10 Easy Yoga Poses for Kids, with Safety Tips

Children are natural at yoga. Many poses are named after animals and things they already love, trees, cobras, cats, butterflies, mountains, and children enjoy pretending to be them. A short yoga session at home is a wonderful screen-free activity: it gets children moving, it is calm and quiet, and it is something the whole family can do together.

Here are ten easy yoga poses for kids, with simple instructions and playful ideas. Before you begin, please read the safety notes at the end. We make no medical claims for these poses: they are gentle, enjoyable movement, not treatment for any condition.

1. Tadasana, mountain pose

Stand tall with feet together or slightly apart, arms by the sides. Spread the toes, press the feet into the floor and stretch up through the top of the head. Breathe slowly. Play idea: be a mountain. Can anyone push you over? Tadasana is the starting point for most standing poses, and teaches children to stand tall and still.

2. Vrikshasana, tree pose

From mountain pose, shift the weight onto one foot. Place the sole of the other foot on the inside of the ankle, calf or thigh, never on the knee. Bring the palms together in front of the chest, or raise the arms like branches. Hold for a few breaths, then switch sides. Play idea: be a tree swaying in the wind, without falling over. Fixing the eyes on one spot in front helps with balance. Holding on to a wall is fine for beginners.

3. Bhujangasana, cobra pose

Lie on the tummy with legs straight, palms flat under the shoulders. Gently press into the hands and lift the head and chest, keeping the elbows slightly bent and the hips on the floor. Look forward, not up. Hold for a few breaths and lower slowly. Play idea: be a cobra and hiss softly as you rise. Keep it gentle; there should be no pinching in the lower back.

4. Marjaryasana and Bitilasana, cat and cow

Come onto hands and knees, hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Breathing in, drop the tummy and lift the head and tailbone: this is cow. Breathing out, round the back towards the ceiling and tuck the chin: this is cat. Move slowly between the two, five or six times. Play idea: moo as a cow, and meow as a cat. Children usually find this one very funny.

5. Adho Mukha Svanasana, downward dog

From hands and knees, tuck the toes and lift the hips up and back, making an upside-down V shape. The knees can stay bent. Let the head hang between the arms. Hold for a few breaths. Play idea: be a dog stretching after a nap, and wag your tail by moving the hips side to side.

6. Balasana, child’s pose

Kneel and sit back on the heels. Fold forward to rest the forehead on the floor, with arms stretched forward or resting by the sides. Breathe slowly. This is the resting pose, and children can come back to it whenever they feel tired during a session. Play idea: be a small seed curled up in the soil, waiting for the rain.

7. Baddha Konasana, butterfly pose

Sit on the floor and bring the soles of the feet together, letting the knees fall out to the sides. Hold the feet with the hands and sit tall. Gently flap the knees up and down like wings. Play idea: be a butterfly flying from flower to flower. Never press the knees down by force.

8. Vajrasana, thunderbolt pose

Kneel with the knees together and sit back on the heels, back straight, hands resting on the thighs. Breathe slowly. Vajrasana is traditionally one of the few poses practised after a meal. Play idea: sit as still as a statue and listen for the quietest sound you can hear. A folded blanket under the ankles makes it more comfortable.

9. Setu Bandhasana, bridge pose

Lie on the back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, arms by the sides. Press into the feet and slowly lift the hips, making a bridge. Hold for a few breaths and lower slowly. Play idea: be a bridge, and let a toy car drive underneath. Keep the head still; do not turn it while the hips are lifted.

10. Shavasana, relaxation pose

Lie flat on the back, legs slightly apart, arms a little away from the body, palms up. Close the eyes and let the whole body become heavy. Breathe naturally for one to three minutes. Play idea: be a sleepy teddy bear; a parent can gently check if the arms are floppy. Always end a yoga session with shavasana; for many children it becomes their favourite part.

For children, yoga should feel like play. If it starts to feel like a test, slow down and make it a game again.

A simple 10-minute routine

Start in mountain pose and take three slow breaths. Move to tree pose on each side. Come down to hands and knees for cat and cow, then downward dog, then child’s pose. Lie on the tummy for cobra, then turn over for bridge. Sit up for butterfly, then vajrasana. Finish with two minutes of shavasana. Hold each pose for three to five breaths, and keep it light and playful.

Safety notes for parents

Supervise young children. An adult should always be present, especially for balancing poses and anything on the back or tummy.

Never force a pose. Children should move only as far as is comfortable. Pain is a signal to stop, not to push harder. Do not press on a child’s body to deepen a pose.

Practise on an empty or light stomach, ideally a couple of hours after a main meal. Vajrasana is the traditional exception.

Use a non-slip surface, such as a yoga mat or a rug on a non-slippery floor, with plenty of space around.

Keep breathing. Children sometimes hold their breath in a pose. Remind them to breathe normally through the nose.

If your child has any health condition, an injury, or has had recent surgery, please check with their doctor before starting yoga, and tell any yoga teacher about it.

Our live yoga classes for children are led by trained mentors who adapt every pose to the child’s age and body, with plenty of games and stories along the way. If you would like your child to learn yoga with a mentor, enquire about our classes through the Book a Class page; fees are listed on our Pricing page.