Adults the world over have realized the benefits of yoga for health, fitness, and mindfulness. There are so many ways that yoga can help ground you and improve your lifestyle. But this doesn’t end with adults — children can also benefit from yoga in many ways! Here in Deerfield Township outside of Cincinnati, we have access to many yoga studios that offer kid-specific and family-friendly yoga classes, so you can involve your children in this beneficial practice. 

At Crème de la Crème, we understand the importance of physical growth and enrichment, alongside mental, emotional, and educational stimulation. That’s why we believe in the power of physical exercise, such as yoga, as a great learning and development tool in early childhood. We hope this list of local yoga practices helps you find a new healthy activity for your kids, and perhaps even something you can enjoy together as a family.

Best Age to Start Yoga

“Peace Yoga Meditation” used with permission via Pixabay by Prosa1960

Very simple yoga techniques and stretches can be taught to children as young as four, when they are able to understand instructions and follow their teacher. It is essential, however, not to push a child to do more complicated poses or stretches until their bones are fully developed and they won’t injure themselves. Most yoga studios have age restrictions which serve as good guidelines for how difficult or complicated the class may be.

Yoga Benefits for Kids

There are many positive aspects of yoga for kids. It can assist children with managing anxiety through breathing and relaxation techniques, while inspiring emotional regulation and a peaceful state of mind. Improving yoga poses or increasing balance can boost your child’s self-esteem and confidence. Working through the process of yoga can improve a child’s mindfulness, body awareness, concentration, and memory. It also has the physical benefits of improving flexibility, strength, and overall fitness. The more yoga your child does, the more likely they are to see the manifestation of these benefits.

Yoga Classes for Kids near Deerfield Township

Just as there are different types of yoga for adults, so too are there different types of kids’ yoga. Your child may find a preference for one or the other. Some yoga is more gentle, slow, and relaxing, while other classes move a bit quicker and incorporate some aerobic workouts.

DRISHTIQ Yoga

Some of the most comprehensive kids’ yoga classes in the area are offered at DRISHTIQ, which has both kids yoga and teen yoga classes. At DRISHTIQ, they believe that teaching yoga at an early age can improve your child’s sense of calmness, self-esteem, compassion, and awareness to last a lifetime. Their kids’ yoga course is designed for 3 to 8-year-olds and is taught in a room set to 70-80 degrees. Lessons incorporate music, games, stories, and stretches.

Teen yoga is a bit more advanced to allow your teenagers to remove their negative and stressful thoughts and focus on mind and body. Breathing and fundamental yoga poses are incorporated into this class, which follows fun and motivational music. Students are also taught proper alignment, postures, and techniques for correct yoga practice.

World Peace Yoga at Heärt

World Peace Yoga offers classes for every age group, beginning with their Baby and Me course that welcomes infants as young as 6 weeks old. This class is all about developing your bond with your baby, for either the father, mother, or caregiver. Poses are either playful or designed for rehabilitation and restoration. 

For children aged 2-4, they offer Yoga for Toddlers, and parents are also encouraged to participate. This class teaches yoga through play, incorporating breathing, movement, and animal noises and imitation. Ages 5-10 can join their Young Yogis class, where they’ll learn more yoga postures and practice balance, coordination, and building self-esteem. Their final two classes are Yoga for Tweens (ages 11-14) and Yoga for Teens (15 and above), which increase in difficulty, allowing your children to gain new skills and learn new poses. They also offer Family Yoga, with partner yoga, stretching, and relaxation.

Busy Being Kids Yoga

Emily Hunt established Busy Being Kids Yoga to share mindfulness and yoga with children in the Cincinnati area. She runs classes at Hue Yoga, as well as special classes at other venues and events regionally. Busy Being Kids Yoga is entirely focused on providing kids with the tools they need to be playful and imaginative through yoga. She gets creative with the ways she teaches training, such as having the kids pretend to be sleepy bears while breathing slowly, so that the practice never gets boring.

Mint Yoga Studio

While Mint Yoga doesn’t offer regular kids’ classes, they say on their website that their classes are open for older kids and teens. They have adult participants that often bring kids with them, with no problem at all. That makes Mint Yoga a great spot to take your more mature children who have had a bit of yoga practice already. Classes at Mint Yoga vary from beginner Vinyasa to gentle yoga and even classic Pilates.

Other Places to Practice Yoga

Other yoga studios in the area that offer occasional special kids classes include Embra Studio and Simply Power Yoga. Swift Movement Studio is a gym for all ages that offers parkour, acrobatics, and fitness courses. They also occasionally host kids’ yoga and other types of stretching classes. Visit the websites for these different companies and check their calendars for upcoming events, or follow them on social media, to find out when they run these kid-friendly classes.

Just as yoga has gained popularity with adults around the world, it’s starting to become more popular as an activity for kids. Yoga offers an excellent way to develop bonds between parents and children while gaining fitness and mindfulness. Here in Deerfield Township, we’re lucky to be close to many yoga studios and gym facilities that offer kids’ yoga or family yoga classes. Did we miss your favorite studio? Let us know, we’re always looking to update our recommendations.