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5 Zoo Yoga Poses for Kids (+ Printable Poster)

It’s no secret that young children love animals. And my daughter is no exception. My husband and I have been taking her to visit the zoo since she was only a couple of months old. Over time, she learned to act out the animals through zoo yoga poses for kids before she could speak the names. She also pointed out her favorite zoo animals in books. She would talk about, act out, and read about zoo animals.

Often we would go to the zoo near our house west of Boston. To get ready for our trip, we brought out zoo animal books, picked out zoo animal figurines, and practiced our zoo animal poses. We enjoyed our day at the zoo together as a family!

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Zoo Books for Kids

Here are a few zoo books that we enjoy before and after going to the zoo:

Never, Ever Shout in a Zoo by Karma Wilson and Doug Cushman
Animal Strike at the Zoo. It’s True! by Karma Wilson and Margaret Spengler
Wild About Books
by Judy Sierra and Marc Brown
Z Is for Zookeeper: A Zoo Alphabet
by Marie and Roland Smith, and Henry Cole
The Wheels on the Bus: A Read-along Sing-along Trip to the Zoo
by Jeanne Willis and Adam Stower
On the Loose in Boston
by Sage Stossel
Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo
by John Lithgow and Leeza Hernandez
My Visit to the Zoo
by Aliki
A Day at a Zoo
by Sarah Harrison
ABC Zoo by Rod Campbell
The View at the Zoo
by Kathleen Long Bostrom and Guy Francis

zoo books for kids | Kids Yoga Stories favorites
Zoo Books for Kids

Check Out this Zoo Book List from our Friends at Growing Book by Book.


5 Zoo Yoga Poses for Kids

After gathering our zoo animal books together, we chose five animals that appeared in the books to act out through yoga poses for kids. Try the five yoga poses below with your children. These are suggested yoga poses, and you can certainly change or adapt according to your child’s interest, age, and enthusiasm. What other zoo animals could they pretend to be?

1. Elephant – Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

How to practice wide-legged standing forward bend: Stand tall with legs hip-width apart, feet facing forward, and straighten your arms alongside your body. Step your feet out wide, bend your upper body, and clasp your hands together. Sway your arms like the trunk of an elephant.

Wide-Legged Forward Bend for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories
Wide-legged standing forward

2. Crocodile – Plank Pose

How to practice plank pose: Come down to balance on your palms and on your bent toes in a plank position. Keep your arms straight and your back long and flat. Hold steady for a few breaths, ensuring a straight line from your head to your toes. Pretend to be a crocodile.

Plank Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories
Plank pose

3. Bear – Bear Walk or Downward-Facing Dog Pose

How to practice downward facing dog pose: From all fours, lift your knees to an upside-down V shape, with your buttocks up in the air. Ensure that your palms are flat on the ground and that your spine and legs are straight. Press your heels toward the ground and look back through your legs. Walk like a bear.

Downward-Facing Dog Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories
Downward-facing dog

4. Tiger – Cat Pose

How to practice cat pose: On all fours, round your back and tuck your chin into your chest. Pretend to be a tiger.

Cat Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories
Cat pose

5. Hippo – Child’s Pose

How to practice child’s pose: Sitting on your heels, slowly bring your forehead down to rest on the floor in front of your knees. Rest your arms down alongside your body and take a few deep breaths. Pretend to be a hippo resting in the water.

Child's Pose for Kids | Kids Yoga Stories
Child’s pose

Watch the Zoo Animals Yoga Poses Video

YouTube video

Download the Zoo Animals Yoga Poster

Zoo animals yoga poster for kids | Kids Yoga Stories

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Zoo Animal Yoga Poses for Kids, simple yoga poses for kids, animal poses | Kids Yoga Stories
Zoo Animals Yoga Poses for Kids

Visit Zoo Animals

Not only can you practice these fun zoo animal yoga poses at home, but try them at the zoo!  And make up the poses as  you go along.  What pose could you do for this anteater that we saw at the zoo?!

Anteater picture from zoo animal poses for kids on Kids Yoga Stories

Spanish Language Activities for Zoo Animals

We were excited to find a sign with the English and Spanish translations of zoo animals at the zoo yesterday. Did you know we also have Spanish yoga books?
This post is part of our Learn Spanish and Kids Yoga through Books series co-hosted by Spanish Playground.  Check out her article on Spanish zoo animals activities with printable zoo animal cards, zoo story ideas, zoo songs, and zoo websites. 

Zoo animal names in English and Spanish on Kids Yoga Stories

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