Jungle Animal Yoga for Kids

This is an excerpt from a post that was written for my friends at The Inspired Treehouse, a website written by a team of pediatric occupational and physical therapists. Lauren and Claire are passionate about sharing playful activities that promote development and wellness. They believe that with a little help, kids can build strong, healthy bodies and minds through play. See below for the link to the full article, “Jungle Animal Yoga for Kids” on their site.

Hot sun. Sandy beaches. Howler monkeys. Cloud forests. Colorful birds.

I have fond memories of my trip to Costa Rica years ago. And I hope to take my daughter to Central America one day, so that she, too, can experience the wonders of the jungle.

Until we have the opportunity to jet set south of the border, my daughter and I learn about jungle animals by acting them out through simple yoga poses for kids.

Join us! You can learn about jungle animals through movement, too! Brain research shows us that movement and pretend play stimulates the brain, thus making learning more engaging and fun. Your child will feed off your enthusiasm, so jump in and give jungle animal yoga a go!

Tell your children that you are going on an imaginary journey to learn about jungle animals. Take out your favorite jungle-related books, props, music, stuffed animals, stickers, animal figurines, and puzzles. You could even dress up like your favorite jungle animal. Encourage your child’s creativity by asking how each jungle animal behaves in the wild.

Jungle Animal Books for Kids

Gather together your favorite jungle animal books from your bookshelf or from your local library. Some of our favorites are (with Amazon affiliate links):

“Slowly, Slowly, Slowly,” said the Sloth
by Eric CarleEric Carle classic with engaging language
and cool illustrations.

The Great Kapok Tree
by Lynne Cherry

Intricate illustrations and an environmental message
of the preciousness of our jungles.

Rainforest
by Helen Cowcher

Learn how the animals save the
forest from the loggers.

Monkey Puzzle
by Julia Donaldson

A monkey searches for his mother in the jungle.
A sweet story. Also printed as Where’s my Mom?

The Rainforest Grew All Around
by Susan K. Mitchell

Adapted from the song “The Green Grass Grew all Around”
to learn about the animals of the rainforest.

Welcome to the Green House
by Jane Yolen

A poetic story introducing the exotic animals
and unique landscape of the rainforest.

The Umbrella
by Jan Brett

An engaging story following various jungle animals
who share an umbrella to escape the rain.

Sophia’s Jungle Adventure
by Giselle Shardlow and Emily Gedzyk

A jungle yoga story following Sophia and her family
as they act out their rainforest walk.

Jungle Animal Yoga for Kids Sequence

You can follow the jungle animal yoga for kids sequence below or make up your own jungle yoga journey:

Macaw – Warrior 3 Pose

Monkey – Squat Pose

Alligator – Plank Pose

Boa Constrictor – Cobra Pose

Jaguar – Cat Pose

Turtle – Extended Child’s Pose

Sloth – Happy Baby Pose

Rest – Resting Pose

See our list of yoga poses for kids for images and descriptions.

Click here to read the full article of

“Jungle Animal Yoga for Kids” on The Inspired Treehouse.

Jungle Animal Yoga Pack

Below find our jungle animal yoga resources for children:

Sophia’s Jungle Adventure was based on my own travels to Costa Rica. I spent a day hiking to the waterfalls near Volcano Arenal. In the yoga story, Sophia and her family act out what they see and hear on their own hike. As they follow along with Sophia, readers fly like a toucan, slither like a snake, and flutter like a butterfly. The Sophia’s Jungle Adventure Yoga Cards extend your child’s jungle yoga adventure and offer another opportunity for creative, independent play. Children use the jungle yoga cards to sort and match the yoga poses and matching jungle-themed keywords. Sophia lives in San Francisco, is a nature lover who enjoys traveling and writing projects.

Sophia’s Jungle Adventure	Sophia’s Jungle Adventure Yoga Cards
Sophia’s Jungle Adventure Coloring Book	Sophia’s Jungle Adventure PDF Download
Sophia’s Jungle Adventure Available in Six Languages

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