Earth Day Yoga
Every day is Earth Day!
Each year on April 22nd, people from around the world come together to celebrate the annual event, Earth Day, to discuss, learn, and take action on ways to protect our planet. A great way to honor this special day is through reading earth-friendly books and practicing Earth Day yoga poses for kids.
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Earth Day Books
Prepare for your Earth Day celebrations by taking out your favorite earth-themed books from your bookshelf or head to the library. A few of my favorites are:
Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals and Ashley Wolff
Thank You, World by Alice McGinty and Wendy Anderson Halperin
All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee
I Love Our Earth / Amo nuestra Tierra by Bill Martin Jr.
How Big Is the World? by Britta Teckentrup
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands by Kadir Nelson
The EARTH Book by Todd Parr
The Whole Green World by Tony Johnston and Elisa Kleven
The Earth and I by Frank Asch
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
The Wump World by Bill Peet
Take Care of the Earth Every Day (Kids Save the Earth) by Tammy Gagne
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Gabby & Grandma Go Green by Monica Wellington
Julian Lennon’s book series:
Heal the Earth
Touch the Earth
Love the Earth
Earth Day Yoga Poses for Kids
Get yourself ready for some yoga fun by clearing a space, kicking off your shoes and socks, and put on comfortable clothing. Use the Earth Day kids yoga sequence below as a guide or as inspiration for your own poses.
The focus is on using movement to discuss different ways to celebrate our planet, not on perfectly aligned poses. Encourage your children’s creativity. Depending on their age, interest, and energy level, you could practice all five poses or just one. Begin your yoga session with a warm-up and end in Resting Pose. Don’t worry if you haven’t tried yoga before, just give it a go.
1. I am a tree: Tree Pose
How to practice tree Pose: Stand on one leg. Bend the knee of the leg you are not standing on, place the sole of your foot on the opposite inner thigh or calf (just not on your knee), and balance. Switch sides and repeat the steps. Pretend to be a tree.
2. I am a waterfall: Standing Forward Bend Pose.
How to practice Standing Forward Bend Pose: Stand tall with legs hip-width apart, feet facing forward, and straighten your arms alongside your body. Bend your upper body and reach for your toes. Pretend to be a waterfall.
3. I am a fish: Locus Pose
How to practice Locust Pose: Lie on your tummy, lift your chest and shoulders, and look up. Pretend to be a fish.
4. I am a spider plant: Flower Pose
How to practice Flower Pose: Come to sit on your buttocks with a tall spine, lift your bent legs, balance on your sitting bones, and weave your arms under your legs with your palms facing up. Pretend to be a spider plant.
5. I am stargazing: Resting Pose
How to practice Resting Pose: Lie on your back with your arms and legs stretched out. Breathe and rest. Pretend to be a looking at the stars in the sky.
Check out our Earth Day Yoga Poses Video
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Other Earth Day Activities for Kids
- Research the history of Earth Day and talk about its purpose.
- Create an Earth Day Scrapbook compiling all your research on earth-friendly activities.
- Take pictures of the children practicing the poses and make an Earth Day Book.
- Read books that focus on the environment, like the Magic School Bus Series, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss, or The Wump World by Bill Peet. Have the children write book reports. Share your favorites.
- Take a fieldtrip to a local demonstration forest, landfill, factory, recycling center, energy-efficient home, fish farm, or water facility. Take notes. Encourage the children to share the information with friends, family, and classmates.
- Create a dedicated Earth Day wall for their artwork. Use recycled material for art supplies.
- Take magnifying glasses and a science notebook to research their observations while visiting a local park.
- Team up with older or younger students to do an Earth Day activity.
- Look at a world map and discuss environmental issues that certain areas have in common. Find pen pals from other countries who will share environmental issues from their countries and discuss ways to make a difference.
- Make a list of environmental challenges. Have the children choose one or two that interests them and then research the topic at the local library. Help them understand its cause, its impact, and what can be done to repair the damage.
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