10 Family-Friendly Yoga Ideas
Written by A. Simon - September 2019
Copyright - Minnesota Kids Yoga Co. LLC
Whether you are at home, at the park, or in a yoga class, family yoga is always a good idea…
Yoga by yourself is relaxing. Yoga with a friend is motivating. Yoga with your family is rewarding! Family centered yoga can look different depending on where you are. Maybe you’re in a post-natal yoga class with your baby, at home in the living room with your tween, or in a kid’s yoga class with your toddler — either way, practicing yoga with those you love will create lasting memories for years to come!
Below are some ideas you can use with your family. Even if you’ve never done yoga as an adult before, these 10 simple tips for family-yoga will help you get the yogi-ball rolling!
#1 - Partner Poses
Partner yoga simply put is - yoga postures which incorporate a partner! These poses make yoga fun and interactive, while at the same time, challenging in nature. Try out the following images with your child today! Be sure to have a soft landing spot though!
· Dog in the Doghouse – Parent does down dog and child lays underneath.
· Plank-It-Out – Parent does plank and child does plank on top of parent.
· Double Boats – In boat pose parent and child have heels touching.
· Flying Together – In airplane pose, parent and child hold hands as the crown of their heads touch.
· Chicken in a Coop – Parent holds child’s pose, and child gets on top while also holding child’s pose.
· Table for Two - Parent holds table pose, and child gets on top while also holding table pose.
· One Leg Dogs - Parent and child hold one leg dog pose while child’s hands are on top of parents’.
· Double Chairs - Parent and child hold chair pose with their backs touching.
· Bow-on-Bow - Parent holds bow pose, while child goes on their back and does the same.
#2 - Living Room Games
Games in the living room are always a good time. Family game-nights are truly invaluable when building memories and creating a home that is filled with love. Yoga-game-night can include ideas such as: Follow the Leader, Simon Says, Freeze Dance, Freeze Tag, Yoga Spinner, and Hide & Seek. If a family member gets tagged, they freeze in a yoga pose. If a family member is hiding, they hide in a yoga pose. It’s sure to be a laughter-filled time!
#3 - Yoga Videos
For the parents that don’t practice yoga on a regular basis, watching kids yoga videos can be a perfect fit for you! Videos such as Cosmic Yoga, Alo Yoga, or Smile & Learn, found via Youtube are all wonderful options. My personal videos found here are also a lot of fun and very informative for new yogis.
#4 - Yoga & Songs
Bari Koral has numerous wonderful videos on Youtube that incorporate famous children’s songs into yoga! I Am Yoga by Emily Arrow is also a wonderful yoga song via Youtube! Lastly, my book Yoga with Alexa uses traditional kids songs and makes them yoga friendly too! You can purchase the book here!
#5 – Yoga Balloons
Mom and Dad can buy some balloons, fill each balloon with a post-it that says a yoga pose on it, and then can blow up all the balloons before tying them off. The fun begins when each family member takes a turn popping a balloon, and then reading the yoga pose challenge inside!
#6 – Couch Potato
If mom and dad are okay with it, kids can take off the couch cushions, and practice balancing in various yoga poses on the cushions! This adds a balance challenge as another dimension to each pose, and makes yoga at home a little more exciting!
#7 – Paddle Board or Floaty Yoga
If you are a family that lives near water, doing yoga poses together on paddle boards, floaties, innertubes, or lily pad foam floaties can be a unique challenge. They also make hot summer days a little bit cooler!
#8 – Blindfold Yoga
Buy some bandanas at a craft store or use sleep masks to blindfold a family member. Take turns calling out a few poses, and see if you can hold a pose without sight! You can make it really fun by turning off the lights and wearing glow sticks too!
#9 – Winner Picks a Yoga Pose
Play traditional board games such as Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land, or Checkers. Each time someone wins, OR each time someone lands on a color (Candyland), loses a checker piece, or lands on a number (Chutes & Ladders), they pick a yoga pose for the family to do!
#10 – Yoga at Bedtime
There are numerous kid’s yoga books (ex. “Goodnight Yoga” by Mariam Gates or “You Are A Lion” by Taeeun Yoo) that can be read in bed with your child. You can practice the poses in bed, or next to your bed before bedtime! This makes a bedtime routine fun and special.
The above 10 ideas are just a start to what you can do with your family and yoga! Hopefully you can take away one or two ideas you will use with your family soon - maybe even today!