What’s in My Teaching Bag: 17 Props and Tools Every Kids Yoga Teacher Needs

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Why a Well-Stocked Yoga Bag Makes Teaching Easier

Every children’s or family yoga teacher has most likely experienced chaos ensuing in class at some point. When these moments happen, it is vital to have tools to help bring the class back to attention. I have learned that a well-prepared teaching bag full of supportive supplies can make the difference between a scattered class and one that flows with ease. When you teach kids yoga, having the right props and tools isn’t just helpful, it is essential. They help children engage their senses, stay focused, and move between play and stillness naturally.

Over the years, I’ve refined what I keep in my own teaching bag to balance structure and spontaneity. Below you’ll find the tools I use most often, with links for you to explore or add to your own kit, ending with a way to try the activity yourself. 

My Favorite Kids Yoga Props and Teaching Tools

1. My Teaching Manual and Themed Lesson Plans

My Wild Life Yoga Manual is my anchor. It’s filled with hundreds of themed activities, mindfulness practices, movement ideas, and fully curated lesson plans that I draw from for every class. Having a manual like this keeps lessons fresh and helps me stay organized. It also helps me adapt quickly when plans shift, which they often do with kids yoga!

→ Nature-Based Yoga for Kids & Families

2. Partner Pose Cards

Partner yoga builds trust, teamwork, and joy. I always carry my Partner Pose Cards to help children and families connect through movement and shared space. These cards are easy to use in pairs, small groups, or even with parents at home. Teachers love them because they make planning partner yoga segments effortless while encouraging mindful communication. I created them because I wanted a way to instruct these poses in a way that was easy for my students to visualize and understand. I use these every time I teach!

→ Inclusive, Nature-Inspired Family Yoga Partner Pose Cards

Try This:

Partner Pose Card Hide-And-Seek

Hide partner pose cards around the room, and allow participants to work in pairs or groups. As each pair finds a card, they will do the partner pose together. Alternatively, have one partner step outside of the room, while the other partner hides a card. The person outside of the room will come in to find the card while the one who hid it will say “warmer or colder” until the card is found. Once the card is retrieved, the partners will do the pose together, then switch who is the finder and who is the hider. 

3. Parachute

The parachute is pure magic for group energy. I use it for breathwork, mindfulness stories, or cooperative games that bring everyone together. It can represent waves, clouds, emotions, and anything you can imagine. Every time I bring out the parachute, the kids are so excited! I remember feeling this way when I was in elementary school way back in the 90s. This is my go-to prop when I sense the energy of the class is headed to a potentially out-of-control space.  I like to use colorful parachutes because there are a variety of activities that utilize the vibrancy. 

→ Parachute with several diameter options

Try This:

Positivity Tent

1. In a group of three, go under the parachute while the rest of the class keeps the parachute moving. 

2. Make three big up and down movements, and on the third, lift the parachute high. 

3. The three people under the parachute say an affirmation or something they are grateful for out loud so everyone can hear. 

4. Singing Bowl or Chime Bell

Sound is a powerful anchor for attention. A simple metal singing bowl or chime bell helps signal transitions, quiet the room, or begin a meditation. The clear tone draws focus back to the present moment, offering a gentle reminder to pause and breathe. I find it especially helpful after high-energy games or storytelling sequences. I specifically use a metal bowl because I have had crystal break in class. 

→ Small, portable metal singing bowl

Try This:

Musical Chime

Instruct the class to walk mindfully around the room, stepping heel to toe. When they hear the chime of the bell, they must strike a yoga pose. If two people choose matching poses, they get a point. Alternatively, each time the bell dings, the participants will find a partner to do a partner pose with. Like musical chairs, if you don’t find a partner in time, you’re out for the round. 

Note: be gentle with competitive games while in a yoga practice. Some populations may have a very difficult time with someone getting “out.” So, use your discretion, and be mindful of who you are teaching. 

5. Wool Dryer Balls

These soft, natural wool balls are a treasure in kids yoga classes. They’re eco-friendly, safe, and perfect for countless games that teach coordination, teamwork, and balance. You can roll them with your feet during a warm-up, toss them gently to explore rhythm and cooperation, or use them as breathing buddies during relaxation. Their versatility makes them one of the most valuable props in my yoga bag. I like to add a bit of variation by needle felting wool onto the dryer balls to add pops of color. 

→ Set of six wool dryer balls

Try This: 

Shooting Star; Strike a Pose

Play catch with a partner using puff balls or soft objects and make a wish with each toss. Once someone catches a ball, strike a pose and hold it! Try passing the ball differently throughout the game, like backward, between the legs, etc. 

6. Wooden Dowels (Push Sticks)

Short wooden dowels, often about a foot long, are fantastic tools for partner work and coordination games. I use them as “push sticks:” exercises that teach balance, gentle strength, and awareness of others’ energy. They also create clear physical boundaries for children who need help understanding personal space. Durable, inexpensive, and endlessly adaptable.

→ 12 inch wooden dowels

Try This:

Magic Wand Dance

Using sticks or magic wands, hold on to the edge with just the pointer fingers with a partner holding the other side with their pointer fingers. Try to move together without dropping the sticks. This can be done with two or more people. 

7. Exercise Ball

A large and/or small exercise ball is perfect for helping children practice posture, team work, and to engage muscles that may often get neglected. Not only are these tools fun to use, but they immediately draw attention. There is nothing like having a big ball to play with in a wide open space!

 → Large Exercise Ball

→ Small Exercise Ball

Try This:

Foot-Ball Pass

Sit in a circle with a ball in the middle. Use the feet to pass the ball from person to person. This can also be done by sitting in a line and passing the ball up and over the head. 

8. Egg Shakers

Egg shakers bring rhythm and music into yoga practice. Their soft sound encourages listening, timing, and self-expression. I often use them to explore rhythms or to guide breath pacing. Music-based mindfulness is an easy entry point for children who might be new to yoga or meditation, and egg shakers make that possible.

→ Egg Shakers of Different Volumes

Try This:

Rhythm of my Heart

With everyone holding a shaker, take turns with who creates the rhythm while the rest of the class follows. Try to sync the breath with the rhythm as well. Rotate who is the leader of the rhythm creation, and make sure to allow the rhythm to carry for at least 30 seconds. This way each person feels that their rhythm is both heard and felt. 

9. Eye Rests or Rice Socks

Soft eye pillows or simple socks filled with rice create a soothing weight that helps children relax into savasana. The gentle pressure encourages them to rest more fully and block out distractions. It’s a simple, affordable prop that adds a sense of ritual to relaxation time. For kids who struggle with stillness, these can make all the difference.

→ Organic Eye Rest

Try This:

Visualization with an Eye Rest: Breathe in love, breathe out negativity

Breathe deeply. With every breath in, fill your body with love. With every breath out, release anything that is unlike love. Breathe in love, and breathe out frustration. Breathe in love, and breathe out anger. Breathe in love, and breathe out pain. Breathe in love, and breathe out fear. Breathe in love, and breathe out emptiness. Breathe in love, and breathe out pain. Take one more breath, breathing in love, and feel it fill your entire being.

10. Resting Stones

Resting stones are small, flat stones that can be placed gently on the third eye or heart during rest. They ground the body and quiet the mind, helping children stay connected to the stillness of the pose. Stones add an element of nature and tangible presence that kids find calming and beautiful. They also help children stay laying down for longer, because they don’t want the stone to fall!

→ Heart-Shaped Crystal Resting Stones

Try This: 

Relaxation Stones

While the class is resting in savasana, gently place a resting stone between the eyebrows of each student. This encourages them to stay in a resting position for a longer period of time.   

11. Stacking Stones or Cairns

Stacking stones invite patience, creativity, and focus. I use them for mindfulness activities that teach balance and perseverance. Kids love seeing how high they can stack before it topples, and each tumble becomes a gentle lesson in starting again. It’s a grounding, screen-free activity that fits beautifully into nature-based yoga themes.

→ Stacking Stones (please note: I have never tried these from this specific listing, I found the ones I use in class out in nature)

Try This: 

Stacking Stones of Thanks

Sitting in a circle, allow each child to hold one part of the cairn. Starting with who holds the biggest stone, invite them to place it in the center. As they put the stone down, they will say something they are grateful for. Working from largest to smallest, the class will collectively create a tower full of gratitude. 

12. Yoga Blocks

If you’re teaching in a studio, these are most likely available to use at your location. If not, even having a few in your bag (or suitcase) can be extremely helpful! Using yoga blocks is wonderful for unstructured creative time where children can build anything their brilliant minds can imagine. Blocks also provide a tactile way for children to experience gentle pressure on their feet while in an inversion (plus, it helps them stay in this resting position longer). My students love to play “the floor is lava” with the blocks resting on the ground.

→ Cork Yoga Blocks (Cork is a natural material, but they are heavier than foam blocks. Heavier blocks are great for stability, but will hurt if they fall.)

→ Foam Yoga Blocks (Foam blocks are lighter and not as sturdy to stand on, but they are great for stacking and create much less risk if they fall)

Try This: 

Kindness Blocks

In groups, take turns with one person lying with their feet up the wall. When their feet are raised, the others in the group place a yoga block or other item on top of that person’s feet while saying something they appreciate about that person.

13. Essential Oils or Rose Water Spray

A light mist of essential oils or rose water refreshes the space and signals transitions from active moments to relaxing ones. Scents like lavender or orange can calm energy, while peppermint can uplift. I also like to invite children to take mindful breaths with the scent, helping them connect smell with awareness. Always use gentle, kid-safe blends.

→ Essential oils (Very potent! For smelling only)

→ Rose Water Spray

Try This: 

Flower Power

Give half of the class a bottle of essential oils, and invite them to find a spot in the room where they will make a flower shape with their body. They will hold the bottle of essential oil out so the rest of the class (the bees) can come around to smell the flowers, and appreciate their uniqueness. Rotate who is a flower and who is a bee. 

14. Yoga and Mindfulness Card Decks

Card decks are one of my most-used tools because they’re so adaptable. I often rotate between decks like Yoga Pretzels, IM Yogi Pose Cards, and various mindfulness or meditation decks. They’re perfect for building themed classes or for moments when inspiration is needed on the spot. Each deck brings new ideas to spark creativity and conversation.

→ Wild Life Yoga Partner Pose Cards

→ IM Yogi Inclusive Single Pose Deck

→ Kids Create The Change Mindfulness & Affirmation Cards (This company is no longer running, but you can see their IG profile HERE)

→ Animal Spirit Deck (Animal illustrations from one of my favorite artists Kim Krans)

→ Woodland Wardens (Both plants and animals are in this deck)

→ Yoga Pretzels (The first yoga deck I ever used!)

15. Books and Coloring Pages

Books help anchor the theme of a class and create calm transitions between movement and rest. I love using nature-inspired storybooks, yoga tales, or coloring pages to extend learning through creativity. Pairing a story with a short movement sequence helps kids connect somatically and emotionally to what they’re practicing. Book list coming soon!

→ Get free coloring pages with email signup!

→ Small business owned Beeswax crayons (with incredible texture)

16. Nature-Inspired Props

Nature offers endless teaching tools. Pinecones, feathers, stones, and leaves can all become props for mindfulness, balance, or storytelling. I try to include one or two natural elements in each class, especially when teaching indoors, to bring the outdoors in. These materials are reusable, biodegradable, and filled with symbolism that kids intuitively understand.

“Find props that are durable and reusable. Many hands will handle these, so make them last as long as possible. You don’t have to be fancy or spend a lot of money. Just avoid using things that will create waste... It is also fun to use items found in nature that will help bring the outside inside.”

17. Studio Additions

When teaching in a yoga studio, don’t overlook the props already available like bolsters, blocks, pillows, and blankets. These can become tools for group relaxation games, yoga forts, obstacle courses or guided sensory experiences. Along with the fun, studio props help make children feel supported, safe, and cozy during practice.

→ Woven Blankets (These slide so well on wooden floors and hold up to heavy use!)

→ Bolsters (I love using the rectangular style. They almost become a building block of their own! These have a removable cover for easy washing, in case any messes happen.)

Try This: 

Sledding

Pull each other around on blankets like you are sledding on the snow. Then every so often, fall off the sled and wrap yourself in the blanket to get warm!

Final Reflection

Your teaching bag is like the Mary Poppins of Yoga. Each prop carries potential: a sound that centers, a texture that grounds, a simple object that turns curiosity into calm. When chosen with care, these tools don’t just fill space in your bag. They fill your classes with creativity, connection, and joy.

Stay Connected and Keep Learning

If this peek into my teaching bag inspired you, there are many ways to continue learning and growing as a kids yoga teacher.

✿ Join my email list for weekly themed lesson ideas and teaching inspiration.
→ Email Sign-Up  

✿ Follow on Instagram where I share seasonal yoga ideas, creative prop uses, and behind-the-scenes glimpses from classes.
→ @WildLifeYoga

✿ Attend a Wild Life Yoga Training to deepen your confidence teaching movement and mindfulness, either in person or online.
→ Nature-Based Yoga for Kids & Families

✿ Practice Partner Yoga at Home with my Partner Pose Cards—a playful, screen-free way to connect as a family.
→ Wild Life Yoga Partner Pose Cards  

✿ Visit my YouTube Channel for short, engaging practices that you can use at home or in your classroom.
→ Wild Life Yoga on YouTube