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Alphabet Yoga for Kids: A to Z, Then Spell Their Name
Alphabet yoga for kids: a pose or body shape for every letter from A to Z, which letters are on our mats, and how to spell a name in poses.
Alphabet yoga for kids gives every letter of the alphabet a yoga pose or a body shape, so A might be airplane pose and Y might be a child standing tall with their arms up and apart. Below is one for every letter, A to Z, for children aged 3 to 8. Then comes the best bit: spelling your child's own name, one pose at a time.
It's for the child who is learning letters at school and cannot sit still at the kitchen table, and for the grown-up who has run out of ways to practise them.
What is alphabet yoga for kids?
Alphabet yoga, sometimes called ABC yoga for kids, is a game: you call a letter, your child makes its pose (T for tree) or its shape (an O with the arms overhead). You need a patch of floor and bare feet. Start anywhere, do three letters or all twenty-six, and hold each for one breath while you say the letter together.
A grown-up should stay close, especially for the one-legged letters. Under-fives do best with the shapes and floor poses, and can skip the balances. Let your child make each shape their own way, never press or pull them into one, and stop anything that hurts. Our beginner's guide to kids' yoga covers how to start if this is your first go.
Should you use letter names or letter sounds?
Use sounds with younger children and add names later. In England, the Department for Education's Development Matters guidance says children in reception will be learning to "read individual letters by saying the sounds for them". The national curriculum for English asks Year 1 pupils to name the letters of the alphabet, in order.
So if you're using alphabet yoga for phonics with a child in nursery or reception, say the sound: "mmm for mouse", "t for tree". In Year 1, add the letter name too.
A few letters don't fit neatly. Airplane starts with "air" and eagle with "ee", and the shape letters I, O and U are named after the letter rather than a word that starts with its sound. For those, say the letter however your child's school does, and let the pose be the fun part. We've used hard sounds for C and G (cat, gorilla), so the sound and the pose match.
What are the alphabet yoga poses from A to Z?
These alphabet yoga poses for kids use our two mats first: twelve letters, A, B, C, D, E, F, H, M, R, S, T and W, are poses on the Sun Salutation or Freedom Flow mat. The other fourteen are body shapes or simple movements, and each one says so.
A: Airplane
On the Sun Salutation mat, which spells it the American way. "Stand on one leg with a soft knee, stretch the other leg back and your arms out wide, and fly." Aeroplane works too, and so does holding a chair back.
B: Butterfly
On the Freedom Flow mat. "Sit tall, press the soles of your feet together, pull your heels in and let your knees flap like wings." Boat and bridge are B poses on the same mat.
C: Cat
Pose 3 on the Sun Salutation mat. "On hands and knees, push your back up high like a cross cat and let your head drop." Cow, chair and crab are C poses on our mats too.
D: Downward dog
On the Sun Salutation mat. "Hands and feet on the floor, lift your bottom to the sky and make an upside-down V." Heels don't need to touch the floor. Dolphin, deer and dancer are D poses there too.
E: Eagle
Pose 13 on the Sun Salutation mat, and a balance. "Bend your knees, hug yourself tight, and hook one elbow into the other." Under-fives can do eagle arms sitting down, which still counts.
F: Frog
On the Sun Salutation mat. "Heels in, toes out, squat down low and press your elbows against your knees." Flower, pose 1 on the Freedom Flow mat, is the sitting-down F.
G: Gorilla
A movement, not on the mat. "Feet wide, knees bent, fold forward and let your arms swing like a gorilla, then stand up slowly." A quiet grunt is allowed.
H: Happy baby
Pose 13 on the Freedom Flow mat. "Lie on your back, bend your knees, open your legs wide and hold your feet." Rocking gently side to side is the point.
I: I shape
A body shape, not on the mat. "Stand tall, feet together, and press both arms straight up beside your ears." The easiest letter here.
J: Jellyfish
A movement, not on the mat. "Lie on your back and float your arms and legs about like a jellyfish, then go completely still." The still part is the challenge.
K: Kangaroo
A movement, not on the mat. "Feet together, hands up like paws, and do three small hops on the spot." Small hops, soft landings.
L: L shape
A body shape, not on the mat. "Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front and your back tall." From the side, your body makes an L.
M: Mouse
Pose 1 on the Sun Salutation mat. "Kneel, sit back on your heels and curl forward with your arms stretched out, small as a mouse." Mountain is an M pose on the same mat.
N: Noodle
A movement, not on the mat. "Shake your whole body floppy like a cooked noodle, then freeze." Repeat until the giggling stops, or doesn't.
O: O shape
A body shape, not on the mat. "Stand tall and make a big circle with your arms over your head, fingertips touching."
P: Penguin
A movement, not on the mat. "Heels together, toes out, arms stiff by your sides, and waddle across the room." Children who won't do poses will often do penguin.
Q: Quiet
A rest, not on the mat. "Lie on your back, close your eyes and stay quiet and still for five breaths." A good letter to finish on.
R: Rainbow
On the Sun Salutation mat. "Reach both arms up, palms together, and lean slowly to one side, then the other." Rag doll and rabbit are R poses on our mats too.
S: Star
Pose 3 on the Freedom Flow mat. "Sit tall, open your legs wide with your toes pointing up, and put your hands on the floor in front of you." Good from age 3.
T: Tree
Pose 14 on the Sun Salutation mat. "Stand on one leg and rest the sole of your other foot on your calf, palms together." A toe on the floor is still tree.
U: Bridge
The shape of an upside-down U. Bridge is on the Freedom Flow mat. "Lie down, knees bent and feet flat, then push into your feet and lift your hips." Keep it small and come down slowly.
V: Boat
Boat makes a V. It's on the Freedom Flow mat. "Sit, lean back a little, and lift your legs and arms so your body makes a V." Bent knees are fine, and so is a bit of rocking.
W: Waterfall
Pose 15 on the Freedom Flow mat, the last one. "Stand with your feet apart, reach your arms up high and lean back just a little." A tiny lean is plenty.
X: X shape
A body shape, not on the mat. "Feet wide, arms wide and up, and make yourself into a big X." Check there's room all round first.
Y: Y shape
A body shape, not on the mat. "Stand tall with your feet together and your arms up and apart." Good from age 3.
Z: Zigzag
A movement, not on the mat. "Walk across the room in a zigzag, then freeze in your favourite letter." Small zigzags indoors, big ones in the garden.
How do you spell your name in yoga poses?
Make the letters one at a time, hold each for a breath and say the sound. This is where yoga letters for kids become a game they ask for again. Find the letters that are poses on the mat first, then make the rest with your body.
Say your four-year-old is called Sam. That's star (S), airplane (A, holding your hand) and mouse (M), and the mouse at the end makes a nice still finish. A five-letter name takes about two minutes.
Once they've done their own name, try:
- Someone else's name. Nan, Grandad or the dog. Nan is noodle, airplane, noodle, which tends to go down well.
- Three-letter words. Cat (cat, airplane, tree), sun (star, bridge, noodle), dog (downward dog, O shape, gorilla).
- Letters for two. Stand side by side a step apart and hold inside hands low between you: from the front, you make an M. Our yoga poses for two has more shapes to make together.
Spell it without a screen. Our mats have 15 numbered poses laser-engraved into the surface, so a child can go and find the S or the T on their own. Between the Sun Salutation and Freedom Flow designs, that's twelve letters on the floor in front of them. Each mat is £34.99 with free UK delivery, and two or more are 10 per cent off. See both designs in the Yogi-Me range.
Can your child be the one calling the letters?
Yes. Some children hate being watched but love being in charge, so they call the letters and you do the poses. Get one wrong on purpose and let them correct you. Three letters is a session, and so is just their initial. Yoga games for kids has more ways to play, and circle time games work for a group.
None of this needs to be long. The NHS says pre-schoolers should be active for at least 180 minutes a day, and a few minutes of letters is a small part of that.
Frequently asked questions
Can two people do alphabet yoga together?
Yes. Take turns, one making a letter and the other guessing it, or both make the same letter side by side and see whose is clearer. Two people can also make one letter together: stand a step apart, hold inside hands low, and from the front you make an M. Grandparents can stick to the floor letters if the balances are a stretch.
Do you need cards or a video for alphabet yoga for kids?
No. This page and some floor space are enough: read the instruction, show the shape once and let your child copy. Cards and videos are one way to do it, but they're not required. A mat with poses engraved into it means your child can find some of the letters on their own, and make the rest with their body.
Which letters are on the Yogi-Me mats?
Twelve letters begin the name of a pose on our two mats: A, B, C, D, E, F, H, M, R, S, T and W. The Sun Salutation mat covers A, C, D, E, F, M, R and T, and the Freedom Flow mat covers B, C, F, H, R, S and W. The other fourteen letters are body shapes or movements.
Is alphabet yoga suitable for preschoolers?
Yes, with the easy letters. I, O, Y, X and the noodle, penguin and jellyfish movements suit three and four-year-olds, along with mouse, butterfly and star. Skip the balances, like airplane and eagle, or do them holding your hand. Say the letter sounds rather than names. Our mats are designed for ages 3 to 8.
