Teaching Yoga in Schools for Sporting Events: What Should We Actually Teach?

If you're interested in delivering yoga during the school day—perhaps for sports day or as part of an activity week—this blog and video is for you. It’s part two in a four-part series, so if you haven’t yet read or watched the first one, you might want to pop back and start there.

In the last video and blog, I talked about why I believe that yoga and mindful movement deserve to be part of schools PE offerings. I shared the benefits to the children, the school and to you and your business.

In this blog and video I’m going to be sharing some considerations for the content of what to teach in yoga classes that are designed to fit into a school sporting or physical activity event.

"I Know What to Teach in a Club… But What About in School?"

So, what do we actually teach in these sessions? It’s a really common question, especially if your yoga teacher training focused more on games and community classes. You might be wondering how to bridge the gap between small, playful sessions and whole-class lessons during the school day—particularly those that link with physical education (P.E.).
You’re not alone in that. One of the main things I do when mentoring kids yoga teachers is help them make this very transition—from small, cosy classes to confident, curriculum-aligned lessons in front of a whole class of thirty children!
If You're Just Starting with Whole-Class Yoga...

If you’re new to teaching yoga to larger groups, you might find my self-paced online trainings really helpful:

• Tame the Crowd: Ideal if you’re worried about behaviour management in any of your classes. It’s full of practical tools for keeping things calm, connected, and in control—especially with larger groups.
  
  
• Structure for Success: This training shows you exactly how to deliver yoga as part of the school day (not just as an after-school club). It’s rooted in my 20+ years of experience as a primary school teacher and school leader.
  
  

I created these courses because I saw how often the need to “tick curriculum boxes” becomes a barrier for yoga teachers entering schools. And I really believe we belong in schools. 


School Day ≠ After-School Club
This part’s important: delivering the same session you’d offer in a club just won’t cut it during the school day.
School lessons need to feel different. You’ll likely need to:

• Ditch certain props or games
• Adjust your class structure
• Align what you’re offering with the school’s expectations (and the curriculum of your country)

This can feel intimidating—but it’s completely doable with the right support.

If you'd like an example of how I approach this, I’ve created a free downloadable Key Stage 1 Sports Day Yoga Lesson Plan. It’s one I’ve used in schools myself, and you’re welcome to use it as inspiration, tweak it, or take what works for your style. (Or, you might read it and think, “Not for me”—which is totally fine too! we are all different 🙃 and my style is not for everyone)

Remember: The School Is Your Client
This is a mindset shift that changes everything.
In your community classes, parents are your clients. But in schools, it’s the school itself. That means your sessions need to meet their expectations, goals, and curriculum links.
When you do that well, schools are much more likely to invite you back again and again. One school has me in every year for their sports day—because what I offer works for them and their pupils.

Start with the Lesson Objective
Ask yourself (or ask the school):

What’s the goal of this session?
Some examples:

• Giving children a first experience of yoga and its benefits
• Helping children understand how yoga can support physical health alongside sport
• Exploring the impact of yoga on focus, calm, strength or balance

Once you’ve got clarity on the goal, you can shape a lesson or workshop that delivers just that.
This conversation with the school is key. Don’t be afraid to ask:

• “What would you like the children to come away with?”
• “Are there specific links you’d like me to make to physical education?”
• “Do you want this to be an experience, a skills-based session, or something else?”

Then you can bring your expertise to the table and co-create something brilliant.

Four Physical Benefits I Focus On
If you’re offering yoga as part of the P.E. curriculum, then it helps to focus on the physical benefits of yoga—especially in language schools already understand. Here are the four pillars I centre my sessions around:

• Balance
  
  
• Strength
  
  
• Flexibility
  
• Relaxation
  

These themes help me frame yoga as a physical activity that supports the body in ways that align beautifully with the aims of P.E. I also use my own Well-Being Adventurers yoga cards, which are organised around these four areas. (You can get your hands on them too here with training, here just the resources or here, just to pose banks)
Of course, if your teaching style focuses on different benefits, that’s absolutely fine! The key is clarity and consistency.
Key Takeaways for Teaching Yoga in Schools
To wrap up, here’s a quick checklist if you're planning yoga sessions in schools:

• 🏫 School is the client – Build your session to meet their goals.
  
• 🎯 Set a clear lesson objective – What do you want the children to experience or learn?
  
• 📒 Link to the curriculum – Especially if you’re working during the school day.
  
• 💬 Communicate with the school – Clarify what they want before planning.
  
• 💪 Focus on physical benefits – Especially if teaching within a sports or P.E. context.
  
• 🔁 Get it right = repeat bookings – Schools love reliability and alignment.
  

🧭 Want More Support?

• 📥 Download your free Key Stage 1 Sports Day Lesson Plan
  
• 📚 Explore Tame the Crowd – For behaviour and group management
  
• 📚 Explore Structure for Success – For teaching yoga during the school day
  
• 🧠 Yoga Cards & Training – Created around strength, balance, flexibility and relaxation
  

And if you’d like personalised support to grow your confidence or business as a kids yoga teacher in schools, I’d love to work with you 1:1. Just get in touch, or book a chat with me and we’ll start where you’re at.
Thanks for reading—and for the important work you do 💛

Is this the first thing you are reading from me?

Hi, I’m Julia Hankins – Children’s Well-Being Consultant, former class teacher and senior leader, and the founder of Well-Being Adventurers. I spend most of my time supporting schools with well-being training and workshops. I also mentor kids’ yoga teachers who want to support children’s well-being —and thrive while they do it.

Why not join the lovely community of yoga teachers who work in schools (or want to).