Mindfulness Activities For Children  

Mindful activities are not just for adults, being mindful is for children too. Being mindful is for everybody! Practicing mindfulness regularly can help children develop self-awareness and emotional regulation. There are a different types of mindful activities for children and sensory mindful activities that have a lot of benefits. 

When teaching your children mindful activities, you want to choose the right place, the right time and you want them to be calm and ready to engage. If your child is hyper, running around, bouncing off the walls and not focused then I would wait for a quieter time. (I know how difficult that is)

Explain to your child what mindfulness means and how you could show them how to do mindful activities together. Make mindful activities a positive part of their day. This includes familiar activities that they enjoy, especially when they are just beginning to learn how to be mindful. Include mindful activities in your child's visual schedule. This will help them to expect and understand that this will become a part of their routine. After a while, you will notice that your child is practicing being mindful on their own naturally.

There are several categories of mindful activities for children. Mindful breathing, mindful eating, mindful movement, and mindful coloring and crafts are a few examples of mindful activities.

Being mindful is about being in the moment. Being here in your thoughts. Being engaged in a place where you are not worried about yesterday, and you are not worried about tomorrow. You are here, observing details and paying attention to what is happening now. Noticing how things taste and how they feel, or what you see with the things that are around you. When your child is being mindful, they have control.

This allows them to manage their feelings, emotions, thoughts, and the sensations coming from their bodies. Being mindful means taking our time, being calm and relaxed while doing our daily activities. Being mindful will help your child develop self-awareness and self-regulation skills.
STOP. Stop, Take a breath, Observe, and Proceed.

Mindful breathing can be done in so many different ways. You want your child to be comfortable. Practice breathing slowly, closing or opening their eyes and asking them to take notice when their chest moves when they breathe.

There is a wide variety of mindful breathing activities for children that you can practice. Here are a few ideas. Some breathing techniques your child will absolutely love, others not so much. Try a few to see which what works for your child. 

Types of Mindful Activities for Kids

Breathing exercises are one of the most basic ways to show children mindfulness to is starting with breathing exercises. Children can practice taking slow, deep breaths, focusing their attention on the sensation of the breath entering and leaving their bodies.

Mindful body scans can help children pay attention to their bodies, from their toes to their head. This type of mindful activity can help children develop body awareness and help the, feel calm. 

Mindful listening help children pay attention to sounds in their environment, without distraction. Children can practice these skills by listening to birds singing or the sound of the wind.

Practicing gratitude can really help children develop a positive mindset and increase their over all happiness. Children can write down all of the things that they are grateful for, share what they are grateful for or they can create a gratitude jar too.

Mindful movement practices like yoga can help children develop strength and their balance. This can promote self-awareness, self-regulation, relaxation, better focus and an increased feeling of calm.

Sensory Mindful Activity Ideas

Mindful eating is getting your child to pay attention to the taste, texture, and smell of food. Children can practice mindful eating by focusing on the experience of eating a strawberry or a piece of chocolate.

Mindful eating can be done during your child's snack time or their meal times too. Mindful eating can be a great way to introduce new foods to your child. I have seen people use mindful eating activities with oranges, strawberries, apples and raisins too! You can choose which foods your child is most comfortable eating.

Using the 5 senses will help your child develop new healthy eating habits.
Hear: Does it make noise? Can you hear anything when you bite it?
See: What do you see? What color or shape it is?
Feel: What does it feel like? Is it rough, squishy or soft? Is it sticky? Is it dry or wet?
Smell: Can you smell it? What does it smell like? Does it smell like any other foods?
Taste: How does it taste? Is it sweet or sour? Does it taste like any other foods you like?
Mindful eating can also help our children learn to slow down and enjoy eating especially for children who eat their food fast and a lot at once.

Mindful coloring can be a very relaxing and calming activity for children. Children can use colored pencils or markers to create patterns or pictures, focusing their attention on the movement of their hands and the colors on the page.

Taking a mindful nature walk can really help children connect with natural. Children can focus on the sensation of the ground beneath under their feet, the sound of birds singing or the smell of flowers around them.

Playing with playdough can be a calming sensory activity for children. Children can use their hands to shape and mold the playdough, focusing their attention on the texture and feel of the material.

Listening to music can be a great mindful activity for children. Children can close their eyes and focus on the sound of the music, allowing their thoughts and feelings to come and go.

Sensory calm down bottles are great tool for sensory input. These bottles work with your child's senses including auditory input, vestibular input, bodily awareness, visual awareness and are a great mindful activity.

Sensory calm down bottles is a quick way to calm down children. They help avoid meltdowns and assist children when managing emotions. Pass it to your child and ask them to give it a shake. Shaking the bottle in itself is a sensory proprioceptive input. When done they will be absolutely mesmerized, watching the glitter or items in the jar move and fall to the bottom.

Sensory calm down bottles encourages mindfulness, focus and calm for when children or adults are feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Watching them can be a perfect reset because they can be so captivating to watch.

Also known as Zen jar, mindful jar, relaxation jar, or sensory bottles. There are many themes you could use for your child's sensory bottle or you could just add some glitter to it. To make your own sensory bottle, fill it will water, dish soap, baby oil, food coloring, clear glue, hair gel or some use liquid hand soap too.

Resources For Parents 

Choosing Therapy  Mindfulness for Kids: How It Works & 17 Activities to Try Together

Connect Ability   Mindfulness for Children | ConnectABILITY

Yo Re Mi Kids  8 Simple + Accessible Mindfulness Activities for Autism — Yo Re Mi

Occupational Therapy Helping Children  Mindfulness and Occupational Therapy - Occupational Therapy Helping Children

Moshi Kids    20 of the Best Mindfulness Activities for Kids in 2022 - Moshi

Waterford  Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom - Waterford.org

KidSense Therapy Group    3 Mindfulness Practices to Calm Your Mind and Body

Vista De Mar     25 Mindfulness Activities for Kids That Will Keep Them from Bouncing Off the Walls - Vista Del Mar

DISCLAIMER: I have learned a lot over the years but I am still learning. Always do your own research and exercise sound judgment. I am not an occupational therapist or a physician. I am an adult who has sensory processing disorder, a sensory parent and a Grandma. The information on this website is not medical advice and does not replace the information that your child's therapists or medical professionals give you. These are just ideas that I have learned myself over the years of being a parent and an adult living with SPD. If you are concerned for your child, please always seek medical attention through a family doctor, pediatrician or therapist. This website is for awareness purposes only. Each child is different and what works for one child may not for another because all children have different sensory needs. Please always consult with a medical professional. Click on links throughout each page for more resources and information. Click here for more resources https://sensoryprocessingdisorderparentsupport.com/sensoryprocessingdisorderresources

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Sensory Mindful Tools & Toys