How to Tailor Age-Appropriate Yoga for Kids: The Instructor’s Guide

Teaching yoga for children usually needs a different approach than teaching for adults. In fact, the field is so specialized that Yoga Alliance requires a special certification for kids yoga teachers and training schools.

To give you an overview of yoga classes for children, here are general tips that you can use for every age group:

Ages 0-4

This age group consists of babies and toddlers. Young ones in this age group learn by playing, singing, listening, observing, and repetition.

They also often have limited attention spans, so it is advisable to make the lessons fast-paced. Keep the session length at 30 minutes maximum, and either have a very high ratio of caregiver to child or use a “Parent & Baby” format for bonding and parent support.

The best time for any kids’ yoga instructor to schedule the session is early in the day, ideally before they go down for a nap.

Ages 4-6

This age group consists of toddlers in their pre-K or preschool years. They usually are very creative, imaginative, and inquisitive, while also being funny. They love books, coloring pages, and lots of props so keep that in mind.

Young ones in this age group do tend to be rule-oriented so it would be best to have a classroom agreement that they will follow. Their attention spans are gradually increasing, so make the lessons fast-paced to keep them engaged.

You can schedule the lesson any time of the day, ideally earlier or later in the afternoon. Keep each session between 30 to 45 minutes.

Ages 6-10

Elementary kids in this age group learn by visual imagery and storytime, with the kids’ yoga teacher leading the way. They also love books and using lots of props. They love to help out and try things on their own.

In this case, the format of each class can just be for the children. At the same time, it will be best to set up a classroom agreement with the youngsters since they also tend to be rule-oriented. Each class typically has a distinct flow, so you can be a bit more traditional with it, such as warm-up, breathing exercises, and then poses that lead into sequences.

You can schedule the class any time of the day with a length between 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Ages 10-13

Middle school children- already in their tweens or teen years - usually learn by modeling. They also tend to embrace doable challenges which they feel as empowering and strengthening.

Those who are in this age group usually have the need to conform with others - so they project outward attention. They also tend to use social media a lot. So, it is important to encourage positive thoughts and affirmations during the session. Also, be sure to avoid body talk as these middle schoolers are starting to get more self-conscious.

The class should have a definite flow, with a beginning, middle, and end. But make sure to keep things fresh to keep their busy minds engaged. Music in the background is a good choice for this group.

The class format can be a mixed group of all teens. The length can be 1 hour or up to 75 minutes, at any time of day.

Ages 13-18

This age group consists of teens who are already in their high school years. They tend to like music in the background while doing poses. They also tend to enjoy more challenging postures as well as partner postures.

High schoolers may also like and need a longer Savasana. However, give them an additional focal choice during savasana - such as mantra, affirmations, meditation, and visualization - which can help in relieving their stress. They may also like having ice-breakers and closing discussions after breathing and moving.

This class tends to look more like an adult class, but make sure to focus on choice, inclusivity, and empowerment. A 1-hour session might be enough but you can also go up to 75 minutes, any time of day.

Conclusion

These tips offer general guidelines on how to set up a yoga class for youngsters. With these tips, and with the other ideas you’ll incorporate, your classes will be an enriching and fulfilling experience for the children.

Interested in training to become a Yoga Alliance Certified Kids Yoga Teacher?  Our Yoga Alliance-approved Kids’ Inclusive Yoga Teacher Training course is online, and focuses on sharing yoga with all kids!  Please check out all the information HERE.