Yoga and Pilates Movements to Support Children's Physical Development

Ask your child to stand up straight and press their feet firmly into the ground. Act as your child's mirror and perform the same movement.

As you inhale, raise your arms above your head and have your child mimic your movement.

Just like a tree sending its roots deep into the earth, stretch your entire spine upward with your arms.

Touch your hands together above your head, then gently lean your upper body to the right. During this movement, ensure your hips face straight ahead and the bend comes only from your waist.

Then, return your body to the center and repeat the same pose to the left. To make this movement more playful, you can sing a song about the moon with your child.

Bound Angle Pose

Sit on the floor with your child.

Encourage your child to sit tall and straight while bringing the soles of their feet together.

You can ask them to hold their ankles with their hands while maintaining a straight spine. To make this position fun, try fluttering your knees up and down like butterfly wings.

While in this position, you can rock gently from side to side while singing a playful song like Humpty Dumpty:

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty together again."

Tree Pose

Stand tall and straight, a little distance away from your child.

Ask your child to imagine growing 'roots' evenly from both feet. Then, have them shift all their balance onto one foot.

Lift the other foot and place it against the inner calf. It is important not to place the foot directly on the knee joint; guide them gently if needed.

Press your hands together at your chest, or extend your arms out wide like the branches of a tree to find your balance.

Keep your body tall and aligned, and try gently opening the raised knee out to the side.

Stand facing your child with your feet wide apart, and ask them to do the same.

Stand tall and stretch your arms out wide to the sides. To turn this into a fun activity, you can count each point of your star starting from the head.

While swaying gently from side to side in this pose, you can sing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star':

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!"

From this five-pointed star pose, you can playfully shout 'Gotcha!' and transition into a Horse pose.

Bridge with a Pilates Ball

Have your child lie on their back with their knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Place a pilates ball right in front of their feet. Hold the ball steady as your child lifts their legs onto the ball one by one.

Ask your child to gently lift their hips toward the sky while engaging their core. You can move the ball closer to their feet or thighs. Ensure they do not overextend their lower back, keeping the movement slow, controlled, and small.

To finish the movement, have your child gently roll their feet off the ball.

Plank Pose

The plank is an excellent movement for strengthening a child's core, and doing it with a pilates ball adds a fun element of play.

Have your child start in a high push-up position.

Position the pilates ball near their feet.

Safely support your child by the waist as you help them place their feet onto the ball one by one.

While continuing to support their waist, ask your child to use their arm strength to hold the position, or slowly roll forward on the ball until it reaches their tummy.

Seated Twist

Hold the pilates ball steady while your child sits on top of it, making sure both of their feet are resting flat on the ground for stability.

Ask them to find their balance and either interlace their fingers behind their head or stretch their arms out wide to the sides.

Encourage your child to keep their lower body still while slowly twisting their upper torso to one side. Repeat the movement on the other side.