Have fun practicing Spanish through movement and storytelling this summer!

Moving and playing together is great in any weather, but summer is especially enjoyable for beach-themed kids yoga.  The sequence below will lead your family on a beach-inspired journey in your living room, backyard, or local park.  Kids yoga is all about having fun, being imaginative, and engaging through movement.

The specific order of the poses below is meant to invite flow from one pose to the next.  Feel free to add or take out any of the poses to suit the needs and interests of your child.  Creativity is always encouraged, but it is always best to start with the Sun Salute and end with the Resting Pose.  Get in the mood with comfortable beach clothes, and practice barefoot.  Even if you’ve never tried yoga, just give it a go.

Get out beach props like a beach umbrella, a beach chair, sunhats, or a bucket and spade.  Look for beach-related books, toys, or photos.  Put on your favorite beach music or the sound of ocean waves or animals.  Make fun fruity drinks with umbrella straws.  Cater to each of your senses.

Use your imagination!  Once your “beach” is set up, jump in and act out what you find along the shoreline with your children.  Discuss the “journey” with your children as you move together.  What do they imagine seeing, hearing, feeling, and smelling.  Kids yoga isn’t about perfect poses or rigorous exercise.  It’s about participating in a healthy activity together that promotes a balanced lifestyle.

1. Hello to the Sun – Saludar al Sol 

Sun Salute – Saludo al Sol

Stand tall, reach your hands up to the sky, and look up.  Hello sun!

2. Walking to the Beach – Caminar a la Playa

Walking – Caminar

Walk in place, pretending you are heading to the beach.  What do you see on the shoreline?

3. Beach Umbrella – Sombrilla

Tree Pose with arms out like an umbrella – Postura del Árbol

Stand tall on one leg, place your other foot onto your inner thigh, and pretend your arms are an umbrella.  What’s the weather like?  Is it windy?

4. Surfer – Surf

Warrior 2 Pose – Postura del Guerrero 2

Surf with your arms straight out and whoosh like the wind.  Did you catch a wave?

5. Beach Chair – Silla de Playa

Chair Pose – Postura de Silla

Sit back as if you’re sitting in your beach chair.  What do you smell at the beach?

6. Sandcastle – Castillos de Arena

Downward-Facing Dog Pose  – Postura del Perro Boca Abajo

Pretend you are a sandcastle roof and then come forward into a plank as if you are the castle bridge.  How does the sand feel between your fingers and toes?

7. Swimming – Nadando

Locust Pose – Postura de la Langosta

Lay on your tummy, swim with your arms, and kick with your legs.  What animals do you see in the water?

8. Sea Stars – Estrellas de Mar

Resting Pose – Postura del Muerto

Lie on your back with arms and legs stretched out, breathe, and rest.  What do you hear?

I would love to hear about your beach-inspired Spanish Family Yoga experience.  Email me at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.

Related Links:

14 Ways Yoga for Kids is a Great Idea

A Step-by-Step Guide to have your Family Moving, Laughing, and Storytelling Together!

Beach-inspired Kids Yoga Lesson Plan with twenty kids yoga poses

10 Tips for Starting a Family Yoga Practice

Join the Lucas en un Dia en la Playa  virtual book launch to celebrate an Australian beach-inspired yoga story.  Get details and free kids yoga resources in your inbox by signing up for Giselle’s weekly Kids Yoga Stories Newsletter on her website, or check her out on Facebook, Twitter , and Pinterest .

Giselle Shardlow is the author of Kids Yoga Stories.  Her yoga-inspired children’s books get children moving, learning, and having fun.  Giselle draws from her experiences as a teacher, traveler, yogi, and mom to write her stories found at kidsyogastories.com or on Amazon worldwide.

{First image by  Martijn.Munneke }