Seven Fun Activities to Develop Mindfulness in Kids

 Mindfulness is an innate human ability to be able to be present and fully aware of put thoughts and feelings, and the things presently happening or simply surrounding us. It is also about not getting overwhelmed with the past nor the future.

Just as much as mindfulness is beneficial to adults, it can also help kids as it contributes in the reduction of stress, improvement in the quality of sleep, and the improvement in their focus. Other ways that mindfulness help different kids are the following: It helps downplay the negative blows of bullying, it improves kids’ social skills and is an effective intervention for autism, and kids with ADD and ADHD. It also helps sick children in their pain due to illnesses like cancer, and it also teaches children to learn how to self-actualize. While chants and meditations are commonly used for mindfulness, there are other ways to teach it to kids while they are having fun at the same time. Why this matters? Because kids love all things fun.

Breathing Buddy
In this activity, the children are given toys to place on top of their tummies while lying down with their eyes closed. They are instructed to notice the sensations from the movement of the toys on their tummies, and the other sensations around them. Additionally, they are taught to turn their thoughts into bubbles that float away.

Bell-listening
The children will be taught to be more keen in their sense of hearing. They have to take notice of the sounds they will hear until after the last vibration of the bell is felt.

Smelling and not seeing
With blindfolds on, the children will have to rely on their sense of smell to describe to a teacher or mentor the scent they have caught on. An object, say a slice of orange, will passed under their noses for them to catch its scent.

Sense of touching
This activity is done by pairing up children into 2’s. They are given random things which they have to describe to their also blindfolded partners. After that, the partners exchange their items and again describe how the objects felt to their partners.

Squishing and relaxing meditation
The activity is aimed at teaching the children to loosen up their minds and body. Here, they are told to lie down with eyes closed, and instructed to squish all muscles in their buddies from their toes to their stomachs and arms and fits, up to their heads or faces. They are held in that position for a few seconds and then released to relax their bodies.

Heartbeat Exercise
This is one exercise that children will definitely enjoy. They are instructed to take note of their heart beats and other changes in their bodies after jumping up and down.

Opened feelings
Children are given the chance to express and discuss their feelings towards given situations, like in an open forum, without judgement. They are reminded of the activities they can do when they are not feeling their best.

All these activities are centered on teaching the children how to concentrate and become aware of the sounds around them and sensations they feel without using their sight. These activities help the kids in sharpening their focus, heightening their perceptions, and dealing with their emotions. Be an effective mindfulness influencer to your children and take a leap leadership course, and this can surely make a difference in their lives.
 
- Sarah Jacobs
 

Sarah Jacobs is an experienced writer who loves creating articles that can benefit others. She has worked as a freelance writer in the past making informative articles and fascinating stories. She has extensive knowledge in a variety of fields such as technology, business, finance, marketing, personal development, and more.
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Find out more about her company here: http://www.lea-p.com/

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