First playdate review of the year!!
Hear us out: Yoga… but with goats.

As our kids get older, experiences become less about laying a foundation and more about exposure. Yeah, we still want to show our kids something new; but instead of sharpening their motor skills or working with their senses, we’re also starting to integrate culture, instruction, complex skills and body control, and executive functions.

All that is to say that we want to give our kids a fun challenge. When we asked our kids to guess what we had planned, this was nowhere on their radar.

GGA Dwarf Goat Yoga is a private studio in Tucker, GA. In addition to weekly goat yoga classes, they also have hiking with goats, Pilates, reiki, cow cuddling, and additional monthly events around the Atlanta metro area.

We and the kids signed up for an outdoor goat yoga class this past weekend at their Zen farm. The class had about 15 participants total.

The OT Part – Mary

We all like to jump on the trend train now and then, and while we’re pretty familiar with the benefits of yoga, what’s the deal with goats (or puppies, or cats, for that matter)? It turns out that incorporating animals into the practice is not a gimmick—it’s part of the yogi lifestyle.

Yoga has five major philosophical tenets known as Yamas. One of them is Ahimsa, the principle of nonviolence and compassion towards all living things. It’s the recognition that all beings share a lifeforce; hence, the animals.

We know how much kids can benefit from yoga, but it’s still uncertain whether they’ll enjoy it or even stick with it. Although yoga is all about focusing on yourself and being mindful of your breath and actions, the poses and breathwork can be intimidating for newbies, regardless of age. Enter these cute and adorable dwarf goats.

The goats’ presence and interaction calms people down and enhances their mood, positively impacting and complementing yoga’s therapeutic effects. During the yoga session, goats are free to roam around, nuzzle or even climb on top of students as they complete various poses. What makes goats good therapy animals is they don’t need a bond with a human. They’ll walk up to anybody to be pet or held.

While it may seem odd or even distracting to have animals around you while doing yoga, it actually has some perks:

• The release of oxytocin (the love hormone) when engaged with an animal makes us happier, allowing us to relax and reduce any stress or anxiety. Positive feelings equal positive memories.
  
  
• Goat yoga is a shared experience. They may baa and get everyone’s attention or jump from one person’s back to another. Regardless, their presence allows for social interaction among students and strangers.
  
  
• The goats help focus on the present moment: being mindful not only of your movements, but also how they may affect the animals around you.
  
  
• It has been found that students exert more effort and energy to maintain a pose with a goat on their back, indirectly improving their strength and endurance.
  
  
• The goats allow kids to not only appreciate animals and nature, but also to try something new, like yoga, without pressure or intimidation.

Before we got there, my son and I discussed what to expect from this playdate. The main goal was to “try your best,” since this yoga class wasn’t tailored for kids. I didn’t mind if he nailed the pose or not; I just wanted him to make an effort. This also meant I couldn’t overcorrect him if he didn’t get it right, a perfectionist habit that I’ve been trying to nip in the bud.

He understood that the goats would be around, but that didn’t mean they would engage with him all the time. Since we’ve been practicing to stay focused on tasks, I told him not to get distracted by the goats. However, I forgot to mention that if they did approach him, it was okay to take a moment to pet them and then return to the task. The goats came up to him, and he wouldn’t interact with them until I said it was alright. Oops.

While it was challenging for my child to follow the yoga sequences properly, I’m pleased he made the effort. After 45 minutes, he was tired and ready to go home… but not before playing with the goats. When I asked him if he’d like to do goat yoga again, he said “Yes, but not with the yoga. I like playing with the goats more.” Fair, kid. Completely fair.

The Parent Part – Patti

My kids have watched me do yoga previously. They’ve also done yoga brain breaks on YouTube and Family Yoga classes on Peloton. However, this was their first “adult” yoga class with a live instructor.

We did need to buy some extra yoga mats on the way, so now the kids have their own mats which is kinda special. They’ve asked to use them twice since we got back.

Most classes at GGA are all-ages, but our kids were the only ones in Sunday’s class. They do offer kids summer camp sessions, so the staff and instructors are good with creating a kid-friendly atmosphere. We were actually surprised how nicely they treated and interacted with the kids throughout the whole session, while not compromising the difficulty for the other adult yogis.

They didn’t mind letting the kids hold and feed the goats during the class. During some of the class flows, the instructor also helped the kids form and modify poses. Even some of the harder poses, crows and headstands, were fun for them.

The addition of five dwarf goats into the class also made the session very casual and relaxed. This was not a super serious yogi class, but instead something cute, silly, and a fun way to start the day.

Their outdoor pavilion did have tarp walls and a space heater, but it still was a bit chilly at 11am. We wore double layers and socks, and the instructor gave us a nice warm up to start.

We’ve also started giving the kids a bit of autonomy going into this class. I told the girls exactly what they needed to pack, and they had to be charge of their own belongings, mats, and snacks. This made it a bit longer getting out the door.

We also made it a point not to hover or overcorrect during the class. We gave them options to rest or adjust, but the whole class was really up to their own body and ability. We did notice a few times that mirroring the instructor or alternating left/right flows didn’t quite happen, but that is age-appropriate and something we can work on later.

Verdict: Recommended

We had a really fun time at GGA. The goats were so stinkin’ cute. It was a great combination of animal cuddling and yoga, and it gave our kids an out-of-the-ordinary playdate.

Other animal yoga studios that we’d looked up had an age limit, so be mindful of that if you are looking. Also keep in mind that animal yoga classes tend to be a bit more expensive than regular studio classes, and most likely aren’t going to have a kid’s rate.

Other things to keep in mind:

• Bring an extra shirt. Goats DGAF where they poop or pee. One student got peed on while the goat was standing on his back. Another goat dashed between two yoga mats, spraying poop pellets as they passed. The staff was ready to clean any messes, but just in case there’s an accident in the middle of class, you’ll be ready.
  
  
• The class is an hour long. Make sure your child can tolerate it or has the attention span for it. GGA also recommends that if you bring your child, you ensure they are not running, screaming or disruptive during the class, or playing rough with any of the animals.
  
  
• The Zen Farm does not have a public restroom, so make sure you go before you get there. We also had quick snacks in the car.
  
  
• GGA is phone-friendly, so we didn’t get any weird looks for taking photos and video.

---

Browse more Playdate Reviews.
Like this post? Follow Child(ish) Advice on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.