Mindfulness for Kids: Simple Mindfulness Practices for Calm and Focus

With the changing times and modernization of the school curriculum, parents and teachers have realized the importance of emotional well-being for kids. Academics and emotional well-being should go hand in hand as the pressure to perform and excel in academics can have a negative impact on a child’s mental health. This is why new curriculums have been designed that also focus on mindfulness for kids.

There are so many things going on in a kid’s curious mind. Why do leaves fall off the tree? Where does the sun come from? Their thoughts are working in different directions. Having too much on the mind can be stressful for the kid. This is where mindfulness will help you.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is all about focusing on one thing at a time. It requires you to gather all your thoughts and put all that attention in one place. Being mindful is living in the present moment without worrying about the past or the future. Pay attention to what’s happening around you and what’s going on inside you and let it be as it is. 

There are different mindful activities for kids that teach them to accept each emotion, feeling and thought as it is. As the kids go through that development stage, they come across different emotions, some good and some bad. Mindfulness enables them to deal with every emotion and achieve a balanced and harmonious state. This also prepares them to deal with stressful situations and maintain calm and focus for kids. But, to achieve mindfulness you have to practice it every day. 

Benefits of Mindfulness for Kids 

Mindfulness offers multiple benefits for growing kids. Here are some of the most important ones:

• Control on Emotions

Kids who practice mindful activities become more aware of themselves and their emotions. This teaches them that they can feel different emotions like happiness, sadness, excitement, and frustration without being deeply affected by them. These emotions are just a part of day-to-day life. 

Whenever your child feels upset, tell them to pause, take a deep breath and calm down.

• Enhanced Focus and Attention

Mindful activities teach children to focus on one thing at a time. This increases their attention span and concentration power. This skill can improve their academic performance by helping them focus during reading, studying, or solving puzzles. 

• Stress Management

Even preschoolers experience stress sometimes. Even small things can affect them. The source of this stress can be school, peers, study, class presentation, adjusting to a new environment, or meeting new people. Mindfulness helps them to stay calm through all these situations.

• Better Sleep Quality 

Kids often throw tantrums when it comes to taking a nap. After an entire day of run and play, they need proper rest to recharge. This is when mindful activities can help the child to calm and unwind at the end of the fun day. A mindful breathing exercise can relax their minds and the body and give them better sleep quality. 

• Increased Self Awareness 

After practicing mindfulness, kids become more connected with themselves. They become more aware of their feelings, emotions, thoughts, sensations, and how their body feels. This makes them self-aware of how their mind and body would react to different feelings, emotions, and situations. 

Mindfulness activities for kids 

You can try these playful mindful activities with your child without making them feel overwhelmed. 

• Teddy Bear Breathing 

In this activity, your child should sit down on their back keeping their favorite teddy bear on their stomach. Ask them to breathe in and out and notice the teddy bear moving up and down as they breathe. This helps them to do mindful breathing while keeping them engaged.

• Nature Safari Exercise 

Kids are natural explorers, they are always on the hunt to witness something new and interesting. Take your kid on a nature safari and ask them to quietly notice the surroundings including the birds chirping, sounds of air whistling, smell of flowers, etc. Teaching mindfulness to kids through this exercise will more mindful of the environment around them and take care of it even more.

• Mindful coloring 

Coloring is one of the most calming activities for kids. Provide your kid with crayons and sketches and let them color as per their creativity. Ask them to color carefully at their own pace and pay attention to how the colors mix and how they feel while coloring. These simple mindfulness activities can help children relax and focus on the present moment.

Mindfulness is a wonderful way to develop emotional well-being for kids and maintain calm and focus in tricky situations. Kids who have practiced mindfulness since the start don’t face issues in dealing with emotions. Parents should prioritize mindfulness for kids to make sure that they are ready to face the world. Beansprouts, a nursery school in Gurgaon is already incorporating engaging activities for mindfulness into the day-to-day life of their preschoolers. 

These mindfulness techniques for children can guide them and help them navigate the world with greater focus, calm, and happiness. With the right guidance, mindfulness can become a valuable tool in their growth and well-being.