Mindfulness

A while ago we  embarked on a journey of mindfulness in school! We thought that some of you may wish to keep persevering towards a more clear, calm and mindful mind! So we surfed the internet for days and looked into books for some more days and we put together this incredible list of links and activities which you can try at home. We hope you enjoy! And don’t forget to let us know with a picture or a few words!

Links:

A mindfulness session on feelings available by  clicking here

A mindfulness session on concentration available by clicking here

A guided relaxation session for imagination and….. sleep available by clicking here

An active guided mindfulness session on feeling victorious available by clicking here

  A mindfulness session on how the brain works available by clicking here

 A guided relation session into waterfalls clicking here

An active guided mindfulness session available by clicking here

Activities:

 Playing a game of Jenga: If you did not already know jenga in Swahili means to build. Playing jenga can help support better concentration, especially when you ask other players to implement mindful breathing during the game. Try playing whilst you are engaging in conversation for a couple of rounds and then try implementing mindful breathing with some relaxing music in the background. 

It’s my bean!: A fun game aiming to increase observational skills. Give each player a bean (or a penny or any similar item of your choice). All players must have the same item for this game to work. Give everyone 2-3 minutes to examine their item and then put them all together in a basket. Ask each player to pick out the one they believe it was originally their and explain why they believe that it’s theirs. Other players may challenge them and explain why they believe they are not correct. During this part it is important to maintain calm exchanges between the players. 

Simon says yoga edition: Play a game of Simon says with yoga poses. Below you will find some names of some simple and child friendly yoga poses to start with.

Warrior Series

Cat to Cow

Downward-facing dog

Tree pose

Happy Baby          

Sleeping pose                                          

 Listen like a wise owl: Everyone needs to close their eyes or use a night eye mask or other item to cover eyes if preferable. Sit by a window or near a door. Every time you hear something you have to tell the others by stating whether it is a close sound or a sound coming from further away. For example: “I can hear a car right outside on the road.” Or “I can hear a car further down the road but it’s getting closer.”

Mystery Box: This activity encourages children to use their hands to “see” and their touch to create a picture by drawing upon past experiences. Use an old box and either cut a hole or cover with a blanket and put one object in at a time. Ask the child/children to guess what it might be. Use language such as “what does it feel like?” “Is it exciting or frustrating?” “Would you rather know or guess? Why?” Allow for shaking the box and listening to sounds. Ideas for what to put in the box: rubber, paperclips, lego pieces, flowers, ballon, cloth. 

Thank the farmer: This does not require you to set time aside! Randomly through the day encourage children to tell you who and what they are thankful and grateful for. For example: “I am thankful for this food and all the people who worked hard so I can have it!” “I am grateful for this book as it gives me new ideas and keeps me company”. 

Appreciate the household: This activity does not require you to set time aside! Write a note saying who you appreciate and why. For example: “I appreciate my brother for reading with me”. Have a space somewhere in the house where you can display these notes. The person who receives a note of appreciation needs to then write their own. A chain is created this way. You can replace the notes weekly or keep them up as a reminder. 

Drawing your mood: Take a minute to practice mindful breathing and understand your mood. Draw a silly, inspiring and creative picture to represent your mood. Let others guess your mood and explain why they think that might be your mood. If nobody guesses right feel free to keep it a secret or explain to them your mood. 

Finger fiddle: You can do this on your own or with somebody else. Connect your hands or opposite hands with another person. Start tapping your thumbs together repeating 5 times. Repeat with the rest of the fingers. Try it with your eyes open, gazing into each others eyes and eyes closed. Where any of them easier? Why do you think?

Mindful munch: This activity is encouraging children to be mindful of what they eat and how they eat it. Do they eat slowly or really fast? What does their body feel before, during and after a meal? What gives them more energy? You can also encourage healthy eating habits by discussing the food you eat as a family which helps slow down fast eaters aiding in healthy digestion. Talking points: What is the texture like? Is it sweet, sour or savoury? How long did it take to make? What ingredients can you taste?