Mindfulness for Kids- 10 Success Tips

Posted by Dawn on March 4, 2020July 14, 2020

Mindfulness for kids doesn’t have to be hard. And, it doesn’t mean sitting in silence for hours. If you take a peek around the blog, there are lots of kid-friendly mindfulness activities for you to try. So, as you are starting out with mindfulness or continuing on, here are some tips for success.

10 Success tips for your mindfulness practice

1. There are no rules

We want to teach kids mindfulness tools that they can use for the rest of their lives. The tools that will help them build a strong personal foundation now and help them through their stressful moments in the future.

There is no perfect, there is no right or wrong. So…

… if they don’t want to participate in a mindfulness activity or sit for meditation, then don’t force them. It will only make them hate it.

… they won’t do every activity or meditation perfectly- it’s ok. Whatever they get out of it, no matter how small, still helps.

… they will talk and move around during meditations- that’s ok, too. Offer gentle reminders that this is time to invite stillness and quiet. You can have a separate quiet activity set up ahead of time if they choose to leave the meditation or activity early.

2. Meet your kids where they are

You obviously wouldn’t want to have your group sit in silence for a half hour for their first meditation. It’s a journey. Ease into it. Typically, you would want a meditation to last as many minutes as your kids are years old. So, if your kids are four years old, then plan for four minutes. But, remember, you may need to work up to that.

You’ll also notice that one day they might sit and be engaged for four minutes and the very next day you can’t get them to sit from the start. Don’t give up on the activity/meditation, try something else, but come back to it again. It just might not be the right day.

You’ll also want to read the energy level of your group. You may have a quiet meditation planned, but the excitement of the garbage truck that just pulled into the parking lot says differently. It’s easy enough in the last minute to add some yoga poses or props to the meditation as a way to release some of that energy and still do the activity.

3. Address their different learning styles using the senses

Mindfulness is about being completely in the present moment. There’s no way better than to notice the present moment than by using the senses. Plan mindfulness activities where your kids notice and focus using their senses.

Mindful gazing, mindful hearing, and that “Guess What’s In the Box” game, where you guess what the object is by feeling it with your hands are all activities that can help increase focus and awareness.

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4. Practice

I cannot stress how important practice is. Practice keeps mindfulness tools top of mind so they become a natural response in a difficult moment. Practice can help make difficult moments less frequent and less intense.

Make mindfulness for your kids a part of your daily routine. There are easy ways to do this that only take a few minutes at a time.

Deep breathe every morning at circle time
Practice gratitude before lunch
Yoga poses before nap to release some energy

You don’t need to spend a lot of time at once. Just a few minutes here and there throughout your day, and you will still see the benefits.

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5. Create a peace center or quiet center

A peace center is not for time out or punishment. It’s a comfortable, safe space where kids who are having a difficult moment can work through it. Fill it with mindfulness tools that you swap out frequently to keep it interesting or to incorporate your theme.

The space is also used to calm and find peace or to practice mindfulness skills. Have you considered an outdoor peace center? Sitting in nature can be soothing and relaxing- a great way to find peace.

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6. Keep track of what works

Not all mindfulness activities will engage your kids. Use more of the activities that really engage them and sprinkle in some others. Trying new tools will keep it fun, too. After all, how would you know you like ice cream if you never tried it?

Keep track of which activities work the best with your kids and tweak them to keep them interesting. The same meditation can be used with a different setting or you can incorporate your current theme into it.

7. Follow their lead and make it yours

You can customize any mindfulness activity to meet the needs and interests of your group. If your kids won’t sit for a four minute meditation, then make it two minutes. If your kids are really into dinosaurs, then change up the script to include dinosaurs. Or if your theme is outer space, then include travel to a far-away planet.

Your kids will be more likely to stay engaged when they are interested, so go with the flow and follow their lead.

8. Follow up

Always follow up a meditation with a discussion and even an activity. Discussion and sharing give your kids permission to acknowledge their own experience. Hearing what others have to share helps some kids understand that what they are experiencing is real. So, next time they can allow the full experience.

Sharing also helps children remember details they may have forgotten and find meaning in what they may have seen in the meditation. It will help them integrate the messages from meditation into their life.

And, a creative activity or project, even a simple drawing following a meditation experience can be an effective way for your kids to express their experience and to integrate their new discoveries into their daily lives.

9. Make it safe

Help your kids feel safe especially during meditations. They will need to feel safe physically in the classroom in order to get calm and relaxed for a full meditation experience. You may want to reassure them that they are safe especially if you are asking them to close their eyes. But, if physical safety isn’t an issue with your kids, you may not even want to bring it up.

You’ll also want to make it safe for them to open up emotionally. Asking them to get in touch with their feelings can make them feel vulnerable. Reassure them that all feelings are valid. Feelings aren’t good or bad or right or wrong. They pop up to tell us something about ourselves. Establish a no judgement zone during your meditations and discussions.

10. Repeat the activities and meditations

Just because you’ve done that specific activity or that certain meditation, doesn’t mean to just move on and forget it. Repeat them. Just like you read and reread certain books with them for deeper understanding, new lessons, and enjoyment, repeat the mindfulness activities in the same way.

If your class benefits from deep breathing everyday, then repeat it throughout your day. There are soooo many ways to do deep breathing. Customize the deep breathing activity for your theme using printables or add some movement for those high energy days.

~Dawn

Tags: mindfulness