11 Arctic Animals Yoga Poses for Kids (Printable Poster)

Our winter wonderland life here in New England has been a learning adventure!

I love that the local libraries are stacked with winter-themed books, most of which were completely new to me. After gathering a bunch of books on Arctic animals, my daughter and I learned about the animals by acting them out through simple yoga poses for kids.

Why not give it a go?! Don’t worry if you haven’t done yoga before—just follow the yoga sequence below, which includes descriptions and images. Learn along with your children about Arctic animals through movement and story. Encourage their creativity by asking them how they think each animal might behave in the wild.

So, grab your Arctic animal books (or other fun resources like stuffed animals, videos, animal figurines, animal cards, and stickers) and act out the animals together!

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Arctic Animals Books for Kids

First, we got out some Arctic-themed books to look up Arctic animals. Here are our favorites:

The Magic School Bus Arctic Adventure, by Gail Herman

My Arctic 1, 2, 3, by Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak and Vladyana Krykorka

1001 Animals to Spot, Usborne (Arctic animals page)

The Snow Bear, by Miriam Moss and Maggie Kneen

A Splendid Friend, Indeed, by Suzanne Bloom (Goose and Bear stories)

In Arctic Waters, by Laura Crawford and Ben Hodson

Way Up in the Arctic, by Jennifer Ward and Kenneth J. Spengler

Over in the Arctic: Where the Cold Winds Blow, by Marianne Berkes

Arctic Animals Books for Kids

Arctic Animals Yoga Sequence

Then, we made a list of animals that live in the Arctic:

Caribou, walrus, arctic whale, arctic char, polar bear, snow goose, musk ox, wolf, arctic fox, arctic hare, snowy owl, lemming, and seal.

Next, we made a yoga flow sequence to act out the arctic animals.

Note that this Arctic animal yoga sequence has been specifically laid out to flow from one pose to the next in a safe, logical way. Feel free to adapt the sequence to suit the age, needs, attention span, and energy level of your child. For example, you might only practice three to five yoga poses at a time with toddlers.

1. Moose – Warrior 1 Pose Variation Come to standing in Mountain Pose. Step one foot back, slightly angling it outward. Bend your front knee and bring your spread-out hands above your head like the antlers of a moose.
2. Walrus – Cobra Pose (or Upward-Facing Dog Pose) Lie on your tummy, lift your head and shoulders off the ground, place your palms flat next to your shoulders, and arch up like a walrus.
3. Arctic Char or Whale – Locust Pose Lie on your tummy, lift your chest and shoulders, look up, clasp your hands back behind you, and glide through the water like a whale.
4. Polar Bear or Husky – Bear Walk Step back to hands and feet in an upside-down V shape then walk like a bear.
5. Snow Goose – Pigeon Pose From the Bear Walk, bring your right foot to rest behind your right hand, placing your foot slightly inwards. Then perch like a snow goose. Switch sides and repeat.
6. Musk Ox – Cat Pose On all fours, tuck your chin into your chest and round your back. Walk like an ox.
7. Wolf or Arctic Fox – Kneeling Come to kneeling, open your chest, look up, and reach up to the moon like a fox.
8. Arctic Hare – Hero’s Pose with Bunny Breath Come back to rest upright on your heels and place your hands on your thighs. Take a few short, quick breaths in through your nose, and then take a long exhale.
9. Snowy Owl – Seated Twist From Hero’s Pose, twist your upper body like an owl. Turn one way and then the other.
10. Lemming – Child’s Pose Come to sitting back on your heels, slowly bring your forehead down to rest in front of your knees, rest your arms down alongside your body, and take a few deep breaths.
11. Seal – Resting Pose Lie on your back with your arms alongside your body and your legs tight together. Pretend that you are a seal resting on a rock. Then breathe out, stretch out your arms and legs, and rest.

See more yoga pose descriptions here >>
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Winter Yoga Book for Kids

Jenny’s Winter Walk
by Giselle Shardlow and Vicky Bowes

Act out what Jenny and her mother see and hear on a winter walk with this winter forest yoga book. Bring their winter walk alive through movement. This yoga book is a great springboard for acting out other things you might see on a winter forest walk together.

Images from Jenny’s Winter Walk, our winter yoga book

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We hope that you enjoyed your adventure learning about Arctic animals through movement and story. To find out about other thematic yoga sequences, join our weekly Kids Yoga Stories newsletter by adding your name and email to the box at the top of the page.