The Hidden Problem with Kids Yoga Cards

Carolina Vega - Author and Facilitator of My Health Kids Yoga

Cards can’t teach creativity, intuition, or imagination. Children deserve better.

In many children’s yoga classes today, visual cards are often used to show the poses. While they can be a helpful tool in some settings, I’ve chosen not to rely on them in my classes and here’s why.

#1 Imagination over Images

Children today are surrounded by screens, bright colours, and constant visual stimulation. While this can grab their attention quickly, it often leaves little space for their own imagination to grow. When we rely too heavily on yoga cards or pictures, we risk training children to only copy what they see, rather than creating from within.

At first, this can feel challenging as a Kids yoga teacher. Yes, it means you need to put in more effort as many children almost expect something to look at. But once they realise they don’t need a card to guide them, a beautiful shift happens. They begin to use and love their imagination, discovering that they can create whole new stories, characters, and new worlds through movement. This is much more nourishing for their development.

#2 Benefits of Imaginative Play in Yoga

When children use their imagination during yoga:

• Creativity blossoms: A cat pose doesn't just mean arching our back. It could mean creeping through a jungle, hiding in tall grass, or stretching in the sun.

• Confidence grows: They discover their own way of expressing poses rather than trying to 'get it right.'

• Self-awareness deepens: By moving into shapes intuitively, they learn to listen to their bodies and notice what feels comfortable.

• Resilience builds: Storytelling and imagination allows endless variations. If one pose doesn't work, they can imagine another role to play.

Imagination is limitless!

#3 Every Child is Unique

One of the risks of relying on yoga cards is that they show a single way of doing a pose. But children do not all grow, move, or develop at the same pace. Asking them to match an image can sometimes be disheartening or even physically uncomfortable if their bodies are not ready for it. By encouraging them to move in ways that feel natural, children learn that yoga is about listening to themselves, not squeezing into a box (something even adults are learning).

#4 Endless Stories, Endless Possibilities

The imagination of a child is massive - endless! One story can flow into another, and one character can change into ten different poses. When yoga is taught through storytelling, there are no boundaries, only the joy of discovery. That, for me, is what makes kids yoga so magical.

Moving Beyond Cookie-Cutter Yoga

So many kids’ yoga classes today rely on cards and props, but I believe that when we do this, we are actually limiting children instead of empowering them. Real teaching is not about handing them images to copy. It is about awakening their inner creativity and letting them move in ways that honour their unique bodies and imaginations.

That is why in my Kids Yoga Teacher Training course, I don't just teach poses. I teach you how to guide children into their own stories, their own movements, and their own wisdom. If you want to go beyond cookie-cutter yoga and truly inspire children, this course will show you how. For more information, head to: https://myhealthyogaonline.com/courses/advanced-kids-yoga-teacher-training/

2026 Hybrid option coming soon!

How do you encourage children to use their imagination in your yoga classes (or play)?

Carolina Vega - Author and Facilitator of My Health Kids Yoga