Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Movement plays a central role in early childhood learning, supporting children’s physical development, emotional regulation and cognitive engagement. In recent years, educators have been paying more attention to movement-based approaches to enhance classroom learning experiences. Yoga, when adapted for young children, offers opportunities for playful movement, body awareness and relaxation. This paper reflects on my experiences as a movement educator and explores how yoga can support active learning in early childhood classrooms. Drawing on a series of 30-minute yoga storytelling sessions delivered to five- and six-year-old children in a preschool setting, the paper illustrates how yoga storytelling can be integrated into everyday classroom practice to promote active engagement, body awareness, imagination, and self-regulation. The sessions were built around three picture books that were selected to scaffold children’s engagement, and each session followed a consistent structure of warm-up, storytelling through movement, playful extension, and relaxation. Combining yoga with picture-book storytelling created safe, embodied spaces for emotional expression, supported children’s creative and logical thinking, and encouraged a shift in the educator’s role from instructor to facilitator. The paper concludes by discussing practical implications for early childhood educators interested in incorporating short, story-based yoga routines into daily classroom practice. In doing so, the paper contributes to wider conversations about movement integration, embodied learning, and the pedagogical value of storytelling in early childhood education.
Keywords
active learning, classroom practice, early childhood, storytelling, yoga
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
ISSN
10823301
Publication Title
Early Childhood Education Journal
Publisher
Springer
School
School of Education
RAS ID
99635
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Sevimli-Celik, S. (2026). Yoga storytelling as an active learning approach: Insights from early childhood classroom practice. Early Childhood Education Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-026-02282-w