Fall Themed Kids Yoga and Mindfulness: Free Download

By fall, some kids are still shaking off back-to-school nerves while others have settled into their routines. Either way, my students feel the season shift — and they know the holidays are coming, which brings its own mix of excitement and anxious energy.

I usually lean into this by giving kids a little more time to share what they’re looking forward to. The “all about me” units of September are over, but kids are still anxious to share what’s going on in their lives, and that excitement is worth celebrating — it keeps up our classroom rapport. Seasonal yoga gives them a way to notice and move through all of it.

These are the activities that’ll have your kiddos falling in love with yoga and mindfulness. (Yes, I did that 😅)

*scroll down for your free guided meditation PDF download*

Imagine the scent of apple cider in the air, the sound of crunching leaves beneath your feet, and the sight of vibrant, fiery foliage all around you. We live in Minnesota where this backdrop is a reality and we can often see the gorgeous leaves right outside our window!

A nature walk is a great addition to the lesson if you have the environment. If not, rely on your storytelling prowess and set the scene for your kiddos.

In fact, storytelling is a wonderful way to teach kids yoga. Give them the backdrop, then take them through a yoga adventure with movement, poses, characters and more.

Here are some great tips for teaching yoga storytelling adventures

The Benefits of Incorporating Seasonal Themes

Why bring the fall season into your kids’ yoga and mindfulness practice, you ask? Well, it’s not just about pumpkin spice lattes and cozy sweaters.

Incorporating seasonal themes into these activities helps children connect with the world around them and really practice those mindfulness skills. It’s a chance to teach them about the beauty of change and the importance of letting go, just like the falling leaves.

Themed yoga is a perfect way to help kids feel connected to the practice, to feel included and get engaged with something they can relate to.

What are their favorite parts of the season? What do they notice- as in see, hear, smell, taste and touch during this season?

Here’s a whole list of awesome themes for teaching kids yoga.

Fall-Themed Yoga Poses

Scarecrow and basket pose are always my kids favorites- and anything else THEY come up is always the clear winner 🙂

“Autumn Tree” Pose

Stand tall, and sway like the branches of a fall tree in the wind. Feel the strength in your roots and the grace in your movements. Are your leaves falling down yet? (be prepared for kids to topple on purpose!)

“Harvest Moon” Pose

Start in upward mountain with your palms together over your head. Reach up and over to one side to make a crescent shape like the moon! Repeat on the other side.

“Falling Leaves” Pose

Practice forward folds, letting your arms dangle like falling leaves. Pretend you’re floating gently to the ground. OR start in Star pose, and rock gently side to side, coming to balance on each foot for a moment or two before going the other way. It’s very soothing.

“Pumpkin Seed” Pose

Curl up into a restorative child’s pose, symbolizing growth and new beginnings. It’s like a cozy cocoon ready to burst into something wonderful.

“Apple” Pose

Sit on your bottom with your knees pulled into your chest and your head down. Rock back and forth like a ripe apple that has fallen to the ground! This one leads to some giggles for sure.

“Basket” Pose

Start in Butterfly Pose to gather up all the apples you collected and put them into your basket between your knees. Then, put your arms under your claves, lean back slightly and lift your feet to balance on your sit bones! Toppling over is encouraged 🙂

“Scarecrow” Pose

Eagle pose legs (one wrapped up over the other), but then reach your arms out to the sides like a scarecrow. Stay still and steady until a crow comes, then flap your arms and Ca-CAW them away!

“Geese in a ‘V'” Pose

Make an upside “V” shape with your body by doing Downward facing dog pose! Pretend to be the lead goose and make some awesome geese sounds.

“Migrating birds” Pose

Stand on one foot and reach your arms out to the side like wings. Slowly lift your foot directly behind you like a bird!

Yoga Games with a Fall Twist

1. “Apple Picking at the Orchard”: Turn your yoga session into a balance and coordination game! Have the kids spread out and put buckets at random amongst them (although we usually just rearrange the mats and use those). While they balance in tree pose, their goal is to toss as many bean bags (apples) into the buckets as they can. Assign a few kids to run from bucket to bucket and collect the “apples” every few minutes.
2. “Harvest Yoga Charades”: Charades is a quick win in my classroom- they get a little spotlight on the stage and can show off in front of their friends. Use poses or actions, just not your voice! It always helps to have some ideas written on pieces of paper in a bucket so they can choose them at random. Here’s an adorable free Halloween charades printable for you to use!
3. “Autumn Animals”: Pretend to be forest animals like squirrels, bears, owls, and foxes. Teach them how each animals moves differently. Then instruct them move around the room to designated spots and give them a “job” to do to prepare for winter. Clean up an area. Gather food for their winter. “Bury” or hide that food to save for later. Prepare a soft quiet place to rest and snuggle up for winter. Animals don’t talk though (always gets the giggles)!
4. “Pumpkin Life Cycle“: Grow from a seed all the way into a pumpkin with a fun series of yoga poses with this Life Cycle of a Pumpkin Yoga sequence. What other sequences of yoga poses can you make for fall?

Mindfulness Activities Inspired by Fall

1. Sensory Walk: Take a mindful walk outdoors, noticing the sights, sounds, and smells of autumn. Encourage your little ones to truly soak in the magic of the season.
2. Fall Leaf Breathing: Use fall leaves as props for deep breathing exercises. Inhale the crisp air, and exhale with the calmness of falling leaves.
3. Gratitude Circle: Gather in a circle and take turns sharing what each child is grateful for during the fall season. It’s a heartwarming way to teach gratitude and connection. Here’s a whole yoga lesson on gratitude for more inspiration!
4. Fall Themed Sensory Bottle: Get creative and crafty with this fun fall sensory bottle for your little ones.
5. Autumn Colors Calming Jar: Make an autumn themed mindfulness calm down jar! Choose colors that feel autumnal and add in small plastic leaf shaped beads.
6. Fall themed coloring and stories: Try some fall themed coloring pages with cute stories to help their minds stay engaged.

Seasonal Crafts and Journaling

1. “Nature Mandala”: Create mandalas using fall leaves, acorns, and pinecones collected during outdoor activities. It’s a beautiful way to connect with nature’s artistry. Try this after your nature sensory walk!
2. “Fall Yoga Journal”: Encourage kids to express their thoughts and feelings about fall-themed yoga and mindfulness experiences through writing and drawing. Their journals will become cherished keepsakes. Use these lovely themed kids monthly journals as a place to start.
3. “Paper Roll Fall Tree“: Try a cute painting activity with minimal supplies needed! This paper roll fall tree is a great for kids of all ages.
4. “Fine Motor Leaf Craft“: Here’s an adorable and nature friendly fall leaf craft that will bring joy to your classroom (and lots of color!).
5. “Harvesting Apples Cycle“: Learn about the life cycle of apples and use this Harvesting Apples Mini Unit and Printables set to help guide kids through their understanding of the material.

Check out these other mindfulness crafts and activities for kids.

Group Yoga Adventure Activity

Gather around and go for an adventure to the apple orchard! Reach for the imaginary apples high in the trees scattered around the room, branches up nice and tall — a delightful way to build flexibility and teamwork.

My preschoolers especially love turning it into a whole apple-orchard adventure. Here’s how it looks in my class:

Favorite Fall Books for Yoga and Mindfulness

Here are a few great books you can use during the autumn season with kids. Most of these are easy to use with yoga poses, and/or have a nice mindfulness theme. For more beyond the fall titles, I keep a longer list of must-have yoga books for teaching kids yoga, plus my favorite books for teaching mindfulness to kids.

Our favorites are Room on the Broom and The Little Yellow Leaf – both lesson plans live in the Empowered Educators membership!

• Thank Fall by Ciara L. Hill: A mindful story celebrating the magic of Autumn! A new favorite of ours.
• Trish’s Fall Photo by Gisgraph: by Giselle Shardlow. A Kids Yoga Autumn Book following Trish and her mom on an autumn walk through the woods.
• Halloween Yoga (Little Mouse Adventures): By An adorable adventure with mouse and Mr Opus doing some yoga poses before they go out trick or treating.
• The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger: A story for anyone who has ever been afraid of facing the unknown—and a celebration of the friends who help us take the leap.
• Barn in Fall by Chambrae Griffith: Autumn has come to the farm, and Barn is opening her doors to young guests for a who choose pumpkins, pick apples, ride hayrides, and show lots of love to all the farm animals.
• Fletcher and the Falling Leaves: Fletcher the fox is concerned about nature and wants to understand the changing. of the seasons
• Room on the Broom: A silly story about a witch and everything she carries with her on her broom. Great for Halloween!

Guided Visualization

“The Journey of a Falling Leaf”: Embark on a guided visualization of a leaf’s journey from a tree to the ground. It’s a mesmerizing story that brings nature’s cycle to life. Enter your deets here to get the free PDF download!

Wind Down: A Fall Gratitude Circle

Close your fall session by gathering everyone in a circle. Take a few slow breaths together, then go around and have each kid share one favorite thing about fall — a memory, a smell, a color. It’s a simple way to practice gratitude and connection, and it mirrors the season’s theme of noticing and letting go.

🍂 Happy Fall! And don’t forget to grab the free Falling Leaf Meditation above.