulate, reduce meltdowns, and build inner strength.

💡 Remember: Kids don’t have to be calm before practicing yoga—yoga helps them become calm.

🧑‍🏫 Tips for Adults Teaching Kids’ Yoga

Teaching yoga to children is not just a mini version of adult yoga. It requires intention, creativity, and a deep understanding of how kids learn best—through play, repetition, and imagination.

Here are some tips to help you create joyful, effective classes:

🎉 Be Playful and Engaging

Kids learn through play. Instead of strict structure or technical alignment:

Use fun voices, songs, or storytelling to bring poses to life.
Let them “become” the animals or objects: roar in Lion’s Pose, slither in Cobra, or sway like a Tree.
Turn yoga into a game—like Yoga Freeze Dance or Pose Charades.

The more joyful your energy, the more engaged and open kids will be.

⏱️ Keep It Short and Varied

Children’s attention spans vary by age.

A good rule of thumb:

Ages 3–5: 15–20 minutes
Ages 6–9: 20–30 minutes
Ages 10+: 30–45 minutes (with breaks)

Break up your class with transitions—like dancing, breathing, or a story break—to keep things flowing. Don’t expect kids to hold a pose for long; instead, focus on repetition, movement, and rhythm.

🌈 Use Themes to Guide Class Structure

Kids thrive when content feels familiar, fun, and meaningful.

Try building your class around creative themes like:

Animals (Downward Dog, Cat-Cow, Butterfly)
Nature (Sun Salutations, Tree Pose, Rainbow Relaxation)
Emotions (Yoga for courage, calm, or happiness)
Adventures (A jungle safari, trip to space, or under-the-sea journey)

Themes provide storylines kids can follow, making yoga more memorable and immersive.

🔄 Be Flexible and Responsive

Sometimes your plan won’t land—and that’s okay!

If kids are too wiggly for poses, pivot to movement songs.
If they’re tired, offer more floor poses and breathing.
Follow their energy, but gently guide it toward balance and focus.

Great kids’ yoga teachers stay present, observe, and adapt with compassion—not control.

🌬️ Introduce Mindfulness Gently

Mindfulness is powerful, but it must feel approachable and safe.

Start with:

Breathing games like Balloon Breath or Bumblebee Breath
Body scans with playful imagery (“Can you feel your toes melting like ice cubes?”)
Guided imagery stories, like floating on clouds or walking through a rainbow garden

Keep it brief, soothing, and light—this isn’t about forcing stillness but offering tools for emotional grounding.

🗨️ Remember: The best teachers lead with love, patience, and playfulness. When in doubt—make it fun, and the learning will follow.

🌈 Kids’ yoga is more than a mini version of adult yoga—it’s a whole new world designed for children’s developmental needs. It lays a foundation for lifelong mental and physical wellness, offering kids fun, connection, and tools for managing their inner world.

At Root and Roar Yoga, we create experiences that meet children at their level—empowering them through breath, movement, and imagination.

Stay groovy little yogis,

Jordan

🔗 References & Resources

International Journal of Yoga – Effects of Yoga in Children
Child Mind Institute – Mindfulness and Kids
Harvard Health – Mindfulness and Children
Yoga Journal – Yoga for Kids: How to Get Started