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All the rage lately has been surrounded around something called “Mindfulness”. Mindfulness is a mental state in which you consciously are and become aware of your surroundings. It is about being aware in the present moment; and focusing on that and reflecting on the feelings that come from being consciously aware.
There is a whole movement of mindfulness going on right now; it is incorporated into many K-12 schools around the globe, many companies also utilize the benefits of mindfulness for their employees, and it is practiced in many peoples homes as well. According to Mindful Schools; an organization that focuses on providing training and resources for teachers to implement mindfulness into their classrooms; practicing mindful exercises in classrooms can lead to better attention, compassion, regulation of emotions, and can be calming.
Extensive research on mindfulness activities proves that it can change the brain, contributes to positive cognitive outcomes, social-emotional skills, and overall well being. Mindfulness can help reduce toxic stress for students, teachers, and parents. Families can benefit greatly by practicing mindfulness activities one on one and as a family.
The implementation and practice of mindfulness activities should be focused on two main areas. The focus is on the mind and the heart.
Family friendly mindfulness activities
- Body poses: promote the conscious awareness of the body while practicing the various poses
Have a quiet, open space where you can practice various Body poses.
The Superman: practice by standing with your feet shoulder length apart. Clench your fists, then extend your arms out in front of you. Try stretching our your arms and body as much as possible while keeping your feet in place. Incorporating various simple to complex yoga exercises can also be beneficial as well.
- The Mindful Jar: promote how to control or maintain strong emotions
Fill a clear jar with water and glitter glue (or glue and dry glitter). Give the jar a good shake. Now, imagine that the glitter are your mad, angry, or sad emotions. You can begin to notice how the glitter whirls around, making it hard to see clearly. Reference the glitter to the emotions, and remember that it is normal and ok to feel the emotions that you feel. As the glitter settles, remind yourselves that it is similar to how you begin to get your emotions under control or maintained, like the glitter.
- Spidey senses: become aware of your surroundings using one, many or all of your senses
This exercise has the most benefits in an outdoor environment, but can be done indoors as well. Lie quietly on your back or stomach, close your eyes and listen to the surroundings and sounds of nature around you. Use your heightened “spidey” senses of smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch to focus your attention on the present, bringing conscious awareness to the information that the senses bring in.
- Body scan: promotes the conscious ability of your body in the present tense
Find a nice, quiet place where you can lie comfortably. Close your eyes, begin to squeeze and release all the muscles in your body; starting from the top of your body and working your way down to your toes. Take note of and discuss how your body feels, while paying close attention to your breathing and heartbeat.
Mindfulness Resources
I have begun to incorporate mindful exercises and practices into my classroom routine. I have noticed a change in the way the children focus, work together better and show more compassion towards the others in the classroom. Incorporating mindfulness can be very beneficial if practiced on a regular basis. There are great resources for families to practice and incorporate mindful activities into your home. Check out these amazing items from Generation Mindful!
PeaceMakers
PeaceMakers is a game that nurtures and promotes mindfulness and compassion. PeaceMakers helps kids and adults become more aware of their ideas, thoughts, and feelings in a fun, engaging way. The daily message cards boost social & emotional skills, self-love, a growth mindset and confidence.
Inside each box you will find:
- Three welcome cards: these cards will introduce you to the deck and help you get started using them in diverse settings with children ages 3 and up.
- Seven adult cards: this mini deck, ideal for teens, parents, educators and more, will further introduce you to the deck’s seven themes. Adults working with PeaceMakers find this mini deck helps them lead and guide by example, especially in times of stress.
- 35 cards for all ages: simple, powerful affirming messages exploring seven themes (Power, Joy, Balance, Love, Peace, Intuition, and Forgiveness).
Time-In Toolkit
The Time-In Toolkit is a complete kit that teaches children social & emotional skills in a calming way. The Time-InToolkit teaches children how to manage their emotions, moods, and feelings in a fun, interactive way. Taking a time-in is not meant or used as a punishment; it is instead used to teach children how to learn to calm their body and process their emotions positively so they can problem solve, learn and grow.
The Time-In ToolKit comes with a 90 page illustrated digital manual including 40 pages of bonus printables to walk you through the process of
1) creating a calming space
2) introducing this space, along with the concept of Time-In’s to children
3) replacing time-outs and punishment in your home and/or classroom
Also comes with…
- Creating A Calming Corner & Using Time-Ins: 50 pages of instructions (PDF)
- Bonus Printables (PDF): This 40 page set of printables comes at the end of your Digital Manual to help you take Time-In’s more powerfully into your home, school and/or therapy practice. Because these sheets are PDF’s, they can be used with multiple children again and again at no extra cost to you.
Partial Time-In Toolkit Bundle
Already have the PeaceMakers Game, but interested in the Time-In Toolkit? No worries, the Partial Time-In Toolkit Bundle contains everything that the Time-In Toolkit contains, except the PeaceMakers Game!
Also comes with…
- Creating A Calming Corner & Using Time-Ins: 50 pages of instructions (PDF)
- Bonus Printables (PDF): This 40 page set of printables comes at the end of your Digital Manual to help you take Time-In’s more powerfully into your home, school and/or therapy practice. Because these sheets are PDF’s, they can be used with multiple children again and again at no extra cost to you.
I hope that you found many useful activities and resources to practice mindfulness with your family! It is all about being consciously aware of your body, feelings, and your surroundings.
