It’s hard to believe but this month I am wrapping up my Mindful Me-school programs for the year. It’s been a whole year of deep breathing, meditation, mindful games, and creative activities as I taught preschoolers some tools for getting through difficult moments and for building character.

 

I usually save the very special Pebble Meditation for the final class together, and this year is no different. And so, as I was preparing the Pebble Meditation lesson plan, I thought I would share my version of the script with you, too.

 

I like to finish things up with this meditation because it incorporates some of the mind-body tools we learned about this year like deep breathing and guided visualization. And, because it uses those tools to strengthen character qualities within us.

 

 

pebble meditation for kids

Pebble Meditation was created by Thich Nhat Hanh, a great teacher of peace. He created it as a way for children to learn about certain abstract qualities by attaching these qualities to real and familiar objects like pebbles.

 

Each of the four pebbles in the meditation represents an object and its qualities. Pebble Meditation reminds us that we already have these special qualities within us, and that as we practice this meditation, these qualities will grow even stronger. It also reminds us that no one can ever take any of these qualities away from us. They are ours to keep, forever. Here is what each of the four pebbles represents:

 

• The first pebble represents a flower and the qualities of love, beauty, and curiosity.
• The second pebble represents a mountain and the qualities of bravery, strength, and confidence.
• The third pebble represents still water and the qualities of quiet, calm, and focused.
• The fourth pebble represents the sky (space) and the qualities of freedom, happiness, and peace.

So, if your child’s feelings are hurt by another, remind them of the flower and the abundant beauty and love that fills them. Or, if your child feels scared, remind them of the brave, strong mountain they have inside of them. If they are angry or frustrated, they can spread their arms and feel the space around them filled with peace and happiness. And when they need to settle in for a quiet activity, they can become the still water and find calm and focus within.

 

You can read more about Pebble Meditation in Thich Nhat Hanh’s book, A Handful of Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles.

 

 

my pebble meditation lesson

When I teach Pebble Meditation, I first show the children a picture of Thich Nhat Hanh to introduce them to this great “teacher of peace”. I explain that he created this meditation for children to help them understand and remember that they have special super powers inside them. Super powers that help them to feel happy and to help them through difficult moments. Things like love and beauty, strength and bravery, calm and focus, and peace and happiness.

 

Then, I show the children the pebbles and explain that each pebble represents a “super power” that we all have inside of us. And even if we forget about them, they are always there. No one can ever take these super powers away from us, they are ours to keep forever.

 

1. I pick up the first pebble and show them a picture of a flower. I ask the children to describe the flower and ask what the flower means to them. Then, I explain that in Pebble Meditation, the flower represents the super powers of beauty and love.
2. I pick up the second pebble and show a picture of a mountain. I ask the children to describe the mountain and ask how it might feel to be a mountain. Then, we discuss how the mountain represents bravery and strength.
3. With the third pebble, I show a picture of still water. We discuss together the qualities of still water, like calm and focused, and ask if they can think of a time when they might need to be like still water.
4. I show a picture of the wide open sky with the fourth pebble and discuss the qualities represented by the sky like freedom, peace, and happiness. Ask them how it would feel to fly across the wide open sky.

 

After the discussion, each child gets four pebbles and I read my version of the Pebble Meditation script. You can grab your free copy in the Mindfulness Library. Just click the button below the picture for instant access to ALL of the free mindfulness resources in the library. If you already have a password, you can head straight to the login page.