Mermaid Yoga for Kids
My daughter and I spend most of the summer at the local pool. Many times, friends say, “She’s a little mermaid!” as she dives for toys at the bottom of the pool. Up and down she goes, with her long hair trailing behind her.
To foster her passion, we borrowed mermaid books from the library to learn more about the magical and mysterious world of mermaids. Watching my daughter’s eyes light up as we talked about mermaids was one of those reminders to embrace the mystical imaginative world of being a kid. And so I’m not surprised she wants to be a mermaid for Halloween.
Today, I would love to share with you some of our favorite mermaid books and some suggested mermaid yoga poses for kids. Because maybe you, too, have a little budding mermaid in your class, at home, or in your studio!
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5 Mermaid Books for Kids
Below are five of our favorite mermaid books:
The Singing Mermaid
by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks
While in Australia, we picked up this sparkly and enchanting from the well-known British author Julia Donaldson. This clever rhyming book follows a mermaid who is convinced to join a circus, but then her friends help her get back to the sea, where she belongs. The mean circus owner creates a teachable moment to talk about people who aren’t friendly.
Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet
by Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser
Fancy Nancy is disappointed about not getting the lead mermaid role in the dance show. She has to overcome her jealousy and find a way to embrace her role. This is a good book to read before a talk about competition and accepting what life gives you.
The Tiniest Mermaid
by Laura Garnham
This darling book follows a girl who rescues a hurt little mermaid and brings her home to look after her. The mermaid shows the girl her magical world of mermaids. This is a sweet story of friendship and enchanting worlds.
Mermaids on Parade
by Melanie Hope Greenberg
This fun, light-hearted book illustrates the yearly Mermaid Parade in New York City. This story is a great way to learn about that nation’s largest art parade, which promotes self-expression, artistic expression, and community involvement. Who knew!
The Mermaid and the Shoe
by K.G. Campbell
Little Minnow is the only one of her fifty sisters who doesn’t seem to have a special talent, except asking lots of questions. It’s a sweet story of finding one’s purpose.
Also, check out the beautiful book, The Mermaid, by Jan Brett – a story inspired by The Three Little Bears.
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Mermaid Yoga Poses for Kids
Try the five yoga poses below to pretend to be a mermaid. Or make up your own mermaid yoga poses. You’ll notice that these poses all have the legs together, like a mermaid’s tale. The yoga postures below are specifically sequenced to invite flow from one pose to the next:
1. Hero Pose – Pretend to be a mermaid sitting on a rock.
How to practice Hero Pose: come down to sit on your heels with your knees and toes touching. Place your hands in your knees, open your chest, and pretend to be a mermaid sitting on rock.
2. Kneeling Pose – Pretend to be a mermaid treading in the water.
How to practice Kneeling Pose: come up to stand on your knees, open your chest, and use your arms to pretend to tread gently in the ocean waters.
3. Locust Pose (or Bow Pose) – Pretend to be a mermaid swimming through the water.
How to practice Locust Pose: take your hands down in front of you and come to lying on your tummy. Take your arms down alongside your body and stretch your legs straight behind you. Rest your forehand on the ground, making sure your neck and spine are elongated. For Locust Pose, lift your chest and shoulders, lift your hands back alongside you, look up, and pretend to be a mermaid gliding through the water.
4. Staff Pose – Pretend to be a mermaid relaxing on a sandy beach.
How to practice Staff Pose: come to a sitting position. Sit with a tall spine, with your legs straight out in front of you. Pretend to be a mermaid relaxing on a sandy beach, looking out over the ocean.
5. Resting Pose (or Legs Up the Wall) – Pretend to a mermaid taking a rest on the ocean floor.
How to practice Resting Pose: shift back to lying on your back with your arms and legs stretched out. Breathe and rest. Imagine what kind of things and creatures you might see in the underwater mermaid world.
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