10 Body Awareness Yoga Activities for Kids
Would you like your child to have more body awareness?
The practice of yoga is wonderful for increasing body awareness in children. Here a 10 body awareness activities that integrate yoga, mindfulness and fun!
In all of these activities, please encourage children not to touch each other and stay in their own body bubble. Be mindful of where their body is in space and where others are.
Shake and Freeze - Begin in Mountain Pose. Take a few breaths in and out of the nose. Then…Shake, Shake, Shake….And Freeze! Begin in Mountain Pose again, take a few deep breaths, and repeat Shake and Freeze a few times.
Get the Wiggles Out - Wiggle different parts of the body one at a time; fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms, legs, whole body. Then for an added challenge have children wiggle opposite body parts, like fingers and feet. OR wiggle the right hand, then left leg. Create different variations.
Yoga Freeze Dance - Play fun music and dance. Encourage children not to touch each other and stay in their own body bubble. Then stop the music and Freeze in a Yoga pose. Have children come up with the poses, or just demonstrate them for the group.
Musical Yoga Mats - Find a nice deck of Yoga Pose Cards. Place a card on every mat, or in a circle around the room. Play fun music and dance. Encourage children not to touch each other and stay in their own body bubble. Stop the music and everyone finds a mat and does the pose. Continue until everyone has had a turn with all the poses.
Yogi Says - Similar to “Simon Says.” Children can say “Yogi Says do Tree Pose” or “Yogi Says jump up and down.” If someone doesn’t do what “Yogi Says” then they are the next Yogi!
Follow the Leader - Begin with children in a line and lead them around the room or outdoor space doing different movements with the arms and legs. Walk fun and silly. Give everyone a turn that wants one.
Bubble Chase - This is an outside activity. Blow bubbles and allow children to chase them around. Encourage children not to touch each other and stay in their own body bubble. Be mindful of where their body is in space and where others are.
Trace Your Body - Have a roll of white paper and let children lay down on the paper. You can trace them, or they can have partners. Afterwards, children decorate themselves and label their body parts.
Animal Dance - Similar to Follow the Leader, except each leader choses a different animal to be. Move around in a line dancing like a cat, elephant, or bird. Then freeze in that animal’s creative yoga pose.
Ball Pass- Have children sit in a circle. Begin passing a beach ball or any other squishy ball around by the feet. After completing one rotation around the group, pass the ball by rolling it to each other. Maybe stand and gently kick the ball to each other.
Ms. Brandon, RCYT, RYT500, holds a Master's degree in Special Education from Western Carolina University, is a highly qualified educator, and has 20 years' experience working with children and children with special needs. Information for this resource page come from Ms. Brandon’s 95 hour Children’s Yoga Teacher Training RCYS, and is approved by Yoga Alliance.
