8 Easy Yoga Poses for Kids to Try at Home or School
By Debbie, Covelico Founder & Dietitian · 5 min read · Perfect for ages 3–10
What are the best yoga poses for kids?
The best yoga poses for kids are simple, animal-named shapes that can be explained in a single sentence and attempted immediately — mountain, warrior, tree, downward dog, cat-cow, butterfly, cobra, and child's pose. These eight poses work for children aged 3–10, require no mat or equipment, and take as little as three minutes to run through as a brain break, calm-down, or warm-up.
Yoga for kids doesn't need to look like adult yoga — no mats required, no silence required, and definitely no perfect poses required. Kid-friendly yoga is really just movement with intention: stretching, balancing, breathing, and trying again when you wobble. Done well, it builds physical confidence, body awareness, and the ability to self-regulate — three things that benefit children enormously both at home and at school.
These eight poses are a starting point. They're simple enough for a three-year-old, engaging enough for a ten-year-old, and easy enough for any parent or teacher to guide without any yoga background whatsoever.
8 easy yoga poses for kids at a glance
- Mountain pose
- Warrior pose
- Tree pose
- Downward dog
- Cat-cow stretch
- Butterfly pose
- Cobra pose
- Child's pose
1. Mountain Pose
Ages 3+ · Energising · Great to start with
Stand tall with feet together, arms by the sides, and take three slow deep breaths. Mountain pose sounds almost too simple to be useful, but it does something important — it gives kids a moment to arrive in their body before moving. It signals "we're doing something intentional now" without requiring any physical skill. For young children who struggle to settle, this brief stillness is actually quite challenging and rewarding when they manage it.
How to cue it: "Stand as tall as a mountain. Feel your feet on the ground. Breathe in slowly, breathe out slowly. You're strong and still."
2. Warrior Pose
Ages 4+ · Energising · Builds strength and confidence
Step one foot forward into a lunge, arms stretched wide or raised above the head. Hold for a count of five, then swap sides. Warrior is one of the most popular kids' yoga poses because it feels powerful — kids genuinely enjoy the feeling of standing strong in a big shape. It builds leg strength, core stability, and the kind of physical confidence that carries into other activities.
How to cue it: "Step forward like a warrior. Stretch your arms wide. Hold still and feel how strong you are. Now swap sides."
3. Tree Pose
Ages 4+ · Calming · Best balance challenge for kids
Stand on one foot, place the other foot against the ankle or inner calf (never against the knee), and bring hands together at the chest or raise them like branches. Hold for a count of five, then swap. Tree pose is the balance challenge kids return to again and again because the wobbling is part of the fun — falling out of tree pose and trying again is genuinely enjoyable at age 5. It builds ankle stability, core strength, and focus.
How to cue it: "Find a spot on the wall to look at — that's your anchor. Now lift one foot slowly. You're a tree in the breeze. Wobbling is okay, trees sway too."
4. Downward Dog
Ages 3+ · Energising · Great for whole-body stretch
Start on hands and knees, then push hips up and back to form an upside-down V shape. Heels reach toward the floor, head hangs relaxed between the arms. Hold for a count of five. Downward dog stretches the hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and spine all at once — it's one of the most efficient poses in the sequence for releasing physical tension after sitting. Kids also love the upside-down perspective, which makes it immediately appealing.
How to cue it: "Hands and knees first. Now push your bottom up to the sky like a mountain. Press your hands into the floor. Can you see the world upside down?"
5. Cat-Cow Stretch
Ages 3+ · Calming · Perfect for younger children
On hands and knees, alternate between arching the back up (cat — like a scared cat) and letting the belly drop down with the head lifting (cow). Move slowly with the breath — arch on the exhale, drop on the inhale. Cat-cow is one of the best poses for younger children because the animal connection makes it immediately understandable, and the slow rhythmic movement is genuinely calming for the nervous system. It's a strong choice for settling an anxious or overstimulated child.
How to cue it: "Hands and knees. Breathe out and arch your back like a scared cat — round it up high. Breathe in and let your tummy drop like a sleepy cow. Again, slowly."
6. Butterfly Pose
Ages 3+ · Calming · Best seated pose for young children
Sit on the floor, bring the soles of the feet together, and let the knees fall out to the sides like wings. Hold the feet and gently flap the knees up and down. Butterfly pose stretches the inner thighs and hips — areas that hold significant tension in children who sit for long periods. The flapping motion makes it accessible and entertaining for very young children, and the seated position makes it easy to do in small spaces or at a desk.
How to cue it: "Sit down and put the bottoms of your feet together. Hold your feet and flap your knees like butterfly wings. Slowly, slowly — can you make your butterfly fly?"
7. Cobra Pose
Ages 4+ · Energising · Great after sitting
Lie face down, place hands under the shoulders, and gently push the chest up off the floor while keeping the hips down. Hold for a count of five, then slowly lower back down. Cobra is a back extension — the opposite of the hunched-forward position most children spend hours in at desks and devices. It opens the chest, stretches the abdominals, and strengthens the back. After a long morning of sitting, it feels genuinely relieving for children's bodies even if they can't articulate why.
How to cue it: "Lie on your tummy. Hands under your shoulders. Now slowly push your chest up like a cobra rising. Hiss if you want to. Hold it, then come back down."
8. Child's Pose
Ages 3+ · Calming · Best pose to finish with
Kneel on the floor, sit back toward the heels, and stretch the arms forward along the ground with the forehead resting down. Hold for a count of ten with slow, steady breathing. Child's pose is the natural ending to any yoga sequence because it's inherently restorative — the position signals safety and rest to the nervous system. For children who are anxious, overwhelmed, or overstimulated, this pose alone can be a powerful reset. It's also the quietest, most inward of all the poses, which makes it a strong bridge back to focused activity.
How to cue it: "Kneel down and sit back on your heels. Stretch your arms forward and rest your forehead on the floor. Close your eyes. Take five slow breaths. You're safe and still."
How to build a simple yoga sequence for kids
You don't need to use all eight poses every time. A three-pose sequence is enough for a brain break or calm corner reset. A good structure to follow:
- Start big and active — mountain, warrior, or downward dog to engage the body
- Add a balance challenge — tree pose to build focus and stillness
- Finish grounded — child's pose or butterfly to signal the end and bring calm
The whole sequence takes about three minutes. That's enough to meaningfully shift a child's energy and readiness — whether you're transitioning from PE to reading, from lunch to maths, or from a big emotion to a calmer state.
Tips for doing yoga with kids
- Don't correct obsessively. A wobbly tree pose that a child is proud of is worth more than a technically perfect one they were pushed into. Encouragement beats correction every time.
- Do it with them. Kids are far more likely to engage when an adult participates. You don't need to be good at yoga. Being a bit bad at it is actually an advantage — it shows kids that trying is what matters.
- Use animal names. "Cobra," "cat," "butterfly," and "downward dog" are all animal names, and young children respond to animal language instinctively. It removes the adult seriousness from the activity.
- Keep it short. Three to five minutes is plenty. Stopping while kids still want more is better than pushing past the natural end point.
- Use a dice or cards to pick poses. Letting the dice decide removes the "I don't want to do that one" negotiation and gives kids a sense of excitement and ownership over the sequence.
Yoga tools that make it easier
The biggest barrier to doing yoga with kids regularly is deciding which poses to do. A yoga dice or yoga card deck removes that decision entirely — roll or flip, and the pose is chosen for you. This makes it genuinely easy to fit three poses into a two-minute gap between activities.
👉 Covelico Yoga Dice — 11 kid-friendly yoga poses on a 12-sided foam dice, plus a "pick your own" side
👉 Covelico Yoga Cards — 52-card yoga game with poses, counts, and game instruction cards
👉 Kids Yoga Pose Book — illustrated yoga poses for kids with simple, clear instructions
Frequently asked questions about yoga for kids
What age can kids start yoga?
Children can start simple yoga poses from around age 3. At this age, animal-named poses like cat, cobra, and butterfly are most accessible. From age 5, children can manage balance poses like tree and warrior. By age 7–8, most children can follow a full simple sequence independently.
Is yoga good for kids?
Yes. Research supports yoga as beneficial for children's physical development (balance, flexibility, coordination, core strength) and emotional regulation (calm, focus, self-awareness). Kid-friendly yoga is particularly useful as a transition activity, a brain break, or a calm corner tool for children who need help regulating their energy or emotions.
Do kids need a yoga mat?
No. A carpeted floor or grass works perfectly well for most kids' yoga poses. A mat can be useful for cleanliness and to define a child's personal space during a group session, but it's not required. The most important thing is a clear, safe space to move.
How long should a kids' yoga session be?
For most children, 3–10 minutes is ideal. Three poses takes about three minutes and is enough for a brain break or transition. A longer session of 8–10 minutes works well as a PE warm-up or as a wind-down before rest time. Keeping sessions short ensures kids finish wanting more rather than losing interest.
Can yoga help anxious children?
Yoga can be a helpful tool for children who experience anxiety, particularly poses that involve slow breathing, grounding, and stillness — such as child's pose, cat-cow, and butterfly. These poses support the body's natural calming response. For children with significant anxiety, yoga works best as one tool among several and should be combined with appropriate professional support where needed.
What is a yoga dice for kids?
A yoga dice for kids is a soft foam 12-sided dice where each face shows a different yoga pose. Children roll the dice and perform whichever pose it lands on. It removes the need for an adult to plan a sequence and gives children a sense of fun and surprise in choosing their poses. Yoga dice are popular in classrooms, calm corners, and at home as a quick and easy way to do yoga without any preparation.
Written by Debbie — Covelico Founder
Debbie is a Queensland-based Dietitian with a background in Human Movement, Nutrition & Dietetics, personal training, and group fitness. She founded Covelico in 2019 to help families and teachers swap screen time for simple, joyful active play.
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