The Best Songs for Kids Yoga
Aching for a juicy slice of humble pie? Become a kids yoga teacher! In the picture that just popped up on my phone, I’m wearing a clown nose, a pink tulle skirt on my head, and a hula hoop around my neck and right foot (I’ll leave it up to you to figure out how that works). The year was 2015, and I taught some version of a circus-themed kids yoga class several times that year.
All of my kids’ classes revolve around an intention and a theme. That year I was particularly drawn to the atmosphere of circus life, but I also taught Farm Yoga, Beach Yoga, and Pirate Yoga. Each yoga pose was reinterpreted and renamed according to each theme. To further immerse us in these worlds, I also thought deeply about what songs to include in each playlist.
The Best Kids Yoga Songs
The best songs for kids yoga are always the ones that add to the experience and never take away. Whether or not to add music is also up to the kids’ yoga teacher. Some teachers enjoy curating playlists that match with each pose, others play music softly in the background, and still others find it distracting and don’t play music at all. It is completely up to the instructor and is always for the benefit of the children.
Personally, I choose songs that align with my chosen intention and theme. I’ve mentioned intention twice now but have failed to explain its use. I go into more depth on “intention” in my online course “Teaching Kids Yoga”, but for our purposes here I’ll simply describe it like this: intention is the thing we hope children will embody during a kids yoga class and carry with them after they step off the mat. The theme is the overall world we’re trying to create as yoga guides.
Kids Yoga Songs: Intention and Theme
If my intention was “groundedness” and my theme was “jungle”, I would create a lesson plan that incorporated grounding poses (think mountain or goddess pose) and music that carried the essence of both. Here’s my actual playlist for my Jungle Yoga lesson:
The Dancing Mountain by Kira Willey
How to Be a Cloud by Kira Willey
Jungle Adventure by Linda Lara
Beautiful Wild by Kipp Lennon and Nick Nolan
If you’re keeping count, that’s a lot of tracks from Kira Willey for a 30-minute class. You got me! She’s one of my favorites. These are other artists that make a regular appearance on my kids’ yoga music playlists:
Ziggy Marley (The Family Time album)
And… the incomparable Ms. Rachel. Even the older kids can’t get enough of “Hop Little Bunny,” and it’s a great lead into final relaxation or savasana. Have you heard her new album? I’ve been listening to “I’m So Happy” like a mantra in the morning.
Out of the Box and On to the Yoga Mat
You’re into trap music, you say? Me, too! Look no further than KooKoo. I once taught “Dino Yoga” at a three-year-old’s birthday party and played KooKoo’s “Dinosaur Stomp”. It brought down the house.
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. If there is a particular style of music you’re drawn to, I can almost guarantee there is a band or artist doing a fantastic job of creating kid-appropriate music in that genre.
As adults, we tend to think that music is split between adult music and kids’ music, but good music is just good music. Children love well produced melodies and intentional lyrics just like us. Just watch for those “adult words”. We don’t want any of those slipping out in class. You’ll never hear the end of it.
What are your favorite kids yoga songs? Do you have a playlist? I’d love it if you shared it below. I’m always on the lookout for new bops!
Featured image: DJ Deja Vu by MIX DJ MIA
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