Farm Kids Yoga

“Moo, moo. Bow, wow.”

Our daughter loves animals.

Who knows if it started with our family’s love of Sandra Boynton’s Moo, Baa, La, La, La. But she’s hooked. She also loves yoga.

So, when it’s time to play, it seems only natural that we would bring the farm into our living room through movement.

If you’re also looking for a fun play activity that you can do indoors (that doesn’t involve the screen), then how about family yoga?!

Enjoy farm kids yoga from the comforts of your home:

1. Get in the mood.

Take a trip to your local farm to get to know the animals. We took a trip to Lemos Farm, just south of San Francisco. The San Francisco Zoo also has a mini-farm inside the Children’s Zoo area.

2. Gather props.

Bring out your farm-themed books, stuffed animals, Schleich animals, puzzles, magnets, coloring books, stickers, or anything else. Here is a list of books we gathered together:

Cock-a-doodle-doo! Barnyard Hullabaloo by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown and Felicia Bond
Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton
I Love Animals by Flora McDonnell
All Kinds of Kisses by Nancy Tafuri
I Spy on the Farm by Edward Gibbs

Picture of our farm-related books, puzzle, and animals.

3. Clear the space.

Choose a safe place, and clear away any potentially harmful objects. Your living room or backyard might be a good option. Yoga mats are optional.

4. Warm up.

Do a Sun Salute or another similar warm-up routine to get your body ready for your farm kids yoga experience.

5. Choose a book.

Pick one of your farm-related books, then act out each animal as you turn the page. Add the sounds of the animals, too!

6. Practice Farm Kids Yoga Poses.

A sample farm kids yoga sequence (practice on both sides):

Scarecrow – Mountain Pose (Stand tall with arms slightly extended like a scarecrow)
Tree – Tree Pose (Stand on one foot with other foot bent, touching inner thigh)
Horse – Horse Stance (Stand firm in a wide-legged stance, turn toes out, bend at knees. Neigh!)
Barn – Triangle Pose (Pretend the Triangle Pose is the barn door with your arm as the chimney)
Farmer Driving a Tractor – Chair Pose (Feet together, bend at knees, hands on wheel driving tractor. Beep, beep!)
Duck – Squat Pose (Waddle like a duck in squat position. Quack, quack!)
Dog – Downward-Facing Dog Pose (On hands and feet. Lift each leg separately. Bow wow!)
Donkey – Handstand Prep (Carefully kick up each leg like a donkey. Hee haw!)
Goose – Pigeon Pose (Relax in Pigeon Pose for a moment. Honk, honk!)
Mouse – Child’s Pose (Take a few deep breaths in Child’s Pose. Squeak!)
Cat – Cat Pose (Stretch up like a cat on hands-and-knees. Meow!)
Cow – Cow Pose (Lift head while on hands-and-knees. Moo!)
Pig – Knees to Chest (Hug your legs into your chest like a pig rolling in the mud. Oink!)
Stars – Resting Pose (Look up into the night sky at twinkling stars. Rest. Relax. Breathe.)

Picture of duck at the San Francisco Zoo.

Feel free to adapt or change the sequence to suit the needs of your children. The guide above is meant to be an inspirational tool. Do what’s best for your family. If you have questions, e-mail me or head over to the list of Kids Yoga Poses for pictures and descriptions. The experience is intended to be playful and fun, not focused on perfectly aligned poses.

6. Rest.

Stay in the final Resting (Corpse) Pose for a period of time, lying on your back with your arms and legs spread out. Don’t worry if the kiddos aren’t in the mood to relax on your first experience of family yoga. Talk to your children about the magic of relaxation, and suggest trying it out the next time.

7. Celebrate.

As a family, talk about what you liked best about the experience, what you learned, and what you could improve for next time. As the kids what other topics you could focus on next time?

Because of our small apartment and our minimalist approach to parenting, play time involves being creative with our books and animals. However, I wouldn’t change a thing. A chance to laugh, read books, and act out animals is a perfect afternoon hanging out with our daughter.

Are you interested in incorporating farm kids yoga into your play time?

Check Out Our Farm Animals Yoga Cards for Kids

LEARN ABOUT FARM ANIMALS THROUGH MOVEMENT!

Pretend to be a rooster, cow, and sheep through basic yoga poses for kids! Instantly download these 48 farm animals yoga cards to learn about farm life through yoga moves in your home, classroom, or studio. Includes an Index Card, Yoga Tips, Pose Instructions, 18 Yoga Pose Cards, and 18 matching Farm Animals Cards. The multicultural yoga kids are from seven countries. Ages 3+

Download Farm Animals Yoga Cards for Kids here.

Farm Animals Yoga Cards for Kids

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