Home » Articles » Free Resources » Summer Yoga

Summer Yoga

Summer is here!

After a cold, snowy winter, we are excited to finally be enjoying the outdoors. Our summer plans include kayaking at a local lake, swimming at our local pool, hanging out at our town beach, and running through the sprinkler in the backyard. My daughter is a water baby, so we take any chance we get to play with water together.

What are your favorite summer activities to do with your kids?

Another way to celebrate summer activities is through practicing yoga poses for kids. Yoga for kids is perfect for various times throughout the day, like during those tricky summer transitions before or after meals, if you need a quieter indoor activity that allows you time to rejuvenate, or if you are looking for easy yoga ideas to play outdoors in the garden.

Learning about the summer season can come from discussions, reading books, doing related kids’ activities, and art projects, but you and your children can also learn through breathing techniques and yoga poses. Brain research shows us that adding movement to the learning experience stimulates children’s thinking, ultimately making learning more fun and engaging.

June Theme: SUMMER

Welcome back to our monthly “Easy Yoga-Easy Spanish” theme project with our friends at Spanish Playground. These simple monthly plans give you one thing to focus on each month so it’s easier to bring the benefits of yoga to your children.

We have put together a monthly theme post that includes:

  • one breathing technique
  • one focus yoga pose
  • a three-pose flow sequence
  • one focus yoga book
  • Spanish-integration ideas
  • links to other “summer” resources

Our eighth theme in this series is “summer.”

 

The “SUMMER” FOCUS BREATH is cooling breath.

The cooling breath is great for calming and cooling your body.

Come to sitting comfortably on a chair or a cushion with your hands in your lap and your spine straight. Take a few breaths to calm your mind and body. Come to the present moment.

When you are ready, curl your tongue lengthwise, as if your tongue is a hot dog bun wrapping around a hot dog. Inhale gently through your mouth, feeling the breath cool your tongue. Then close your mouth and exhale through your nose.

Repeat this a few times to get the hang of it and then return to breathing normally. Try the cooling breath practice again.

Do you notice any difference?

 

The “SUMMER” FOCUS YOGA POSE is Boat Pose.

Come to sitting with a tall spine and your legs bent. Lean back slightly, take your arms straight out parallel in front of you, balance on your buttocks, and lift your straightened legs to 45-degree angle in front of you. Keep a tall spine and tighten your belly. Then pretend to rock in the water like a boat.

Boat Pose builds stamina and helps to strengthen the abdomen and spine. My daughter loves doing Boat Pose in the bath!

How to do Boat Pose with kids | Kids Yoga StoriesHow to practice Boat Pose with kids

 

The “SUMMER” FOCUS YOGA FLOW is Triangle Pose, Plank Pose, and Boat Pose.

Triangle Pose – pretend to be a sailboat.

From Mountain Pose, step one foot back, placing the foot facing slightly outwards.Take your arms up parallel to the ground then bend at your waist, tilting your upper body.

Reach your front hand to gently rest on your shin and reach your other arm straight up.

Pretend to be a sailboat cruising along the water.

Repeat the steps on the other side.

Plank Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories Plank Pose – pretend to be a surfboard.

From Triangle Pose, slide the hand on your shin to the ground while pulling your raised arm down.Place both palms flat on the ground in front of your front foot.

As if you are about to do a push-up, step both feet back so that you are balanced on your palms and on your bent toes, keeping your arms straight and your back long and flat.

Pretend to be a surfboard gliding through the water.

Boat Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories Boat Pose – pretend to be a boat.

From Plank Pose, step your feet forward and come to sit on your bottom.Lift up your legs to balance on your buttocks with your legs straight up in front of you.

Take your arms parallel to the ground and ensure that your spine is straight, your chest is open, and your shoulder blades are pressed together.

Then rock in the water like a boat.

Images above are from our Yoga Poses for Kids Cards

 

You can flow gently over and over through these three poses. Talk to your children about other activities that they enjoy over the summer. Invent your own summer yoga poses or check out our Yoga Poses for Kids page for inspiration.

Throughout the month, you could use these three summer-inspired yoga poses as a base and add other summer yoga poses or breathing techniques to extend the children’s learning. Follow their interests and needs. You will know if their yoga experience should be more calming or if they need something more dynamic and active to help release their pent-up energy. Check out our other summer yoga sequences listed below, as well.

 

The “SUMMER” FOCUS YOGA BOOK is Ella’s Summer Fun.

Act out your favorite summer activities with Ella as she experiences a week full of fun summer activities with her grandparents. Be a surfer, water skier, and swimmer. Discover summer, explore movement, and learn the days of the week! Age group: Preschoolers ages three to six.

Ella's Summer Fun yoga book by Kids Yoga Stories

Ella Summer Fun yoga book by Kids Yoga Stories (sample page) Ella's Summer Fun by Kids Yoga Stories Ella's Summer Fun by Giselle Shardlow, Kids Yoga Stories

 Ella’s Summer Fun sample pages

 

Check Out Our Summer Activities Yoga Cards

ENJOY THE JOYS OF SUMMER THROUGH ENGAGING AND SIMPLE YOGA POSES!

Pretend to play tennis, birdwatch, and ride a scooter!

Download these 52 summer activities digital yoga cards to learn through movement in your home, classroom, or studio. Includes an Index Card, Pose Instructions, 20 Yoga Pose cards, and 20 matching Summer Activities cards. The yoga kids are multicultural from seven countries. Ages 3-8

Purchase Summer Activities Yoga Cards here.

Summer Activities Yoga Cards for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories
Summer Activities Yoga Cards


DOWNLOAD MONTHLY KIDS YOGA THEMES EBOOK

Quick and easy monthly kids yoga ideas!

To spark your imagination, each monthly theme includes one breathing technique, one focus yoga pose, a three-pose flow sequence, and one focus yoga book. This 55-page eBook is for teachers, parents, kids yoga teachers, caregivers, and health practitioners looking for simple, convenient ways to add yoga into your curriculum, classes, or home life. Age group: Toddlers to Early Primary, ages 3 to 8.

“Great resource for children’s yoga teachers, preschool teachers, classroom teachers, and parents.” – Anita

Monthly Kids Yoga Themes PDF Download (English) ImagePurchase your Monthly Kids Yoga Themes 55-page eBook here

 


Spanish and Yoga “Summer” Activities

Check out these links below from Spanish Playground and Kids Yoga Stories for your celebration of summer:

Spanish Beach Fun for Kids | Spanish PlaygroundSpanish Beach Fun for Kids Ocean Yoga poses inspired by book by Giles Andreae for this month's Virtual Book Club for Kids >> Kids Yoga StoriesOcean Yoga
Beach yoga poses for kids to celebrate summer -- by Kids Yoga StoriesBeach Yoga 28 Fun and Healthy Activities for Summer >> Kids Yoga Stories28 Summer Learning Activities
Love Books summer book exchange hosted by 60 bloggers highlighting a book and book activity >> Kids Yoga StoriesSummer Book Exchange Summer Fun Kids Activities14 Screen-Free Summer Activities

Other Easy Spanish-Easy Yoga Themes

Click on the links below to see the other easy yoga ideas in our monthly theme series:

November: Gratitude Yoga
December: Kindness Yoga
January: Winter Yoga
February: LOVE Yoga
March: Spring Yoga
April: Earth Yoga
May: Animal Yoga

Monthly Kids Yoga Themes | Kids Yoga StoriesMonthly Kids Yoga Themes


Other Summer-Themed Links

Check out these links below for other summer-themed activities for children:

Drip, Drip, Drop: Outdoor game for kids, The Educators’ Spin On It

Water activities for summer fun, The Educators’ Spin On It

10 Classic games for the backyard, The Inspired Treehouse

5 Fun pool games for kids, The Inspired Treehouse

Summertime guided relaxation story, Bambino Yoga

Ocean book + backyard water park, Growing Book by Book

Shark sight words, Growing Book by Book

Summer Camp Ideas, All Done Monkey

Sun Salutations for Kids Yoga, Bambino Yoga

Summer Sun Yoga, Full of Joy Yoga

 

You Might Also Like

List of 58 Yoga Poses for Kids

Seasonal Kids Yoga Lesson Plans

Monthly Kids Yoga Themes

Holiday Kids Yoga Lesson Plans

Kids Yoga Ideas Using Children’s Books

 

Sign up for our weekly Kids Yoga Stories newsletter

How did you go with your Summer Yoga theme?  For more yoga tips and kids yoga resources, sign up for our weekly Kids Yoga Stories newsletter by adding your email address to the box at the top of the page.

 

Yoga Kids holding Kids Yoga Stories books

Shop Yoga Books | Kids Yoga Stories

 

 

If you liked this post, please share it here:

Similar Posts