10 Wonderful Ways To Teach Mindfulness To Kids

We teach our kids the ABCs and how to tie their shoes, but why isn’t mindfulness on the agenda? We know mindfulness is good for us—it allows us to be present and respond thoughtfully to different situations. This invaluable parenting tool is also incredibly useful for our children — mindfulness practices encourage emotional regulation and cognitive focus; Need I Say More Explore the following ways to introduce mindfulness into your child’s life. Not only will these techniques improve your own mindful life, but they will also give your child the skills they need to understand emotions and maintain focus.

Get your friends and family involved

Make mindfulness practice a family affair, free to discuss and explore. Create a warm culture of mindfulness in your home and extend it to friends and family. By keeping the lines of communication open around mindfulness, it becomes less of a chore and becomes a way of life for the kids. A great practice for families is to start a nightly routine of expressing gratitude at dinner. Each family member takes turns saying something they are grateful for around the dinner table. This practice helps children see gratitude in life’s small joys as well as in the larger, more visible events. Involving friends and family in your mindfulness practice can encourage children to make this mindset an integral part of their daily lives.

practice mindfulness by yourself

Children are constantly using their parents as an example of how they should think and behave. By practicing mindfulness yourself, you set your children a role model of positive behavior that will follow them into adulthood. If you regularly journal, meditate or practice yoga and breathing – make them watch. Be open to any questions they may have about your various mindfulness practices, and encourage conversation on the topic. Don’t force the process, but let your curiosity lead you to ask questions naturally. Excessive force often results in some level of challenge or resistance from the child. Be open about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it—maybe invite them to join you. You may start doing the same yourself without knowing it.

build awareness of your body

Body awareness is important not only for improving overall strength and core stability, but also for showing children where their bodies fit in space. Developing body awareness can help children who struggle with coordination and general clumsiness. Building this awareness allows children to see where different body parts are located in space and how they work together to perform specific functions. When infants first discover their hands, we observe the onset of body awareness. As they roll over, sit and crawl, they quickly learn how their bodies work. This ability develops behind the scenes through play and repetition until it becomes an innate quality. As children age, body awareness allows them to perform complex motor skills, but young children often have difficulty assessing the appropriate level of energy expenditure required for movement. Teach your child to move, stretch and notice the sensations that occur. Appreciate all that our bodies are capable of doing for us. The more our children learn about their inner experiences, the better they can choose appropriate responses. Heartbeat exercises are a great way to develop body awareness — have your child jump up and down for a minute, then sit down and place their hand over their heart. Advise them to close their eyes and observe their heartbeat, breathing and everything that is happening in their body.

be creative

Craft projects are great for teaching kids mindfulness. It makes the surroundings more attractive by grabbing their attention and sparking their imagination. You can inspire mindfulness quickly and cheaply with a variety of fun craft activities. Drawing and coloring gives children the opportunity to look at the paper and think about how these materials were transported from the forest to their homes. Knitting is a wealth of color, sound, and texture—invite your child to feel the yarn, discuss colors, and hear the click of the needle.

mindfulness techniques

While mindfulness often means taking your attention away from technology, there are several resources for practicing mindfulness that can protect your child’s attention. Practice with your child by combining mindful perception with an interactive electronic world. Headspace for Kids is a popular app that develops mindfulness in children by introducing soothing sounds, breathing and visualization exercises. The app has five themes – Calm, Focus, Kindness, Sleep and Awake – each of which is specifically designed to meet a child’s unique needs throughout the day.

partner breathing

For kids, mindful breathing is easier said than done. Partner breathing is a technique used to help them focus on their breath for relaxation and focus. Lay your child on their back with a favorite toy or stuffed animal on their stomach. Let them watch the stuffed animal rise and fall with their breath. Guide her to slow down the stuffed animal by breathing more slowly and deeply into her belly. This fun and interactive way of bringing attention and control to the breath lets kids see the impact their breath has on how they feel.

object meditation

Meditation is hard for kids