How to Organise a Successful Kids Yoga Day in Schools

This blog is part of a mini series designed especially for kids yoga teachers who have been invited into schools to deliver yoga sessions during PE, sports days, activity weeks, or wellbeing days.

Whether you're brand new to this or just curious about how others do it, I hope this gives you some practical guidance and reassurance.

This blog is focused on something often overlooked but absolutely vital: how to organise the day.

What Does a Kids Yoga Day in a School Look Like?
Let’s say a school has asked you to deliver yoga workshops as part of a special day. This could be:

• A whole-school wellbeing day
• A PE enrichment day
• Sports week or activity week
• Or just a one-off experience to introduce yoga to the children

You might be delivering sessions all day, or just for part of the day. The way I usually work is that I’m based in one location—usually the school hall—and the children come to me on a rota or timetable throughout the day. Sometimes I’m in a hall, sometimes outside, and at one school I even teach in a teepee (which is magical!).

What Kind of Timetable Works?
Sessions can range from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the children's age or developmental stage, the school’s timings, and how many classes they want you to see. The average duration of lesson that I teach in a typical day like this is 30 minutes, but the following timings give a guide for what I personally have found works well:

* 20 - 30 minute lessons work well for younger children (Nursery, Reception)
* 30 -minute lessons are perfect for key stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)
* 30 to 60-minute lessons suit Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

Some days I teach 10 sessions back-to-back—and occasionally, I even teach 11 (which I wouldn’t recommend! 🙃😴). For most one- off special event days, I teach between 6 and 9 lessons.

Either the school or I create the timetable. If I am creating the timetable, I always tailor it to their schedule and needs, making sure that I consider break and lunch times, start of the school day, end of the school day, and whether I need to vacate the room for anything (for example, if the hall is also used for lunchtime).

Keeping Lesson Content Manageable
I like to keep the day manageable for me by delivering similar sessions to grouped year bands:

• Nursery & Reception get the same (or very similar) session
• Years 1 & 2 (Key Stage 1) share another similar lesson
• Years 3–6 (Key Stage 2) have a third version, which I tweak slightly depending on the class

This structure keeps the content appropriate for the age group, but also protects my energy. Delivering a totally different lesson to every class would leave me completely depleted. 

💫Reuse core structures and simply adapt slightly to suit each age group. That way, you can stay focused, present, and relaxed throughout the day.

If you’d like to see what a lesson might  look like, you can grab a free Key Stage 1 Sports Day Yoga lesson plan.

Energy Management Tips
Teaching back-to-back yoga sessions all day can be physically and emotionally intense, even when it’s fun! Here are some things that I find help me keep my energy sustainable:

🌟 Join in with breathing exercises to ground yourself
🌟 Let children take the lead in some activities to reduce your physical load
🌟 Keep some activities consistent throughout the day
🌟 Pack plenty of snacks and water
🌟 Take proper breaks—sometimes I even have a little yoga nidra or nap in my car!

You can’t pour from an empty cup, and showing up with, balanced energy really makes a difference to the quality of what you are able to deliver and also your own health.

Keep It Simple (Especially with Props & Plans)
I know how tempting it can be to bring everything—scarves, feathers, chime bars, glitter jars… the works! But I’ve learnt that simplicity is key. Bring what you need, but don’t overwhelm yourself.
I tend to use mostly the same props for all year groups, only changing the pose cards (and often soft toys to accompany them) for each year group.
You can buy the gorgeous pose cards that I use in three different ways:

1️⃣All of the resources, manual and comprehensive training on how to use them in your classes.
2️⃣Just the resources (four sets of printable pose cards and 5 posters) and a simplified manual.
3️⃣Just the pose banks / posters.

Want Some Help Planning?
If this kind of day is new to you—or if you’d just like a peek at how I do it—I’ve created a free resource called the Sports Day Yoga Plan to get a taster of the type of lesson that works for me.

Let’s Keep Supporting Each Other
I hope this blog has given you a helpful starting point. You’re doing such valuable work, bringing movement, breath, and well-being into children’s lives—and it matters more than ever. Have you joined the fabulous, helpful and friendly free community?

If you’ve found this post useful, I’d love it if you’d leave a comment or share it with a fellow kids yoga teacher. And if you’ve got any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected] —I’m always happy to help. If you'd like some tailored support, book a chat with me here.

x Julia

Am I new to you? Let me introduce myself ...

I’m Julia Hankins, founder of Well-Being Adventurers. I work as a children’s well-being consultant—spending most of my time in schools delivering well-being workshops, teaching yoga and mindfulness sessions, and training school staff to support children’s mental, emotional and physical health. I also mentor other kids yoga teachers, helping them grow in confidence and flourish in their own unique way.
I love to connect with other kids yoga and wellness professionals, why not drop me a line and tell me about your work with children?