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rainbow chalk walk

The "Rainbow Chalk Walk" is a grounding activity that's fun and playful for kids.

 

Now, I don't mean grounding like being in trouble, but I mean feeling centered and balanced within your being. When you feel grounded, you are mentally focused, emotionally balanced, and feel strong and solid in your body.

 

So, in other words, when you don't feel grounded, your thoughts might be spacey and scattered and you might lose your keys a lot, you might overreact to small challenges in your day, you might feel clumsy in your body or trip over things, or fear and anxiety can creep in more often.

 

Use this "Rainbow Chalk Walk" activity to help your kids calm and focus, manage their big emotions, and feel strong and safe in their body.

 

related: Walking meditation

rainbow walk

 

Prepare your rainbow chalk walk

Just like hopscotch, you'll want to use sidewalk chalk to draw a large rainbow on the ground outside. You can draw as many rainbows as you need to keep your kiddos engaged and not just sitting around.

 

 

Make each color arc a little wider than their foot. Each color of the rainbow will act like a balance beam so your preschoolers will have to place one foot in front of the other.

 

Now, if you can't get outside, you might try using one of these rainbow beach towels on the floor inside or try walking the fun tie dye swirl! I don't actually own these products, but I think they would work great for doing a Rainbow Walk indoors.

 

 

 

Related: Rainbow Meditation for Kids

 

The Steps for rainbow chalk walk

Each preschooler gets their own turn "in the rainbow". When it's their turn have them:

1. start at one end of the color red and take a deep breath to settle and calm
2. wiggle their feet and toes a bit in their shoes and stomp them gently on the ground a few times
3. enter the rainbow and walk the color red to the other end by placing one foot in front of the other, just like a balance beam
4. when red is complete, line up at orange, take a deep breath, and walk the orange line to the end
5. repeat for all of the colors

 

Here are some questions to ask your preschoolers during and after the rainbow chalk walk:

1. Was it easier or harder than you thought to walk the rainbow lines?
2. Why do you think it was easier/harder?
3. What feelings do you notice in your feet as you walk?
4. What feelings do you notice in your body as you walk?
5. Do you feel strong and steady or wobbly?
6. Do you need your arms to help steady yourself?
7. What are you thinking as you try to keep your balance?
8. Are your eyes looking up or down at your feet?
9. Did you lose your balance at all and step out of the color? How did you feel about that?
10. What did you notice about your balance as you moved from the color red to the color violet? Did your balance get better, was it the same, or did it get more challenging to balance as the arc got smaller?

 

related: Inner rainbow meditation for kids

 

TRY THese ideas TOO

As your kids get familiar with the rainbow chalk walk, you can add variations to keep it fresh and engaging.

1. Have two preschoolers walk different colors of the rainbow at the same time. What do they notice, do they bump into each other, do they lend a hand to support each other, are they giggling to much to balance? Then try it with three or more. (Kind of like a rainbow twister game!)
2. Try the activity barefoot. Feeling your bare feet on the ground is one of the best ways to practice grounding. Have your kids notice any differences- in their balance, how their feet feel, or anything else.
3. Mix it up by starting the walk in the middle of the rainbow or by walking the colors randomly instead of in order. Do they like the randomness or do they prefer order instead?
4. Use pocket dice to roll the next color to walk. Do this in pairs so that one friend rolls while the other walks.
5. Have them walk the rainbow without looking at their feet.
6. Have your kids spin circles a few times and then try to walk the colors. What do they notice?
7. 
   Rainbow chalk walk can help your kids learn what it feels like to be grounded and balanced. Having those feelings as a reference point, can help them recall calm, focus, and balance any time they need it. So, next time you need your group to calm and focus, remind them to "ground" and bring the feelings of the rainbow walk back to their body.

    

   If you're looking for more mindfulness activities to add to your preschool day, check out The Mindfulness Library for free, 24/7 access to meditation scripts, activity packets, deep breathing printables and more.