One of my favorite classes I planned this month was a Flower Yoga class for kids. My students loved using these plush, cheerful flowers that I found on Amazon. They were the perfect accessory to teach presence during Spring (and we even had some perfectly timed sneezes! Ha!) Below are some of the interactive and engaging activities that I used with these adorable, flexible flowers.
Why Mindfulness Matters for Kids
Mindfulness helps children tune into the present moment, which can support emotional regulation, reduce anxiety, and build focus. I love using these soft flowers in my yoga classes to make mindfulness accessible and fun. Plus, using their senses to explore encourages creativity and language development.
Below are some activities I taught and used during my flower yoga class for kids. These are age appropriate for both preschool and elementary aged children.
Introduce Your Flower
Invite each child to choose a flower and give it a name. Naming helps build connection and adds a little imaginative flair.
“What do you think your flower’s name is? Maybe it’s Sunny, Rosie, or Mr. Petals?”
I love listening to what the children come up with!
Flower Breath
Hold the flower up to your nose and take a slow, deep breath in. Pretend you’re smelling a real flower. Then exhale slowly like you’re blowing out a candle.
Repeat this 3–5 times. You can say: “Let’s take a flower breath—breathe in the sweet smell… and breathe out slowly. Again… breathe in… and out…”
After “smelling” your flower, use your senses in my next activity to examine your flower more closely!!
Flower Detectives
- Touch: Ask your students to feel the different parts of the flower. The petals, stem and leaves. “Are the petals soft or bumpy? What does the stem feel like? Is it smooth? Flexible? Soft? Squishy?”
- Sight: Look closely at your flower. “What colors do you see? Are the petals all the same shape? Is your flower tall or short? Curvy or straight?”
- Listen: Squeeze or bend the flower. Does it make any sound? Tap it gently and listen. “Does it make a quiet sound when you tap it? Is it loud?”
Adjective Garden
This part encourages language development and mindfulness at once. “Let’s use our words to describe our flowers. Can you tell me three things about how your flower looks or feels?”
Use a simple sentence starter for little ones: “My flower is… [soft, pink, bendy].”
Challenge older children to be more descriptive, “My flower has fuzzy yellow petals, a swirly, green stem, and smells like sunshine.”
Flower Flow
Grow together with a Flower yoga flow!
- Planted Seed pose: Child’s Pose
- Growing pose: Encourage children to roll over onto their backs. (Challenge: Don’t use your hands!) Then have them slowly stretch their arms and legs up and out overhead as they sprout above ground.
- Flower Pose: Sit up (Challenge: Don’t use your hands!) and practice Flower Pose together.
Note that these poses can be very challenging for my littlest yogis (who are only two and a half!). Over time, I have watched my students develop the core strength to be able to do this successfully. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch their pride when they are able to do do this as a four and five year old!
Why these activities work
These simple exercises use sensory play, imagination, and movement—powerful tools for emotional development in young children. The flower becomes a comforting object. The routine of breathing, touching, and noticing builds a mindful habit they can connect with. Incorporating the flower flow gives them the opportunity to move and develop body awareness. I really love watching their imagination blossom in class with their ideas. It sparks creativity. I also enjoy the effect it has on their peers and their responses.
Next time your little one feels wiggly, overwhelmed, or just needs a quiet moment, bring out the soft flower and try one of these mindfulness moments together.
Teacher/Parenting Tip:
Keep a flower in your “calm corner” or mindfulness box so it’s always nearby when needed.
More tools I’ve recommended over the years for home and school use can be found here.
Please know the above links are affiliate links and as an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions expressed above are my own.
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