5 Creative Children's Yoga Activities to Keep Kids Active This Summer
The summer holidays are the perfect opportunity to slow down, spend quality time together and enjoy activities that support children's physical and emotional wellbeing. While screens often become the easy option, there are so many simple ways to encourage children to move, breathe and use their imagination through children's yoga.
Whether you're a parent looking for fun screen-free activities, a teacher gathering ideas ready for the new school term, or a children's yoga teacher planning your next sessions, these simple yoga activities will help children build confidence, develop mindfulness and most importantly, have fun.
Here are five of my favourite children's yoga activities to try this summer.
1. Nature Yoga Adventure
Turn your next walk, garden play or outdoor lesson into a yoga adventure.
Invite children to look around and spot shapes, animals and plants they can turn into yoga poses. Ask playful questions such as:
“Can you stand tall and strong like a tree?”
“Can you stretch up to the sunshine like a sunflower?”
“Can you balance on one leg like a flamingo?”
“Can you curl up small like a cosy hedgehog?”
Encourage children to use their imaginations and create their own nature-inspired poses too. This activity helps children move their bodies, notice the world around them and understand that yoga doesn’t have to happen on a mat — it can happen in the garden, at the park, in the woods or anywhere they feel curious and playful.
2. Yoga Storytelling
Bring stories to life by adding movement, poses and imagination.
Choose a favourite book, a familiar tale or a made-up adventure, then invite children to become part of the story using their bodies. They might stomp through the jungle like elephants, stretch into starfish under the sea, fly through space like rockets or creep through an enchanted forest like foxes.
As you tell the story, pause and ask:
“What shape could your body make for this character?”
“How might this animal move?”
“Can we breathe quietly like we’re hiding in the forest?”
“Can we stretch tall like we’ve reached the top of the mountain?”
Story-based yoga is a wonderful way to keep children engaged while developing listening skills, confidence, creativity and physical awareness.
3. Mindful Treasure Hunt
Help children slow down, focus and notice the little wonders around them.
Instead of searching for objects to collect, invite children to become “mindful treasure hunters” and use their senses to discover hidden treasures in their surroundings.
Ask them to find:
Five colours they can see
Three interesting textures they can touch
Two beautiful sounds they can hear
One thing that makes them smile
You could make it feel more magical by saying, “Let’s put on our detective eyes and listening ears.” After the treasure hunt, gather together for a few calm breaths. Try saying, “Breathe in as if you’re smelling a flower, and breathe out as if you’re gently blowing a feather.”
This simple activity supports focus, sensory awareness and emotional regulation, while giving children a calm and grounding moment.
4. Feelings Flow
Use yoga to help children explore emotions in a safe and playful way.
Start by asking, “How is your body feeling today?” or “If your feeling was an animal, shape or colour, what would it be?” Then invite children to try poses that match different emotions.
They might feel:
Strong like a warrior
Calm like a sleeping child
Proud like a peacock
Wiggly like a puppy
Brave like a lion
Quiet like a turtle
Remind children that there are no right or wrong answers. All feelings are welcome — happy, cross, excited, worried, tired or silly. Through movement and breathing, children can begin to recognise emotions in their bodies and learn gentle ways to express and manage them.
5. Create Your Own Yoga Sequence
Give children the chance to become the yoga teacher.
Invite them to choose a few favourite poses and arrange them into their own mini yoga class or adventure. You could offer a theme to get them started, such as:
A jungle journey
A trip to space
A day at the beach
A superhero mission
A magical animal parade
Encourage children to decide what happens first, what comes next and how the adventure ends. They can then teach their sequence to the group, a partner, family members or friends.
This activity gives children ownership and helps build confidence, communication skills and creativity. It also reinforces what they have learned through play — while reminding them that yoga can be joyful, imaginative and completely their own.
Why Consistency Matters More Than Perfection
One of the biggest benefits of children's yoga isn't learning lots of complicated poses – it's creating regular opportunities for children to move, breathe and connect with themselves. Even just 10–15 minutes of yoga each week can help children develop confidence, improve focus and build emotional resilience over time.
Whether you're a parent, teacher or children's yoga practitioner, consistency is far more important than perfection. You don't need a huge library of resources or hours of planning. Sometimes, one simple activity done regularly can have a much bigger impact than trying something completely new every week.
The key is having fresh ideas that keep children engaged while making planning feel enjoyable rather than overwhelming.
Imagine Never Running Out of Children's Yoga Ideas...
One of the things I hear most often from teachers, parents and children's yoga teachers is:
"I love teaching children's yoga...I just run out of fresh ideas!"
That's exactly why I created the Laura's Teacher Club Membership – to give you a steady stream of creative children's yoga activities, themed lesson ideas and practical resources you can use throughout the year.
As a member, you'll receive fresh inspiration every month, helping you spend less time planning and more time doing what you love!
This Month Inside Laura's Teacher Club...
Back to School Children's Yoga Pack
A ready-to-use resource designed to save you planning time and help children start the new school year feeling calm, connected and confident.
Inside this month's membership you'll receive:
A complete lesson plan (adaptable from Early Years to Key Stage 2)
A calming grounding activity
Guided breathing exercises
Mindfulness prompts
Reflection & journaling activities
A fun yoga game to help children bond with new classmates
A complete yoga flow with teacher script and visual prompts
