Inside: Teaching mindfulness to kids in a fun and engaging way can be challenging. Here are 25 enjoyable mindfulness activities that kids will love.
Table of Contents
* The benefits of mindfulness for children are like a dream come true for parents.
* Positive impacts on a child’s physical and mental health.
* Encourages kindness, patience, and compassion towards others.
* Improves self-control, focus, and decision-making skills.
If you’re hoping your child can calm down easily, pause before reacting, or listen the first time, you’re not alone! *raises hand*
Learning about mindfulness activities for kids is definitely a smart investment.
Mindfulness has been shown to change brain structure and function in critical areas like the amygdala (emotions), hippocampus (learning and memory), and prefrontal cortex (self-regulation). These areas are vital for a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Teaching mindfulness to children is unquestionably valuable.
However, encouraging your child to engage in mindfulness can be tricky. If only good intentions and research were enough!
Mindfulness is about becoming more aware of our inner selves by purposefully paying attention to the present moment without judgment.
Adults with mindfulness practices understand it’s an ongoing journey rather than a final destination. Finding quiet times for reflection is challenging, and taking a 5-minute break for meditation can seem even harder during busy days with kids.
Fortunately, meditation isn’t the only way to teach mindfulness to children.
Kids are naturally active—they love playing, running, learning, and exploring. Since the areas of their brain responsible for self-control and focus are still developing, sitting still and paying attention can feel tough, if not downright torturous (especially after a long school day).
In my therapy practice, I’ve had opportunities to introduce mindfulness exercises to kids. Some were receptive, while others were not, mainly because I approached them with an adult perspective instead of seeing it through their eyes.
I also struggled with my own children by adopting a more commanding approach rather than making it fun and engaging.
“Sit down and sit cross-legged!” (or something similar) doesn’t work for every child. My older daughters didn’t respond well to demanding instructions.
Instead of saying, “We’re going to learn about mindfulness now!” try a more gentle approach. Here are a few ideas, but feel free to use what feels right for you:
* “Sometimes it feels nice to stop and pay attention to what’s happening around me.”
* “I like to take a moment to check in with my body to see how it feels.”
* “Want to learn a new trick that can help clear your mind and make you feel good?”
Here are some general tips for introducing mindfulness to kids:
1. Let go of any specific outcomes, and approach it with an open mind. If they aren’t into it, trust that another opportunity will come.
2. Be genuinely engaged in your own mindfulness practice, regardless of where you are on your journey. Pretending won’t cut it.
3. Accept that it might not be as smooth as you’d like, and remember that the shared experience matters more than control.
4. Go with your child’s mood, making it fun and engaging.
Here are 25 small activities you can do with your child to explore and enjoy mindfulness together.
The benefits of mindfulness activities for kids are vast, with research just beginning to uncover all the advantages. Simple moments of awareness related to our body, breath, or surroundings can significantly impact crucial life skills like decision-making, self-control, and emotional regulation.
When we address our child’s need for creativity, fun, and movement, we’re more likely to inspire mindfulness through a shared experience, not a forced one.
This post includes a free printable list of mindfulness activities! (I want to make it easy for you to grab and use whenever a “reset” is needed!)
About Angela Pruess LMFT
Welcome! I’m Angela, a Licensed Children’s Mental Health Professional, Positive Parenting coach, and mom to spirited kids who teach me something new (and give me gray hairs) every day. I believe every child deserves to live their best life and that emotional health is the key to lifelong success and happiness. Read more about me and the Parents with Confidence manifesto.
