Why Toddlers Need Yoga More Than You Think

Pre-school yoga isn't just stretching. It's one of the most powerful tools for early childhood development you'll ever discover.

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Imagine a room full of two and three year olds, roaring like lions, balancing like trees and buzzing like bees. They're engaged, having fun and utterly delighted to be at yoga. This is toddler yoga, and it is, without doubt, one of the most joyful classes I teach.

I came to toddler yoga through my own journey as a mum and yoga teacher. As a pre and postnatal yoga specialist I adored supporting mums and babies through their journeys, watching them grow and change. Hearing them laugh for the first time and sharing in the joy of those milestones. Mum and Baby Yoga became my main passion and it opened my eyes to a whole new world of what yoga can be.

When the babies "graduated" from this class at crawling, both mums and babies were as keen to keep coming as I was for them not to leave. Which is when I was compelled to create my Mini Movers Toddler Yoga classes. Once more I created a class where mums could continue to get some yoga, whilst their now toddlers could really start their own yoga journey in earnest. You can read more about how Mini Movers came to be on my blog at deavilleyoga.com/yoga-aromatherapy-blog/why-i-love-teaching-toddler-yoga

Toddler yoga is more than you think

It could be easy to dismiss toddler yoga as "glorified playtime." And although it is about play, being animals, planes, making funny noises and giggling lots, it's so much more than that, and the evidence backs it up.

Toddlers are in one of the most significant periods of development in their entire lives. Between the ages of one and five, children are building the foundations for physical coordination, emotional regulation, social connection and cognitive growth all at once. Yoga, when it's designed thoughtfully for this age group, meets them right where they are.

Physically, toddler yoga supports balance and coordination, gross motor skill development, body awareness, and the kind of strength and flexibility that comes from free, playful movement rather than anything forced or rigid. Safe alignment for pre-schoolers looks very different from adult practice, and that difference matters.

Emotionally, the benefits run deep. Young children are still developing the capacity to name and manage their feelings. A regular yoga session gives them tools they can actually use: breath awareness, moments of stillness, the experience of their own body as a place of calm. Resilience, self-confidence and self-expression all grow in that space.

Socially, group yoga, whether with a parent or in a nursery setting, teaches toddlers about sharing and turn-taking, about listening to others, about being part of something together. These are not small things.

What toddler yoga looks like

In all honesty, it doesn't look anything like an adult yoga class. Structure is still important: a warm up, peak moments, cool down and Savasana (yes, this is possible). But everything within that structure is built around imagination and play, and in my classes I love to use real children's books to support this.

Sessions are typically themed and story-led. Children might go on a quest, head to the seaside, or explore a challenge they may face in their own lives, like trying to get to sleep. As the story unfolds they move through classic yoga poses: held still, flowing, and occasionally even danced. The Sanskrit (ancient Indian language) names still have their place, Balasana (Child's pose), Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (High Lunge), but a three year old is far more likely to commit to a Sleeping Hedgehog or taking giant steps through a forest.

Pranayama (breathwork) is woven throughout, adapted for young bodies and short attention spans: blowing imaginary dandelion seeds, breathing out like a sleepy dragon, humming like a bumblebee. Sensory play, singing, instruments and props all have a role too.

Something surprising about teaching toddler yoga

Here's something I didn't entirely expect: teaching toddler yoga has made me a better teacher full stop.

Working with pre-schoolers strips everything back. You cannot rely on technical language, long explanations, or the quiet compliance of an adult class. You have to be creative, responsive, encouraging, warm and fully present. Every session is different because every group of children is different, and their spontaneity is part of the joy of teaching these classes.

As surprising as it may sound, there is also something uniquely grounding about teaching in this space. Children do not perform wellness; they're not there to tick off yoga for the week. They either connect or they don't, and when they do, when a two year old closes their eyes in relaxation, or a three year old asks if they can come again, it is genuinely moving. As my lovely student Pippy once put it to her mum: "can we go yogo today?"

For yoga teachers looking to expand into a niche that is joyful, in demand and genuinely meaningful, early years is worth serious consideration. You can take this work into nurseries too, filling those quieter studio hours with something that really matters. The skills you already have translate beautifully. You just need to know how to adapt them.

Heather Deaville runs Mini Movers Certified Toddler Yoga Teacher Training, a 30-hour, Yoga Alliance Professionals CPD-certified programme delivered in hybrid format, combining online and in-person learning. The next cohort begins September 2026. Visit deavilleyoga.com/teacher-training for details.

Bio: Heather Deaville is a Senior Yoga Teacher, aromatherapist and founder of Deaville Yoga and the Mini Movers Toddler Yoga programme, based in Brighton. She teaches Hatha and Vinyasa Flow across Sussex, and is an assistant teacher and Mum and Baby lead trainer at the Sally Parkes Yoga School. www.deavilleyoga.com