Frogs, Tadpoles, and Yoga: Exploring the Life Cycle of a Frog through Movement and Stories
Recently, I subbed in a kindergarten classroom, and to start the day, the young scientists wrote down their observations of a tank full of tadpoles. It was part of their ongoing science exploration of the life cycle of frogs, and the students were excitedly recording notes and sharing their observations about the changes they noticed.
In the reading corner sat a bookshelf packed with books frogs and their life cycle—an invitation for deeper discovery. It made me think of our Yoga Ideas for Science Class resource and how beautifully a tadpole-to-frog yoga experience could complement their hands-on science and story time.
By adding movement to the lesson, we can make learning even more engaging, memorable, and meaningful for children. Let’s hop into the life cycle of a frog using yoga postures, story time, and imagination!
Life Cycle of a Frog Yoga Poses for Kids
Move through the stages of a frog’s life while encouraging curiosity, concentration, and creativity with these four fun yoga postures:
1.🥚 Pretend to be a tiny egg
How to practice Child’s Pose: Sit on your heels, slowly bring your forehead down to rest on the floor in front of your knees, and tuck your arms along your sides. Take a few deep breaths, imagining you’re a tiny frog egg just laid in the water.
2.🐟 Pretend to be a tadpole
How to practice Extended Child’s Pose: From Child’s Pose, stretch your arms out in front of you with your palms on the ground. Imagine swimming in the pond as a tadpole, wiggling through the water.
3.🐸 Pretend to be a tadpole with legs
How to practice Extended Cat Pose: Come to all fours, stretch one leg out behind you, and lift your head. You’re a tadpole starting to grow legs! Switch sides to build strength and balance.
4.🐸 Pretend to be an adult frog
How to practice Squat Pose (Frog Pose): Squat with your knees apart and your arms between your legs, touching your hands to the ground. Bounce gently like a frog ready to leap. Ribbit-ribbit!
These postures help children embody the growth and transformation of a frog while staying active and having fun. You can even invite them to make tadpole tails with scarves or to leap like frogs across the room!
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5 Children’s Picture Books about Frogs
Here are five delightful frog-themed books that pair beautifully with your yoga session. Use them for story time before or after your movement activity to extend the learning and spark conversations:
The Croaky Frog
by Ethan Long
This fun and rhythmic tale introduces the sounds of the swamp and features a croaky, quirky frog. The silly story is perfect for encouraging readers to explore frog sounds and movements through yoga.
It’s Mine!
by Leo Lionni
Three selfish frogs learn the importance of sharing and friendship in this timeless fable. Use this story to introduce breathing exercises and postures that promote cooperation and calm.
999 Tadpoles
by Ken Kimura, illustrated by Yasunari Murakami
This adorable and humorous story follows a family of frogs looking for a new home as the pond gets crowded. Pair this with a flowing yoga sequence to show the tadpoles’ journey.
I Don’t Want to Be a Frog
by Dev Petty, illustrated by Mike Boldt
This laugh-out-loud tale of a young frog who wants to be anything but a frog is great for discussions on self-acceptance—and hopping around in Squat Pose like a frog, of course!
So You Want to Be a Frog
by Jane Porter, illustrated by Neil Clark
Use this informative and playful nonfiction guide that teaches children what it takes to be a frog as a follow-up for older kids to dive deeper into frog facts before or after practicing the life cycle postures.
2 Nonfiction Books about Frogs
For students ready to dig deeper into frog facts, these nonfiction favorites are a great way to combine movement with science-based learning:
Frogs (New & Updated Edition)
by Gail Gibbons
This beautifully illustrated nonfiction book covers everything from habitats and species to the frog life cycle, making it a great educational companion to your yoga and story time routine.
From Tadpole to Frog
by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Holly Keller
Part of the Let’s Read and Find Out Science series, this clear, engaging book explains each stage of a frog’s metamorphosis. It’s a perfect lead-in to your life cycle yoga sequence and a great way to reinforce new vocabulary.
Two other nonfiction books to add to your collection of frog books are Tadpole to Frog: Life Cycles, by Camille de la Bédoyère and A Frog’s Life Cycle, by Mary R. Dunn.
Complete the Frog-Themed Experience!
Integrate music – Play calming pond sounds or frog croaks in the background.
Create a yoga-and-story time corner – Let students explore the frog books after the movement session.
Add art – Invite children to draw the frog life cycle or themselves as frogs in yoga postures.
Sing and move – Try songs like “Five Green and Speckled Frogs” to combine rhythm and yoga hopping.
Adding yoga postures to a science topic like the life cycle of a frog brings a new level of engagement and energy to early learning. Children connect their bodies, minds, and hearts to what they’re learning, making the experience meaningful and memorable. With the addition of story time, their understanding of frogs and their own bodies deepens, all while having fun.
🐸 What’s your favorite way to teach about frogs and tadpoles? Email us to share your story!
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