Roar like a lion, hop like a frog and balance like a flamingo! Yoga is a wonderful way for children to move their bodies, calm their minds and have fun at the same time. This guide brings together 12 animal yoga poses and 8 partner poses, each with simple steps, plus a set of free yoga poses for kids printable cards you can use at home, in the classroom or in PE lessons.
Ages 3–12 · 20 poses · Includes free printable yoga cards (PDF) with a picture and simple instructions for every pose.
Download the Kids Yoga Cards (PDF) — 12 animal pose cards and 8 partner pose cards, each with a picture, pose name and 3 easy steps. 4 cards per page plus a how-to-play page, US Letter size.
Benefits of Yoga for Kids
- Strength and flexibility: Poses stretch and strengthen growing muscles.
- Balance and coordination: Standing poses improve body control.
- Calm and focus: Slow breathing helps children relax and concentrate.
- Confidence: Mastering a new pose gives kids a sense of achievement.
- Teamwork: Partner poses build trust, communication and cooperation.
Before You Start: Yoga Safety Tips
- Practice on a yoga mat or soft carpet, with bare feet.
- Wear comfortable clothes that allow free movement.
- Wait at least an hour after a big meal.
- Never force a stretch. Yoga should never hurt.
- Breathe slowly through the nose during each pose.
- An adult should supervise, especially for partner and balance poses.
12 Animal Yoga Poses for Kids
Animal poses are perfect for young children, because they love pretending to be animals. Make the animal sounds for extra fun!
1. Downward Dog
Start on hands and knees. Tuck your toes, lift your hips high and straighten your legs to make an upside-down “V”. Wag your “tail” like a happy puppy. Learn more in our Downward Dog pose for kids guide.
2. Cobra (or Snake)
Lie on your tummy with your hands under your shoulders. Gently press up, lifting your chest, and hiss like a snake. Read our Cobra pose for kids and Snake pose for kids guides.
3. Frog
Squat down with your feet apart and your hands on the floor between your knees. Look up, then hop and say “ribbit!” See our Frog pose for kids.
4. Butterfly
Sit with the soles of your feet together and your knees out to the sides. Hold your feet and gently flap your knees like butterfly wings. Find out more about the Butterfly pose for kids.
5. Cat and Cow
On hands and knees, round your back up high like a scared cat (“meow!”), then drop your tummy and lift your head like a cow (“moo!”). Repeat slowly five times.
6. Lion
Kneel and sit back on your heels. Spread your fingers on your knees, take a big breath in, then open your mouth wide, stick out your tongue and let out a big “ROAR!”
7. Flamingo
Stand tall on one leg and lift the other foot behind you. Hold your ankle or balance with arms out wide. Switch legs. Can you balance for five breaths?
8. Turtle (Child’s Pose)
Kneel, sit back on your heels and fold forward, resting your forehead on the floor and arms by your sides. You’re a turtle hiding in its shell. Read our Child’s pose for kids guide.
9. Camel
Kneel with your knees hip-width apart. Place your hands on your lower back and gently lean back, lifting your chest to the sky. Keep it gentle!
10. Eagle
Stand tall. Cross one leg over the other and wrap your arms around each other in front of you. Bend your knees slightly and focus on one spot to balance like an eagle on a branch.
11. Crocodile
Lie flat on your tummy, rest your chin on your stacked hands, and relax. Open and close your arms like snapping crocodile jaws.
12. Bear Walk
Place your hands and feet on the floor with straight legs and walk around the room on all fours, slow and heavy, like a big brown bear. Growl softly!
More Single Poses Kids Love
Not every favorite pose is an animal. Try these too:
- Tree pose: stand on one leg and sway like a tall tree.
- Mountain pose (Tadasana): stand tall, strong and still.
- Star pose: stretch your arms and legs wide like a twinkly star.
- Happy Baby pose: roll on your back, hold your feet and giggle.
8 Partner Yoga Poses for Kids (2-Person Poses)
Partner yoga is great for siblings, friends and classmates. Partners should be roughly the same size, move slowly and talk to each other.
1. Double Tree
Stand side by side and wrap an arm around each other’s waist. Both lift your outside foot onto your inside leg, and press your outside hands together above your heads to make the treetops.
2. Seesaw
Sit facing each other with legs out straight and feet touching. Hold hands. Take turns gently leaning back while your partner leans forward, like a seesaw.
3. Back-to-Back Chair
Stand back to back and link arms at the elbows. Slowly walk your feet forward and lower down together until you’re both “sitting” on an invisible chair.
4. Partner Boat
Sit facing each other, knees bent and toes touching. Hold hands, then lift your feet and press the soles together. Slowly straighten your legs to make a “V” shape boat.
5. Mirror Mountains
Stand facing each other in Mountain pose. One partner is the leader and slowly moves their arms, while the other partner copies like a mirror. Swap leaders after one minute. It’s a great way to practice focus and teamwork.
6. Twin Butterflies
Sit back to back in Butterfly pose. Link arms and flap your knees together. Try breathing in and out at the same time.
7. Partner Twist
Sit cross-legged, back to back. Both reach your right hand to your partner’s left knee and your left hand to your own right knee, then gently twist. Switch sides.
8. Temple
Stand facing each other about an arm’s length apart. Raise your arms and lean forward until your palms meet above your heads, making the roof of a temple.
Breathing Exercises to Pair with Yoga
Breathing is a big part of yoga. These simple exercises help children calm down before or after their poses.
- Balloon breath: Place your hands on your tummy. Breathe in slowly through your nose and feel your tummy fill up like a balloon. Breathe out slowly through your mouth and let the balloon shrink.
- Bumblebee breath: Breathe in, then hum like a bee as you breathe out. The vibration feels funny and calming.
- Flower and candle: Pretend to smell a flower (breathe in through your nose), then blow out a candle (breathe out through your mouth).
- Snake breath: Breathe in, then let the air out with a long, slow “sssss” sound.
Yoga by Age: What to Expect
- Ages 3–5: Keep sessions to 5–10 minutes. Focus on animal poses, sounds and stories. Don’t worry about perfect form.
- Ages 6–8: Try 10–15 minutes. Add balance poses like Flamingo and Tree and simple partner poses like Seesaw.
- Ages 9–12: Sessions can last 15–20 minutes. Children can hold poses longer, try trickier partner poses and lead their own routines.
How to Use the Printable Yoga Cards
Our printable cards make it easy to plan a fun yoga session.
- Pick a card: Shuffle the deck and let your child pick a card. Everyone does that pose.
- Yoga story: Choose five animal cards and make up a story: “We walked through the jungle like a bear, saw a lion…”
- Yoga dice game: Number six cards from 1 to 6 and roll a die to choose the pose.
- Classroom brain break: Display a “pose of the day” card for quick two-minute breaks.
- Yoga freeze dance: Play music. When it stops, hold up a card and everyone freezes in that pose.
Printing tip: Print the cards on card stock and laminate them so they last.
Download all 20 printable yoga cards (PDF) — print on card stock and laminate them so they last.
A Simple 10-Minute Kids Yoga Routine
- Warm-up: Mountain pose and three deep breaths (1 minute)
- Cat and Cow: five slow rounds (1 minute)
- Downward Dog: hold for five breaths (1 minute)
- Cobra: hold for three breaths, then rest (1 minute)
- Frog hops: five hops (1 minute)
- Flamingo: balance on each leg (1 minute)
- Lion: three big roars (1 minute)
- Butterfly: gently flap for one minute
- Turtle: rest in Child’s pose (1 minute)
- Relax: lie on your back with eyes closed and breathe quietly (1 minute)
For step-by-step instructions on even more poses, see our complete guide to 25 fun and easy yoga poses for kids.
FAQ: Yoga Poses for Kids
What are the easiest yoga poses for kids?
Child’s pose, Butterfly, Cat and Cow, Cobra and Mountain pose are among the easiest. Animal poses work especially well for preschoolers because children love acting like animals.
At what age can kids start yoga?
Children as young as 2 or 3 can enjoy simple animal poses. Partner poses are best for ages 5 and up, and more advanced balances suit ages 7 and older.
Are partner yoga poses safe for kids?
Yes, when partners are similar in size, move slowly and an adult supervises. Avoid poses where one child puts their weight on another child’s body.
Are these yoga cards free to print?
Yes. All 20 printable yoga cards are free for home, classroom and PE use.
