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Simple activities for mindfulness practice

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Simple activities for mindfulness practice

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1. Pour glue and hot water into the jar and mix with a whisk. The glue gives the liquid a different thickness and makes impressive swirls of glitter.

2. Add some glitter. You can start with 1-2 tablespoons of glitter.

3. Add a drop or two of food colouring to give it more excitement.

4. When everything is blended, put the lid on and give it a good shake so the glitter is dispersed throughout.

5. Then let it cool without the lid.

6. You can secure the lid with super glue.

Tell them that it’s okay to have strong feelings but that we can calm those thoughts and our bodies as well.

One way to do this is to let your thoughts settle like the glitter in the jar. When our minds are calm it’s easier to work out problems and to talk about whatever it is that is causing us to be upset.

Shake the jar up until the glitter is spinning wildly. Then set it on a table or the floor and calmly watch it with your child until the glitter, and your minds, are all settled down.

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Encourage children to use the 5 senses and practice small “mindful bites”. Encourage children to remain present and in the moment by drawing upon their five senses to take small, intention bites.

See: What do you notice? What colour is it? What shape is it? What stands out?

Feel: When you hold it in your hand, what does it feel like? Is it soft or hard? Squishy or rough?

Hear: Does it make any sounds? What about if you squeeze it between your fingers? (You can also revisit sound during taste)

Smell. How would you describe the smell?

Invite children to close their eyes as they explore taste.

Taste: Put the food in your mouth. Before you chew, what is the first thing you taste? Is sweet or salty? Sour or savoury? As you start to chew, chew slowly and before you swallow, think about the change in flavour, texture and sounds. Does it change the longer you chew?

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There’s no “right” way to practice gratitude, however, one way could be setting aside the last five minutes of class for students to reflect on what they are thankful for, they can briefly share them with a partner, or silently think them to themselves.

While it does take practice, setting aside time to cultivate mindfulness will reap benefits for your students and for yourself as a teacher. As with any new skill slow and steady is the best way to start.

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This activity is a great little exercise to do when students are experiencing a moment of stress, or a need to reconnect. Relax and ask children:

What are five things I can see?

Four things I can touch?

Three things I can hear?

Two things I can smell?

One thing I can taste?

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Ask your students to think of a relaxing colour and another colouur that represents anger, frustration, or sadness. Now, ask your students (if they are comfortable) to close their eyes and imagine they are breathing in the relaxing colour and letting it fill their entire bodies. On the exhale, ask them to picture the “negative” colour leaving their body and disappearing out of the room.

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This activity is great for bringing the mind back to the importance of our breath. As it turns out when we’re stressed we take shallow breaths. On the other hand, deeper “belly breaths” focus our attention and calm us. Sitting or standing, ask your students to breathe deeply and slowly for around three minutes. Ask them to count to three on the inhale and three again on the exhale. You may like to suggest they put their hands on their stomachs to feel the air as it moves in and out.

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Candle and Flower Breathing – Relaxing Mindfulness & Deep Breathing Exercise for Calm & Focus

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One easy way for children to start into mindfulness is through body poses. To get your students excited, tell them that doing fun poses can help them feel strong, brave, and happy.

Have the children go to a quiet area in the classroom, a place they feel safe. Next, tell them to try one of the following poses:

1. The Superman: this pose is practiced by standing with the feet just wider than the hips, fists clenched, and arms reached out to the sky, stretching the body as tall as possible.

2. The Wonder Woman: this pose is struck by standing tall with legs wider than hip-width apart and hands or fists placed on the hips (Karen Young, 2017).

Ask the children how they feel after a few rounds of trying either of these poses.

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Begin the class by having all students sit quietly for 60 seconds to get themselves ready for learning. You can add a focus on a particular sound in the room, an image you provide (e.g., a dot on a piece of paper, an abstract picture you put up on a screen), or their breathing. Start with 15 seconds for infants and gradually increase as time goes on.

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Teachers benefit from learning to focus on their bodies. Make sure you are feeling centered with both feet on the floor as you teach your classes. Notice when and where you are feeling tension or when your breathing is shallow and use three Breaths (or more) to help you feel some relief. Don’t hesitate to let students know that you are taking a few moments to gather yourself using breathing techniques

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Affirmations can help children overcome negative thoughts and help to instil positive thinking about themselves and the world.

Why not get a classroom mirror and stick positive affirmations around the mirror for children to say to themselves.

Get the children to make their own positive affirmations to display in the classroom.

Choosing a handful of affirmations to say everyday as a whole class can also be a great activity to start or end the day with.

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Rainbow Relaxation: Mindfulness for Children

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The Safari exercise is a great way to help kids learn mindfulness. This activity turns an average, everyday walk into an exciting new adventure.

Tell your kids that you will be going on a safari: their goal is to notice as many birds, bugs, creepy-crawlies, and any other animals as they can. Anything that walks, crawls, swims, or flies is of interest, and they’ll need to focus all of their senses to find them, especially the little ones (Karen Young, 2017).