In choosing a selection of fun kids' yoga poses, some of the best types of poses to turn to are all of the yoga poses with animal names. Kids find the link to practice yoga between what they are doing with their bodies and what they see animals doing.
Fun Kids' Yoga Poses

Depending on the type of yoga experience or yoga class you would like to create for kids, you can develop certain aspects of the practice. For example, if your main goal is for kids to get exercise, then you will want to present a series of yoga poses with a lot of movement in between them.

On the other hand, if you would like the children to focus and relax, you'll want to present the poses in a very structured, quiet manner. Both types have benefits for children, but it is sometimes easier to get kids on board with the first type of yoga class than the second type, especially if you are teaching young children.

Kids' Yoga Play Class
When your goal is for kids to burn as much energy as possible, such as during the winter months when playing outside occurs less frequently, structure your class around activities and poses. When using the following poses for kids, come up with fun activities to do in between the actual yoga poses.For example, with Frog Pose, have the children seriously practice Frog Pose in order to '"become" a frog. Once everyone in the room is feeling froggy, have a free-for-all in which the children hop and ribbit around the room for 2-5 minutes. In this way, proper yoga is introduced, but in such a way that even 3-5 year old children can have a blast and burn energy.

Poses to Incorporate:

Tree Pose
Frog Pose
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Upward-Facing Dog Pose
Cat Pose
Warrior Pose
Triangle Pose
With all the energy flowing through the room in a fun class like this, you'll want to end the session with a true relaxation pose, such as Lotus Pose or Corpse Pose, so that the kids have a chance to wind down.

Kids' Relaxation Class
A series of kids' yoga poses can also be incorporated into a calming yoga class in which children are introduced to yoga, get physical exercise, and learn to focus their minds. Generally speaking, this type of kids' yoga class is for slightly older children, but any age child can benefit from this yoga practice. An important consideration is that children should be interested in going to yoga. Forcing your child to go to this type of yoga if he or she is skeptical can lead to a very adverse reaction to the experience.

Seated Poses to Incorporate:

Seated Twist Pose
Camel Pose
Child's Pose
Cow Face Pose
Boat Pose
You may want to start such a class with a Sun Salutation Sequence and end with Corpse Pose. Try to keep the atmosphere in the room light, yet focused. Taking the postures too seriously can work for a few children in the room, but the majority will want to experiment freely with the poses.

Yoga Ideas for Kids

While these lists of poses are a good place to start when planning or developing a yoga class or workshop for kids, there are additional resources to think about consulting.

You can start by observing children's yoga classes at local yoga studios or purchasing a few yoga DVDs that have children as their target audience, which are full of kids' yoga poses. If, after immersing yourself in the children's yoga world for a bit, you can attend a special kids' yoga teachers' training in which you will gain certification to teach children.

Like adults, children can greatly benefit from yoga, and they can also have a lot of fun while they are at it!