Can You Teach Kids Yoga Without Being Certified?

Updated: May 24, 2023

By Theda Franssen, Contributing Writer

Are you geared up and excited to teach kids yoga? 

Are you also wondering: What are the rules and potential laws surrounding teaching yoga without a certification? Well, you’re in luck. In this article, we’ll answer your burning questions about how to teach yoga to kids. We’ll also discuss rules to be aware of to make your dreams of being a yoga teacher come true. 

One quick takeaway before we get going: Make certain you always verify specific laws or regulations in your state. This way you can stay more educated and informed.

Ok, let’s dive in and answer this all-important question: Can you teach kids yoga without being certified? 

But first, let’s learn more about what a yoga certification entails and whether having an approved Yoga Alliance certification really matters.  

What is the Yoga Alliance Certification?

The Yoga Alliance (YA) is a trade organization in the U.S. To run an approved Yoga Alliance school, studio and yoga organizations submit a training manual and pay an annual fee. But, you can’t actually get certified through the Yoga Alliance. You have to attain a yoga certification through a yoga school or yoga studio. Once you do that, if the training is a registered yoga school (RYS) with the Yoga Alliance, you can then submit your certificate and pay a fee to become a registered yoga teacher (RYT), which essentially makes you a member of the Yoga Alliance. 

The registry on the YA website basically allows potential students and studios to see whether you have adequate training. For some, it’s a way to see that you have invested your time into learning about yoga and that you have the qualifications to teach yoga to others.

But, being a registered yoga teacher doesn’t mean you’re a more qualified or better yoga instructor than another yoga teacher who is not part of YA. You’ll have to do your own research to figure out whether going this route is worth it for you – as a newly minted yoga teacher. 

Keep in mind that there are excellent schools offering certifications for 200 hours, 300 hours, and even 500 hours of learning. 

So, do your research before you enroll in a yoga teacher training course.

What Qualifications Do You Need to Teach Kids Yoga?

There are many things to consider if you want to start teaching yoga to children. Below are a few qualifications that would be great to have if you plan on teaching kids yoga. 

1. Fun or Silly Personality

This is probably one of the biggest qualifications that you need to teach kids yoga. We all know that kids LOVE to be silly and it’s totally possible to combine yoga and silliness. 

Once you start teaching yoga to kids, the laughs are certain to follow. And to be able to be flexible and giggle at the same time, you’re going to have to have a silly personality and demeanor to go along with it. 

2. Patience

You’re also going to need quite a bit of patience to teach kids yoga. Even though yoga is meant to be calming and relaxing, there will always be kids (and some adults!) that have a hard time staying quiet and sitting still.

For this reason, patience will help you keep their attention in a kind and gentle way. You can then focus on teaching fun kids yoga poses without a lot of disruption 

3. Ability to pivot

This doesn’t mean to pivot your body but it does mean to pivot your plan or line of thinking. You might have an entire yoga class planned out for the kids, but things just might not quite work out how you plan. For this reason, flexibility and being able to change direction during class is going to be key. 

4. Strong Communication Skills

While you’re going to be having silly moments with the kids, you also need to be able to speak with them and their parents. Strong communication skills are important because there will be times when you’re going to have to talk to the kids about the yoga poses and upcoming classes. You’ll also need to communicate with the parents about any concerns or issues as well.

5. Time Management

Being on time with children is super important. They’re used to adults being the ones to take care of them and track time, so this helps things to run smoothly. This also means that they’ll want class to start when it’s supposed to start and they’ll also be very aware when class is supposed to end, too. 

Is it Illegal to Teach Yoga to Kids Without a Certification?

As of now, there are no known laws that make it illegal to hold classes and teach yoga to kids without a specific kids yoga certification. That isn’t to say that this won’t change in the future, and different states have different regulations. So since things change fast, it’s best to check with your state and municipality to see what you need to teach yoga in your area. 

You can also be certain that if you take the time to get certified, this will appeal to many parents who are going to be spending their money on yoga classes for kids.

How to Teach Kids Yoga & Setup Your Business

The best way to teach kids yoga is to first learn how to become a yoga instructor. While it is a small investment starting out, it’s a perfect way to set yourself apart with a niche that’s in high demand! 

Plus, a kids yoga certification gives parents peace of mind that you know how to teach yoga to children. 

Once you become certified to teach yoga, you then have a lot of options for setting up your yoga business. There really are unlimited opportunities!

Offering yoga classes for kids also offers great career flexibility. There are even ways to get certified to teach kids yoga online yoga classes for kids, too! 

Where to Hold Your Yoga Classes

If you don’t want to pay a huge monthly rent for a small space to hold yoga classes for kids, you don’t have to! Talk to local gyms about the possibility of renting out a room or even check with local schools in the area to see if they offer the use of their building for that sort of thing.

You can also partner with local yoga studios and have certain days or times that you work with them in using some of their studio space as well. 

And when the weather is nice, you can literally hold yoga classes for kids outside! 

How to Get Professional Liability Insurance

While this might not be the most fun one to think about right off the bat, you will want to be covered with a liability insurance policy. This is for your protection as well as protection for the kids you teach. You can easily talk to most insurance brokers or even potentially get quotes online for the best options for you. At Pretzel Kids, we recommend getting insured through beYogi.

Teaching Kids Yoga and Yoga Teacher Certification

As you can tell, there are many things to think about when it comes to teaching yoga to toddlers, kids and teens. While the certification to be a yoga teacher needs to be at the top of your list, there are still many other things to consider. For example, figure out what type of classes you want to teach or what type of yoga business you want.

Do you want to teach children’s yoga classes online or do you want to start a private yoga business?

Indeed, there’s a lot to think about! 

But, once you have a solid direction on how you want to teach yoga, you can start with the certification process and then build your yoga business.

The more time and effort that you put into building your brand as a yoga instructor, the more successful you’ll be. So, use your talents and skills to be the best yoga teacher.

And who knows – this might be a career path for you that can lead to so many other great opportunities in the yoga world. 

Where there’s a will, there’s a way!