Mindfulness for Children

Attention to breathing

When we pay attention to breathing, we can learn about our bodily sensations and our emotional state. We realize how the mind and body are affected.

1. Sit in a comfortable position, it can be in a chair on the floor or on a cushion.
2. Place your hand on a part of your body where you feel your breath. It can be your stomach, chest, or nose.
3. Breathe as you normally do. Bring all your attention to that part of your body where you feel your breath.
4. When you get distracted, bring your attention back to that part of your body where you feel your breath.

Can you be aware of your breath for five breaths? How about for 1 minute?

Breathing like a balloon

Prolonged breathing has a calming and relaxing effect. By bringing attention to the breath, we learn to focus on one thing at a time.

1. Put your hands on your stomach and take three deep breaths. Inhale and exhale.
2. Imagine that every time you inhale you are filling the balloon with air.
3. Imagine that every time you exhale you are emptying the balloon of air.
4. Repeat three to five times.

How do you feel right now?

Dancing and calming

When we intersperse gentle movements with quick movements to release excess energy, we help quiet the central nervous system. We finish with a break to learn to stay still after movement.

1. Let's imagine that we have a magic rubber band on the soles of our feet and that we are stuck to the ground. The adult pretends to put rubber on the sole of each of their feet so that they stick to the ground. The adult exemplifies this and the following steps so that children can imitate it.
2. Can you move your knees from side to side without lifting your feet off the ground?
3. Let's move our body to the sound of a drum, as if we were dancing but keeping our feet glued to the ground. (You can use the palms of your hands or another musical instrument, making broad movements when the sound intensity increases).
4. Make small movements when the volume and intensity of the sound decrease.
5. What will you do when the drum sounds fast? (The adult plays with the speed of the sound).
6. What if it sounds slow? (The adult slowly plays the instrument).
7. Try to follow these movements and stop when the instrument stops sounding. (The adult alternates between playing fast, slow, loud or soft and the children will stop when the sound stops).
8. Now we are going to relax by feeling our breath and slowly moving our legs.