3 Fun Therapy Games that Easily Integrate Yoga and Mindfulness (from a Pediatric SLP)
Practical therapy games to bring movement and mindfulness into pediatric therapy sessions
At Kids Yoga Stories, we’re always on the lookout for simple, effective ways to weave yoga and mindfulness into the curriculum—to make it easy for educators, pediatric therapists, and school counselors to reap the benefits of this ancient wisdom.
That’s why I was thrilled to chat with Lauren Pascucci, a speech-language pathologist we recently met in our KYS online community gatherings. She shared her favorite therapy games that naturally integrate movement and mindfulness into her sessions.
Lauren works with elementary students on everything from articulation to executive functioning and has found that yoga and mindfulness aren’t just extras—they’re powerful tools that complement her therapy goals.
Whether you’re a pediatric therapist, school counselor, or educator, these three play therapy games are designed to keep your sessions engaging while supporting self-regulation, communication, and social skills.
Her approach is simple, playful, and easy for anyone to try!
GET YOUR 3 FREE POSTERS HERE!
Receive our most popular yoga posters here absolutely FREE!
Click Here to Get Your Posters
3 Language Therapy Games That Incorporate Yoga and Mindfulness
Here are Lauren’s top three speech language pathology games that bring yoga and mindfulness to life:
1. Yoga Storytelling with Themed Books
One of Lauren’s favorite strategies is pairing yoga poses with themed books to target specific therapy goals.
For example, she’ll choose a bug book, like The Bugliest Bug by Carol Diggory Shields and illustrated by Scott Nash, and add yoga postures that represent the bugs or key vocabulary.
How to Play:
- Select a book based on your therapy goals (articulation, social-emotional, or comprehension).
- Choose yoga postures that mimic the characters or action words.
- Pause throughout the story to act out each posture together.
Why It Works:
The combination of movement, visuals, and storytelling helps children connect language concepts to their bodies—making learning both fun and memorable!
2. Seek-and-Find Yoga Game
Lauren puts a yoga spin on the classic Seek-a-Boo game. This version is great for language, categorization, and movement.
How to Play:
- Hide yoga posture cards under category or picture cards (like colors, animals, or objects).
- Have the child search for a card that fits a given category.
- Once they find it, they practice the yoga posture hidden underneath.
Why It Works:
This simple therapy game encourages movement, builds vocabulary, and keeps children engaged. Plus, practicing yoga postures helps with sensory regulation and self-awareness.
3. Follow-the-Leader Yoga with Prepositions
For children working on spatial concepts and expressive language, Lauren adds mindfulness to Follow-the-Leader.
How to Play:
- One child becomes the leader and chooses a yoga posture.
- The leader gives instructions using prepositions (like in front of, behind, next to).
- The group follows along and copies the leader’s moves.
Why It Works:
This activity supports speech goals while developing confidence, leadership skills, and body awareness. It’s a fun way to practice language skills in action!
Keep It Simple and Start Small
If the idea of adding yoga and mindfulness to your pediatric therapy sessions feels overwhelming, Lauren’s advice is: start small.
Try beginning your sessions with three deep breaths or weaving in one yoga posture per month. Keep it light, playful, and adaptable to your therapy goals.
Over time, these mindful moments will become second nature—for both you and your students.
Watch “How to Integrate Yoga and Mindfulness in Pediatric Therapy Games” here:
What’s Next?
Looking for more resources? Check out our School Yoga Program, designed to help therapists, teachers, and specialists bring yoga and mindfulness to their schools and therapy spaces with ease.
You Might Also Like
SAVE FOR LATER
