Youth yoga has been growing in popularity over the last few years. If you haven’t been paying attention, it’s all over the news. The yoga boom of the early 2000s has resulted in a lot of yogi parents that now have young children. Looking to pass on their love for yoga, what better way than to sign their tykes up for a youth yoga class. Kids love to run, scream and jump, but learning patience and breathing is also very beneficial to their development. That said, if you’re a yoga studio owner that’s looking to generate some more revenue, you might want to think about branching into the youth yoga market. How does one go about doing this, you ask? Easy, follow the 3 steps below and you’ll be well ahead of the curve. If you’re looking for some super cool kids yoga mats, check out these “Twister-style” mats for kids.

Find a Teacher that has Youth Teaching Experience

Though it might seem like an obvious topic, you’re going to need to find a teacher that has youth teaching experience. There’s nothing similar between leading a group of 15 professional adults through a yoga class and leading a group of mischievous (to no fault of their own) children. They’re going to lose their focus, drift around, hum, mumble, you name it. That said, ask your current teachers if any of them have youth experience. You might be surprised to find out that one of them was a preschool teacher before entering the yoga world. Perhaps another was an aupair for a couple years and totally “gets” kids. Either way, make sure it’s someone who can handle the stress (because there will be stress). Your super serious “I was taught yoga on a deserted beach in Sri Lanka” yoga instructor might not be cut out for this teaching gig.

Figure Out Any Necessary Permitting & Insurance

Head on down to your city hall and ask them about adding youth classes to your business. There’s a potential that you’ll need some type of special permitting to give youth yoga classes. Why you ask? Well, if the children’s parents are not in the same room as their children, there’s a good chance that these classes will be seen as some type of “day care” facility. With having a day care facility comes different permits. You might want to make sure their parents stay at your facility so it’s legally seen as nothing more than having a babysitter at the gym. I’m no legal expert and this blog post is just advice and should not be viewed as legal guidance. In that same note, you’ll want to reach out to your insurance provider and let them know about your idea. Perhaps you’ll have a small premium increase or maybe nothing will happen whatsoever. Either way, check it out just to be safe.

Do Some Community Outreach with Local Parent Groups

Once you’ve found yourself a yoga teacher that has youth experience, and you’re legally ready to start providing yoga classes to kids, it’s time to start finding those kids. The easiest way to get started is going to be by word-of-mouth marketing through your current members. Let everyone know that you’re starting a once-a-week youth yoga class. You don’t want to go overboard right away and have 5-times-a-week classes that are nearly empty. You’ll need to schedule these first classes either in the evening or on the weekends (so that their parents can bring them to class). Once you’ve got an established class or two, start doing some outreach to local parent groups. This could mean contacting the Parent Teach Association at the local grade school and asking them to do a short presentation during their next meeting. You can reach out to the local youth soccer league and do the same thing. Sit down with your marketing team and brainstorm places where you’ll have the ability to communicate with numerous parents of young children(youth soccer programs, dance programs, etc). Share with them the benefits of youth yoga and pretty soon you’ll start seeing your youth yoga classes become a viable source of secondary business income for your studio.