Bug Yoga and Activities for Kids
Bugs are amazing!
In my work with children at an outdoor after school program, Spring time is an exciting time of year. It’s because all the bugs come out of hibernation and are all over the playground! Children are fascinated with bugs, ladybirds, caterpillars, spiders, worms, insects, and cicadas, anything tiny and cute. All afternoon we have to remind them to leave the bugs in nature, but they don’t. They build bug houses, collect them, observe them, and try to be a part of their world. It’s been proven that being connected to nature keeps us feeling happy, so that would make these kids ecstatic!
Here are a few fun facts about BUGS!
Dragonflies have been on Earth for 300 million years.
Caterpillars have 12 eyes.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
One honey bee can produce 100kg of honey each year, 220 jars!
Fireflies flash in unison when found in large groups.
Grasshoppers existed before dinosaurs!
Learn more cool facts about bug here.
Now, enjoy these 6 Bug Yoga activities!
Bug Pose - AKA, Child’s Pose. Pretend to be a little bug in the tall, tall grass. What would a bug see in it’s world? Take a look at nature close up and from a bugs point of view. The benefits of Child’s pose are to support us with feeling grounded and connected to the Earth, and nature.
Sun Salutations - Warm up for Bug Yoga with a few rounds of Sun Salutations!
Mountain Pose
Extended Mountain Pose
Forward Fold
Low Lunge
Plank Pose
Lower down
Cobra Pose
Downward Facing Dog Pose
Low Lunge
Forward Fold
Extended Mountain Pose
Mountain Pose
Flower Pose - Pretend to be a flower in the garden that little bugs will land on and feel safe. Practice balancing and breathing while being quiet peaceful and still. Do a few rounds of Flowering Breathing (below) while you balance!
Flower Breathing - Flower Breathing – Take a deep breath in, then let it go with the sound Ahhh like a sigh. Repeat as many times as you need. Take this breathing practice outside on a nature walk, breathe in deep the scent of nature and sigh out, Ahhh!
Build a Bug House - What better way to celebrate bugs than building them cozy little house. Use things only found in nature, and nothing that is still living. Pick a safe place in the yard or garden to build the bug house, out of the walk ways and paths. Let children use their imagination to protect the bugs!
Starlight Meditation - a relaxation practice about finding your inner starlight with the sounds of nature, bugs, in the background. Allow Ms. Brandon’s gentle voice guide your children to kind their starlight within.
Click the link and download from website or listen to the podcast below:
🐞 Go on a bug hunt!
After practicing bug yoga, go out to the yard, garden, park, nature trails and go on a bug hunt. Take a magnifying glass to see them up close. Exploring the world around us gives children a sense of connection and calm. It will be tempting to want to take the bugs home, but please leave them in nature and allow them to stay in their natural environment. Take it a step further with doing more research on insects with this fun resource.
🪲 More Bug Yoga for Kids!
Bug Yoga for Kids Lesson Plan - What would a bug see in their world? Connect to the world of tiny creatures, and experience what it feels like to be small.
Animal Yoga for Kids Lesson Plan Bundle - All the Animal Yoga fun in one bundle, including Bug Yoga for Kids! 7 kids yoga lesson plans to practice being animals all over the Earth, plus 5 guided relaxation and meditation practices focusing on animals!
6 Kids Yoga Lesson Plans for Spring - Celebrate the beauty and wonders of Spring with creativity and magic! Includes Bug Yoga for Kids Lesson Plan, plus 6 guided relaxation and meditation practices.
Ms. Brandon, RCYT, RYT500, holds a Master's degree in Special Education from Western Carolina University, is a highly qualified educator, and has 20+ years' experience working with children and children with special needs. Information for the kids yoga blog come from Ms. Brandon’s 95 hour Children’s Yoga Teacher Training RCYS, and is approved by Yoga Alliance.
