Mindfulness In a Jar: 101 Exercises to Help Children Focus and Calm Their Minds

• Includes 101 exercises to help children focus & calm their minds
• Mindfulness techniques for home, classroom, & the community
• Help children increase focus and decrease stress
• Helpful for kids & teens

 Close your eyes . . . Breathe in through your nose . . . And breathe out . . . Kids feel pressure too! Helping them through their day-to-day problems can be as simple as a two-minute moment of mindfulness. Bring mindfulness-focusing techniques to your classroom, home, or anywhere. This inventive collection of quick and easy exercises helps kids live in the moment, de-stress, and zero in on the task at hand.

SAMPLE CARDS

MINDFUL BREATHING: Rectangle Breath Close your eyes or look down. Sit up straight. Inhale while counting to 4, hold for 2 counts, exhale while counting to 4, and hold again for 2 counts. As you count, draw the four sides of a rectangle with your finger in the air (up one side for 4, over for 2, down the other side for 4, and over for 2). Do this for 5 breaths. What do you notice?

MINDFUL SEEING: Living Objects Take a moment to notice living objects around you. What do you see that’s alive? What signs do you notice that tell you it’s a living object? Consider for 1 minute. What do you notice?

MINDFUL LISTENING: Drums (Play a preselected instrumental song.) Close your eyes or look down. Listen to the music that is playing. What do the drums sound like? How does the sound of the drums make you feel? Listen for 1 minute. What do you notice?

MINDFUL EATING: Texture Today as you eat, take a moment to notice the texture of your food. Chew slowly and see how it feels in your mouth. Is it soft or crunchy? How does it feel on your tongue? Consider for at least 1 bite. What do you notice?

MINDFUL STRETCHING: Star Stand straight with your feet just slightly more than hip-distance apart. Lift your arms up so they form an X or a star shape with your entire body. Hold pose for 5 deep breaths. What do you notice about your body?