Mindfulness

Here are some quick, simple, mindful games you can get your children involved in, without much preparation time and hassle:
- Touch: Put a bunch of mystery items in a paper bag and take turns feeling one object at a time and guess what it is as you describe the texture and shape.
- Sight: Look around the room in silence for one minute, and point out all of the things you never noticed before.
- Sound: Set a timer for one minute and count how many different sounds you can hear with your eyes closed, and then share what you heard with each other.
Mindfulness activities
- Practice kind thoughts by prompting thinking of 5 people you’d like to send kind wishes to
- Bang on a pot/pan and signal when you no longer hear the sound ‘hanging’ the air
- Blow bubbles ‘slo-mo’ style, emphasising a big deep breath in through the nose to fill the bubble… and out through the mouth as slow as possible
- Squeeze and let go, tensing different muscles in the body for 5 seconds and then slowing releasing
- Tune into the body by getting down on your parent's chest and feeling each other’s heartbeats
- Focus on breathing by building ‘Elsa’ ice sculptures’ by taking in a deep breath (don’t forget to smell the ‘chocolate fountain on coronation day!) and then slowly blowing out to create amazing ice creations
- Have a ‘mindful’ snack by describing the smell, texture and taste of the food.
- Explore textures in nature, take a walk in your garden to collect several different objects and observe/describe how each feels
- Have your child give you the ‘weather report’ on how they’re feeling, “I’m dark and cloudy with some raindrop tears coming out”
- Find shapes in the sky by laying down together and choosing different objects to search for in the clouds
- Practice noticing with art. Choose several different utensils and describe how they all feel different on the paper
- Take a mindful walk in your garden pointing out sights and sounds.
- Explore touch by choosing several objects, then comparing the difference in how they feel dry vs. wet
- Slow down by having a snack in ‘slow motion’ and taking notice of the taste throughout
- Explore smell by inviting your child to help you cook a meal while taking notice of each smell present
- Try ‘buddy breathing’ and invite your child to grab a toy/stuffed animal to place on their tummy while they lay down and take slow breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth
- Explore emotion by prompting your child to scan their body when experiencing a feeling, and describe where they feel it the most.
- Use a happy moment to ‘soak in the good’ by pausing with your child to observe the pleasant physical and emotional feelings present
- Sit down with your child and ‘colour your feelings’ together depicting each emotion with a new colour.
- Listen to some music and see how many different instruments you can each hear
- Try a body scan together at bedtime
- Explore gratitude by going back and forth with your child (for as long as you can!) to name as many things possible that you are grateful for.