5 Amazon Rainforest Animals Yoga Poses for Kids

What’s on your travel bucket list? I’ve always been intrigued by the Amazon rainforest in South America!

We recently spent a week with a dear friend whose wife is from Brazil. My daughter and I asked her questions about life in Brazil and if she’d been to visit the rainforest. We talked about the diversity of Brazil—from the small beach towns and to the tiny villages along the Amazon River to the large cities.

When I’ve written about the jungle before, in the Sophia’s Jungle Adventure yoga book, our Jungle Yoga Cards for Kids, and other blog posts, I focused animals from the Central American rain forests because of my familiarity with those places. I was fortunate enough to live and teach in Guatemala for five years many years ago. But I’ve never been to the Amazon.

3 Amazon Animal Books for Kids

After talking with our new friend, we pulled out three books from our bookshelf about the Amazon (Amazon affiliate links below):

We’re Roaming the Rainforest, by Laurie Kerbs and Anne Wilson
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest, by Lynne Cherry
The Rainforest Grew All Around, by Susan K. Mitchell and Connie McLennan

We learned that these animals live in the Amazon:

Harpy eagle, emerald tree boa, toucan (my personal favorite), scarlet macaw, spider monkey, owl butterfly, poison dart frog, jaguar, porcupine, anteater, sloth, iguana, tapir, parrot, pink river dolphin, caiman, leaf-cutter ant, and piranha.

Many of the animals are similar to the animals in the Central American rain forests, but from what we could find out, the scarlet macaw, piranha, pink river dolphin, and emerald tree boa were specific to South America. Please correct me if we’re wrong!

We also learned that the Amazon is near the equator, making it a hot and humid place for thousands of animals.

5 Amazon Rainforest Animals Yoga Poses for Kids

Another fun way to learn about the animals that live in the Amazon is through movement. Try these five animal yoga poses for kids below. They are in a specific sequence to invite flow from one pose to another. Don’t forget to clear the space, take off your socks, practice on a non-slip surface (mat or towel), and mostly importantly, have fun!

1. Pretend to be a scarlet macaw.

How to practice WARRIOR 3 POSE: Stand on one leg. Extend the other leg behind you, flexing your foot. Bend your torso forward and take your arms back alongside your body. Pretend you are flying through the rain forest like a scarlet macaw. Switch sides and repeat the steps.

Warrior 3 Pose | Kids Yoga Stories — Warrior 3 Pose

2. Pretend to be a jaguar.

How to practice CAT POSE: On all fours, round your back and tuck your chin into your chest. Pretend to be a jaguar stretching on the forest floor.

Cat Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories — Cat Pose

3. Pretend to be a pink river dolphin.

How to practice DOLPHIN POSE: On your hands and knees, bend your elbows and rest your forearms on the ground, with your palms flat. Lift your knees to straighten your legs and look forward. Pretend to be a pink river dolphin cruising down the river.

4. Pretend to be a Spider Monkey: Tortoise pose

How to practice TORTOISE POSE: Sit on your buttocks with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Then take your feet out wide and be sure you are sitting with a tall, straight spine. Slide your arms under your knees and place your hands flat on the floor outside your legs. Bend forward, keeping your back and neck straight. Pretend to be a spider monkey.

tortoise pose | Kids Yoga Stories — Tortoise Pose

5. Pretend to be a piranha.

How to practice LOCUST POSE: Lie on your tummy, lift your chest and shoulders, and look up. Pretend to be a piranha guiding through the shallow waters.