Objective To explore the effect of breathing exercises based on ′bird movements′ pattern of the Wuqinxi (five-animal exercise) on pulmonary function of children with lobar pneumonia. Methods A total of 74 children with lobar pneumonia were divided into two groups of 37 according to the ward on which they were hospitalized.The control group was given routine treatment and nursing care, while the observation group additionally received breathing exercises based on ′bird movements′ pattern of the Wuqinxi. Results The ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC), FVC, and peak expiratory flow (PEF) in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group after 1- and 3-week intervention (P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The time of cough and crackles disappearance and hospital stay length in the observation group were significantly shorter compared with the control group (P＜0.05,P＜0.01). Conclusion Breathing exercises based on ′bird movements′ pattern of Wuqinxi can boost pulmonary function recovery of children with lobar pneumonia.