5 Fun Yoga Poses For Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

It’s never too early to start enjoying physical, mental & emotional benefits of yoga. My daughter (pictured above) has been doing yoga with me since she was born. She knows how important yoga is to her mum, so she loves joining me whenever possible, copying what I do on the mat and stretching together. I’ve taught yoga to hundreds of children and was always amazed to see how one yoga class can make a difference in their life. Many parents reported me how happy, calm & focused their children had been after the class.

I'm going to share 5 simple & fun poses you can do at home with your kids. You don’t need a lot of time, 5-10 minutes is a great start but the repetition is the key. Make sure to do it together and have fun together too. Kids learn by copying what we do and they enjoy seeing us have fun!

1. Cat/cow

Instructions: Come onto your hands & knees. As you breathe in, gaze up, lift your heart and drop belly down to the ground (cow pose). As you breathe out, round your back and gaze at your belly (cat pose). Get them to make “moo” and “meow” sounds for more fun!

Benefits: wake up the spine

2. Dog (downward-facing dog)

Instructions: From all fours position, curl your toes under and push your bottoms up high until you create an inverted V shape. Have your hands shoulder width apart, feet hip width apart.

Benefits: strengthen arms while giving hamstrings & shoulders a good stretch

3. Tree

Instructions: Shift your weight on your right side. Bring your left foot to inner calf (or inner thigh) Focus your gaze on something not moving to help you stay balanced. Ask them what kind of tree they are. Hold the pose for 4 breaths (but don’t hold your breaths!). For safety, don’t rest your left foot beside the right knee. Repeat the other side.

Benefits: grounding, increased focus

4. Snake (cobra pose)

Instructions: Lie on your belly. Bring your hands under your shoulders. Lift your chest up while keep pressing onto the tops of your feet. (toes are all pointed behind you) Get them to make hissing noises for extra fun!

Benefits: strengthen back, open chest

5. Mouse (child pose)

Instructions: From snake, come up to all fours position and then push back towards your heels while you reach your arms behind and keep your knees & big toes together.

Benefits: calming

Invitation to practise with me

If you want your kids to explore yoga & mindfulness from the comfort of your own home, check out Mindful Mama Membership by <<CLICKING HERE>>. This is the only place where kids contents are offered right now.  

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https://www.wayoga.com.au/blog/10-benefits-of-yoga-for-kids

About Chika

Chika is the founder of Wa Yoga (Wa is a Japanese word meaning harmony). She is a Yoga Australia registered teacher, student of yoga for over 13 years, teaching yoga & mindfulness for almost 8 years. As a mum to a 5-year old daughter, she understands challenges many mums face including shortage of time and lack of connection. She believes in the power of what we do every day so she's passionate about helping you establish short, simple & sustainable practice. She specialises in offering online courses and membership for mothers of young children and young families. Her mission is to inspire and motivate more mums to start incorporating yoga & mindfulness into their daily self-care ritual so more kids have early access to yoga & mindfulness.

She is a creator of Mindful Mama Membership, the online membership for mothers who aspire to embrace daily practice of yoga, mindfulness & Ayurveda. If you wanna reduce stress and find more calm so that you can be more present & patient with your kids, this online membership is perfect for you. This is the only place where she can offer you ongoing support all year around. You can find out more about this online membership by <<CLICKING HERE>>