Four Simple Mindfulness Exercises For Children
There’s growing evidence that mindfulness for children is a valuable tool which delivers benefits in a number of different areas.
But what is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is being present in the moment. Being mindful means tuning out from all distractions and gently focusing on the here and now – without judgement, without expectation and with total acceptance.
Benefits of mindfulness for children
Mindfulness provides children with an opportunity to reset their emotional framework to help them function more effectively on a mental, physical and social level.
Teaching mindfulness to children can:
Help them calm their bodies and their minds
Regulate their emotional responses
Encourage more positive behaviours
Help with their decision-making
Promote emotional intelligence
Boost their self-confidence
Boost self-awareness
Help them become more patient, tolerant and empathetic
Improve their concentration and focus
Reduce stress and anxiety
With so many benefits, you’d think mindfulness would be front and centre of every school curriculum and family dinner table. Mindfulness training is certainly is a focus at Treasured Tots and we incorporate a variety of exercises and activities in our daily curriculum that helps children pause and relax both their bodies and their minds.
Here are four of our favourite mindfulness exercises for children.
Sensory sensations
This exercise encourages children to explore each of their senses in a deliberate way.
Ask the child to pick out five different things that they can see. Then get them to pick out something that they would normally overlook, like a shadow on a wall, a fallen leaf, a crack in the floor or a reflection in the window.
Then ask the child to focus on four different things that they can feel. This could be the feeling of their clothes against their skin, the texture of the carpet they are sitting on, the way their hair feels in their fingers, the sensation when they breathe in and out or the feeling of breeze on their face.
The third request is to ask them to notice three different sounds. Examples include a bird call, the sound of a passing car, footsteps in the corridor and rustling leaves.
Then get your child to notice two things they can smell. It may be a leaf or grass, aromas from the kitchen, smoke from a fire or the smell of an item of food, like a banana.
The final sensory focus is taste. Ask the child to notice one thing that they can taste (they can take a sip of their drink or bite of food) or to simply notice how their mouth tastes.
A mindful meander
Going on an intentional walk with your child which involves both of you focusing on the surroundings is a really good way of teaching your child to be present in the moment. Being outdoors in nature – in the garden, at a park or at the beach – provides plenty of opportunities for the two of you to pause to pay attention to something such as a sound, a texture or a smell. You can then share and discuss your experiences of that mindful moment.
Keeping a mindful jar
A mindful jar is a great way to help children visualise why it can be difficult to think clearly or work things out when they’re stressed, uptight, angry or when their emotions and their thoughts are operating in overdrive.
A sparkly jar (which operates on the same principle of a snow cone) can help them learn the benefits of calming their thoughts and resetting their emotional equilibrium.
Firstly, fill a clear glass jar or bottle (with a lid) and fill it two thirds full with water. Then add a dollop of glitter glue, fasten the lid tightly and give it a good shake.
You can then have a discussion with the child about the similarity between the swirling glitter and what’s going on in their heads. Explain that it can be tricky making smart decisions or problem-solving when their thoughts and emotions are swirling around like the glitter. This can make life hard – even for adults! But when they sit quietly for a moment, take deep mindful breaths and focus on the water clearing as the glitter settles, they’ll gain clarity of their own.
A good time to do this mindful activity with a child is after they’ve demonstrated a strong emotion (eg anger). You can ask them to imagine that that feeling is the swirling glitter and to focus on watching it settle. This can help them understand that strong emotions can feel overwhelming, but by allowing the emotions to settle, they can calm down and regain control.
Mindful poses
Asking children to concentrate on holding poses is a good way of training them to focus on what’s happening in the present moment.
Find a peaceful, quiet space where there are no distractions and where the children can get involved in doing poses without feeling self-conscious. Then ask them to try one of the following poses:
Giraffe pose – stand tall and reach arms straight above the head towards the sky
Submarine pose – stand on one leg with the other leg extended behind. Bend forward and then extend the arms out in front as if you are gliding through the water
Using poses to teach young children about mindfulness is one of the reasons why yoga for children is becoming increasingly prevalent in early learning environments.
A last word on mindfulness for children
Teaching a child what mindfulness is and giving them simple yet effective tools which help them learn how to be mindful will be invaluable as they progress through life.
Here at Treasured Tots, mindfulness activities including children’s yoga are regular features in our curriculum because we truly believe that they have a positive impact on children’s wellbeing and help equip them with important life skills to help them succeed in the world.
If you are investigating early learning centres in Perth, we welcome you to get in touch with Treasured Tots. We have seven childcare centres in Mandurah, Bibra Lake, Fremantle, Piara Waters, Hamersley, Bennett Springs and Bicton which provide high-quality childcare and kindergarten programmes for children between the ages of 0 and 5 and we’d love to show you around one of our ‘homes away from home. Book a tour of any of our wonderful centres to ensure our management team is available to show you around and answer any questions.