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18 Mindfulness Activities for Outdoors

June 23, 2020 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

18+ Mindfulness activities for kids and teens to practice outside. These activities are perfect for a mindful summer activity, incorporating physical activity, or just a planned way to get outside of the classroom during the school day. #mindfulness #pathway2success

Mindfulness is a critical self-regulation strategy for people of all ages. It can help us feel calm, focused, and in control. Learning to be mindful doesn’t have to be confined to the four walls of a building or classroom. In fact, there are numerous opportunities to practice mindful activities outside.

Here are a few outdoor mindful techniques to try:

Blow bubbles. A strategy for focusing on deep breathing, blowing bubbles is an interactive and fun way to practice mindfulness. You can find bubbles at your local dollar store, online, or make them yourself with dish soap. Before blowing the bubbles, talk about mindful breathing and focusing on your breath. This is one of the most foundational elements to mindfulness. When we calm our breathing, we can calm our minds.

Watch wildlife. Spend time watching wildlife in your backyard, a local park, or on a hike. Once you spot something, spend time actually watching the behavior of the animal. Binoculars help, but this is something you can do without them, too. Afterwards, talk about all the things you saw that you never noticed before.

Go barefoot in the yard. In a spot that is safe, like the backyard or a sandy beach, kick off your shoes and let your toes touch the ground.

Watch the clouds. Sit or lie down on the ground. Breathe in and out as you watch the clouds roll by. And of course, take note when a cloud looks like something else. This is a fun activity by itself!

Practice mindful breathing. Of course, mindful breathing is a technique you can practice anytime. Essentially, mindful breathing is focusing on our breath as we breathe in and out. One summer breathing activity is to imagine you have a dandelion in front of you. Slowly breathe in and breathe out. Grab these mindful breathing exercise cards or read up on more mindful breathing strategies to get started.

Play “I Spy” outside. This is an outdoor games that practices mindfulness through mindful observation. Have one person find a target item. They might say, “I spy something green.” Others in the group should look around and take turns guessing what item might be the target.

Take a walk. Put the electronics away and just go for a peaceful walk. Notice what you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste. These sensory sensations on the walk can be calming and mindful.

Read outside. Find a nice shady spot under a tree or on a park bench. Read a good book aloud or silently for a period of time. When practicing mindfulness, it’s important to focus on feeling calm and relaxed. Don’t pay too much attention to the academic portion of reading in this case. Read and just be!

Go on an outdoor scavenger hunt. Choose a list of outdoor items to look for. You might seek a plant, a butterfly, something that starts with an s, and a bird singing. The options for this are endless. Put together your list before you head out or grab these printable mindful scavenger hunts. Then, take time to find the items as you walk in the yard, field, around the block, or in a local park. Can’t find everything on your list? That’s okay, too! Part of mindfulness is learning to just be and avoiding the need for perfection. That’s a lesson in mindfulness just as well.

Practice yoga. Learn some yoga poses ahead of time and practice them outside. Some of the best postures for kids include warrior pose, tree pose, and downward dog. There are lots more!

Color with sidewalk chalk. Draw fun designs or positive messages with sidewalk chalk. If you’re not sure what to write, look up some positive quotes ahead of time.

Stack rocks. Find some different sized rocks. Stack them and try to see how high your rock tower can go. This activity works on mindfulness and balance. You can talk about what balance means in our lives.

Color on a clipboard. Grab some coloring pages and a clipboard. Then, find a cozy spot underneath a tree to sit and color mindfully. You can use these free printable mindfulness coloring pages to give it a try.

Have a picnic with mindful eating. Mindful eating is the practice of thinking about the sensory experience as you eat something. That means thinking about how it feels, smells, sounds, looks, and tastes while you are eating. If the weather is warm, try mindful eating with summer foods like ice cream, watermelon, or smores.

Smell flowers. If you happen to find a garden or some flowers growing, use them for mindful breathing practice. Slowly breathe in to smell the flowers. Think about what sensations you feel as you smell them.

Paint rocks and hide them. Rock painting can be extremely calming. To get started, find some smooth rocks (or you can purchase at a craft store). Use paint to design them with positive messages or interesting designs. Let them dry. Then, when you’re ready, head out to a hiking spot or walking path and hide them somewhere for someone else to find.

Build with sand. Use a sandbox or head to the beach for this outdoor mindful activity. Build some sandcastles or just feel the sand in your hands or a mindful experience.

Gardening. Taking care of plants and weeding is a mindful activity on its own. As a bonus, gardening works on lots of other skills like empathy and responsibility, too.

Journal write. Free writing outside on a sunny day can be extremely calming. Grab a journal and encourage writing time. Encourage kids to write about their feelings, respond to a prompt, write a story, or write about anything they choose. If you’re a Pathway 2 Success member (thank you!), grab the free Mindfulness Journal in the free resource library.

If you love these mindful activities but aren’t sure exactly how to teach mindfulness, I’ve got you covered with this set of mindfulness lessons and activities.

More Mindfulness Ideas:

Mindfulness Resources

Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment. Learning to be mindful can help kids and teens improve focus, strengthen emotional regulation skills, and develop a sense of calm. It can also serve as a healthy coping strategy to manage stress. Learn more about mindfulness here or use the resources below to teach and practice mindfulness with your learners.

Engaging and interactive lessons to teach and practice mindfulness with kids and teens. Activities include positive affirmations, creating mindful crafts, mindful coloring, mindful listening, and more.

A complete yearlong journal that targets mindfulness. Other skills are also integrated, such as growth mindset, self-awareness, positive self-talk, emotional awareness, and more.

Fun and engaging mindfulness activities for younger learners, such as “cookie breathing,” and “smell the flowers.” Activities are memorable so that learners can use again and again.

Cards to teach and practice mindful breathing in a fun and memorable way. Breathing exercises can be practiced at the beginning of the day, after lunch, before a high-stakes test, or just to calm the room.

A mindfulness board game that learners can play with partners or small groups. Learners will practice mindfulness as they move through the game board together.

Simple and easy-to-use mindfulness task cards for brain breaks and relaxation. Have learners take a mindful break with sky writing, visualization, or more.

Hands-on mindfulness fortune tellers with mindful prompts and activities. Learners can create their own mindfulness fortune tellers or use one of the pre-made ones included.

A huge selection of mindfulness resources for all ages, including structured lessons, task cards, posters, a yearlong journal, and more.

A set of indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts to practice mindfulness in an interactive way. Learners will use their senses to find objects around them, such as a light or something you might use in math.

Mindfulness

Understanding Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of learning to be present in the moment. By learning to focus on the moment, kids and young adults are actually practicing self-regulation skills. This helps learners check in with how they are feeling, what they are thinking, and what they need. Mindfulness can be practiced through a variety of breathing techniques, strategies, and activities.

Benefits of Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness with kids and young adults pays off. Here are just some of the benefits your learners can see:

Improves self-regulation skills
Helps manage emotions
Improves self-control
Increases focus and attention
Encourages positive thinking
Develops self-awareness
Teaching coping skills
Promotes self-acceptance and self-love
Creates a sense of calm
Encourages empathy
Improves decision-making skills

Teaching Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice that can be taught. What’s most important is to continue to practice and add it to your weekly or daily routines. You can practice mindfulness first thing in the morning, after a transition, or at the end of the day before students go home. You can also encourage mindfulness prior to a high-stakes test or stressful situation. It’s not only a tool to help relax and soothe the classroom, but it’s a coping skill kids and teens need for their lives.

Mindful Activities to Practice

There are many different techniques for practicing mindfulness. Here are a few you can try right away.

Mindful Breathing. One of the most basic strategies to teach and practice is mindful breathing. This is the practice of being intentional as we breathe in and out. One fun breathing exercise to try is “cool off the pizza.” Have students imagine there is a hot slice of pizza in front of them. Breathe in to smell the aroma of the pizza. Then, breathe out to cool it off.

For shape breathing, have students trace their fingers around shapes (such as a triangle or square) as they breathe in and out. You can also have a bit of fun with mindful breathing by pretending you are blowing out birthday candles on a cake or imagining you are a fire-breathing dragon! The options are endless. Learn more about other fun mindful breathing exercises you can try.

Mindful Coloring. Grab a set of coloring books, pictures printed from online, or use these free mindful coloring pages. You can spend time coloring together while listening to calming music. Teach students to just color as they breathe in and out. If students make a “mistake” or something in their design doesn’t go quite right, tell them to embrace those feelings as they breathe in and out.

Mindful Nature Walk. If going outdoors is an option, take a mindful nature walk. Spend time noticing everything you see, hear, smell, feel, hear, and taste. Make it a more interactive experience with a mindful scavenger hunt.

Mindful Crafts. Crafts can also be a fun tool to teach and practice mindfulness. Rock painting, beading, and origami are just a few examples. Teach students to complete the craft as they practice mindful breathing.

Practice Yoga. Teach mindfulness through yoga postures, such as tree pose and warrior pose. Remind kids and teens to continue practicing mindful breathing as they hold each posture.

Mindful Journaling. Have students take a look around and notice what they see, hear, smell, feel, and taste. Take a few minutes to experience the surroundings and write about it. Use this complete Mindfulness Journal filled with mindful journal prompts for the whole year.

If you’re a Pathway 2 Success member, head over to the free resource library and grab a free sample of Mindfulness Journal Activities to get started! Not a member? No worries. You can join for free right now.

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More Information

If you need more information on mindfulness and how to get started, these blog posts are a great resource for parents and educators. Check them out:

Mindfulness Journal Ideas You Can Try Today

January 20, 2020 by pathway2success 1 Comment

Mindfulness journal activities for kids and teens to help feel calm, focused, and happy. Mindful activities teach self-control, emotional management, growth mindset, self-love, and so much more. Use this as a daily morning practice or in your calm down area. Perfect for home or school. This post has printable and ideas you can use right away! #mindfulness #pathway2success

Mindfulness is a critical self-regulation strategy that can help kids and young adults feel calm and focused. Pairing mindfulness with journal writing just makes sense. Journal writing is personal and allows learners to connect with themselves. Additionally, it’s something kids can stop and do every day.

Mindfulness is an ideal practice in the morning to help kids and teens start their day off in a positive place. Practicing mindfulness can also be helpful before a big test, after a break, or when kids need strategies for self-regulation. Read up more on the 10 best times to practice mindfulness in the classroom.

There are several simple strategies to help learners practice mindfulness with journal writing. While you can read on and try any of the activities right away on your own, I also understand that it’s easy to be busy and struggle with fitting them all in. If you are needing all these and more no-prep ideas, I have put together an entire yearlong mindfulness journal that you can use right away.

Here are three simple strategies you can use right away with your learners to help them practice mindfulness:

MINDFUL FOCUS

What it is: Mindful focus is an activity where learners mindfully focus on one object for a period of time.

How to try it: Have kids choose one object in the room. Encourage them to hyperfocus on the object. Look at it and think about it for a few minutes. What does it look like? What colors does it have? Is it bumpy or smooth? How does it move? What is it used for? What makes it special? After the mindful focus activity, have students write about their object and sketch a picture.

Why it works: By focusing all of your attention on something, you are focusing only on the present moment. This can be a healthy strategy to help kids ground themselves in times of stress.

GUIDED VISUALIZATION

What it is: A guided visualization is an activity that involves picturing a calming scene, such as a beach or quiet meadow.

How to try it: Use a picture or describe a calming scene. It can be anything from a peaceful walk in the park to a calming waterfall in a forest. Have learners picture themselves in the scene. Then, allow them to write about what they see, feel, hear, smell, and taste.

Why it works: By picturing a peaceful scene, kids and young adults can clear their minds and regain a sense of calm. Visualization can be a healthy tool to use when feeling angry, sad, worried, or overwhelmed.

EMOTION CHECK-IN

What it is: An emotions check-in is a free write about how someone is feeling and thinking in the moment.

How to try it: Encourage kids to just close their eyes and think about how they feel. Consider every sensation in your body and thought that pops into your mind. Rather than judging those feelings, let them be. Notice them and recognize them. Then, have learners write about how they are feeling and thinking. As a simple alternative, you can have learners give colors to their emotions as they draw.

Why it works: Checking in with ourselves is an important strategy for improved self-awareness and mindfulness. By thinking about how we are feeling and thinking, we can make better choices about what we need in the moment.

SHAPE BREATHING

What it is: Students will draw a shape on their journal page and trace it as they breathe in and out.

How to try it: Have students draw a shape on their journal page. It can be any shape, such as a shape or a triangle. Students can even draw lines that wave up and down. Then, have students trace the lines of the shape with their finger or pencil as they breathe in and out. Afterward, students can write about the activity and describe how it made them feel. Use these free printable mindfulness breathe boards to get started.

Why it works: By focusing all of their attention on something as they breathe in and out, learners are practicing mindfulness while practicing deep breathing. This can be a helpful strategy to teach because it can be done almost anywhere.

MINDFUL COLORING

What it is: Students will color a coloring page on their own.

How to try it: Explain to students that they will be practicing mindfulness by coloring. Discuss that they will be coloring, breathing, and just letting thoughts pass through their minds. Note that you can play soothing music while students color to support a calming atmosphere. Need a head start? Use these free printable mindfulness coloring pages!

Why it works: Coloring is an active way to calm the mind. Additionally, this strategy can help learners practice just doing something in a mindful way without focusing on what is “right” or “wrong.” This is particularly beneficial for learners with perfectionistic behaviors. It is a perfect way to practice just coloring and being in the moment.

Just a reminder that you don’t need to be an expert to start a mindful practice in the classroom! Just use any of these ideas to give mindfulness a try! You might also want to read up on 5 free mindfulness activities or just grab the yearlong mindfulness journal to get started right away!

5 FREE Mindfulness Activities

June 17, 2019 by pathway2success 6 Comments

Mindfulness has been a growing trend with kids and young adults, and I have been a huge supporter from the beginning. About ten years ago, I started practicing yoga, which introduced me to the benefits of deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness in my own life. Without a doubt, it has made a huge difference for me, so I love the idea of sharing some of those same strategies and practices with kids and young adults. Today, I have heard that many schools are getting on board with meditation rooms instead of detention and daily mindfulness practice during morning meetings. This just makes sense, so I wanted to share more about what mindfulness is and how you can practice it with your learners.

What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is a practice that helps us to focus on the present, rather than the past or the present. Learning to be more present in the moment is a critical skill, especially in today’s fast-paced world. When we work on this practice, we can actually improve our focus, strengthen our emotional control, increase positive feelings, and bring calm to our everyday lives. It’s important to note that learning to be mindful doesn’t happen after one activity or lesson. The idea is that it is a “practice” because it is something we are always improving.

When Can We Practice Mindfulness? Mindfulness can really be practice anytime! Some of the best times to practice mindfulness include right before a big test, after a noisy lunch, before or after a transition from one activity to another, or just in the morning as a positive start to the day. The biggest benefits to mindfulness are seen when it becomes a regular practice. So, try to incorporate it either once a day or once a week – whatever works best for you and your learners! Feel free to read up more on 10 Best Times to Practice Mindfulness in the Classroom.

Remember, that you don’t need to be a mindfulness expert to start the practice with your students. Let them know you are learning and growing, too! If you notice that mindfulness is something you’re interested in practicing with your learners, but still need extra support, I’ve got you covered. You can use my set of Mindfulness Activities filled with lessons, task cards, breathe boards, and crafts centered around helping kids become more mindful.

Here are five FREE mindfulness activities to help get you started today:

#1 Mindfulness Breathe Boards. One of the most important components to mindfulness is learning to control our breathing. Sometimes this can be abstract for students, so these mindfulness breathe boards serve as concrete visuals to help. Just have students trace their finger around the visual while breathing in and out. This should be done multiple times. Best of all, these breathe boards can be placed on a student’s desk, in a binder, in a calm down area, or anywhere else a student might need them.

#2 Mindful Coloring. Drawing and coloring are often calming activities to begin with, of course. You can use these free coloring pages or just find any coloring books of your own. I often let my students choose from a huge pile of coloring books so they had more buy-in when practicing together. Start by explaining your students will be practicing mindfulness while coloring. It’s important to highlight that if students feel like they made a mistake, they should just breathe in and out and let it go. Mindfulness is about being present in the moment, making judgments about what is good or bad. Let students choose their coloring page and give them access to the coloring materials you choose. Encourage the students to color quietly on their own. You can dim the lights and play calming music while they color.

#3 Practice Guided Meditations. Guided meditations are a short script or video clip you can play that helps students relax their minds and bodies. There are many free guided meditation videos for kids on YouTube and other video platforms. Have students sit comfortably or lie down on a rug. Have them close their eyes and practice their deep breathing. Turn the lights off for an added calming effect! As they get comfortable, start the guided meditation and let it play through. Kids might feel silly at first, but with just a few minutes, they will notice the calming effect this meditation can bring!

#4 Positive Affirmations. There is not much else better than positive affirmations! Teaching kids to read positive affirmations aloud to themselves or just in their heads can bring a sense of calm while also increasing confidence. It’s a win-win! Use this free list of positive affirmations. Have students circle or highlight the positive affirmations they love the most. Have students read these to themselves or make index cards with their favorite sayings.

#5 Mindfulness 5-4-3-2-1. This is one of my favorite strategies for practicing mindfulness because it can be done anywhere and anytime. You don’t need any special props! Have students sit comfortably and just look around the room. Tell them to use their senses to observe the immediate environment. Slowly go through the list. Have them identify 5 things that they can see, 4 things they can touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can small, and 1 thing they can taste. Take your time with each and remind students to absorb the feelings they experience.

Give one or two strategies a try! It might take some time, but it’s wonderful to see students really getting into their own mindfulness practices. Of course, mindfulness is always helpful for adults, too!

10 Mindfulness Activities You Can Try Today

January 4, 2018 by pathway2success 10 Comments

All kids benefit from practicing mindfulness. Who wouldn’t love the kids and young adults we work with to become more focused, calm, in control, and self-aware? Mindfulness is a technique that can help teach and strengthen those abilities over time. By practicing mindfulness, people can learn to become more aware of their own thoughts, feeling, sensations, and the environment around us. It helps us to refocus and recenter on the present, rather than the past or the future.

If you’ve heard of mindfulness but aren’t sure exactly how to implement it with your learners, I’ve put together a few simple strategies you can try. Whether you are a regular education teacher, special education teacher, counselor, or parent, know that you have the power to teach mindfulness practices. You don’t need to be an expert. In fact, no one ever really “masters” mindfulness. Instead, we are all improving our practice the more we do it. Give the techniques a try and see what works for you! If you want to get started right away, consider these Mindfulness Activities or Mindfulness Activities for Little Learners.

Here are some simple strategies for practicing mindfulness with kids and young adults:

1. Mindful Coloring. You can use any coloring pages for this activity. I love to gather assorted coloring books with different themes and levels. Let kids choose their own coloring page, whether it is a page with dragons, cats, or just patterns. Give access to the coloring materials that best suit your needs. Colored pencils, flair pens, and gel pens are some of my favorites. Encourage kids to quietly color on their own. Tell them that if they’ve made a mistake, just to breathe and move on. Mindfulness is about just letting the experiences pass us by without making judgements about them.

2. Connect with Nature. Take a ten minute nature walk to help kids breathe in fresh air and experience the outdoors for a change. While you are out there, encourage kids to look around and take in the environment with their senses.

3. Dragon Breathing. A huge component of mindfulness is learning how to control our own breathing. A way to get younger kids to buy in to this is making it fun. With dragon breathing, kids will sit up straight, breathe in, stick their tongue out, and breathe out like a dragon. It might feel super silly at first, but it helps to bring the idea of deep breathing down to their level! This is a great activity to do before tests or after recess.

4. Smell the Flowers Breathing Activity. This activity combines mindful coloring and deep breathing. Introduce scented markers and explain that this is a special activity you can only do with those markers. This is an important point so that students don’t smell other markers that aren’t safe. Have students color and breathe in through their noses to smell as they go.

5. Practice Yoga. Spend ten minutes practicing some simple yoga postures, like tree, warrior, and half moon pose. If you’re not sure about how to teach the postures, you can always search for a video and play it while you practice together. I always love to end yoga practice with a relaxing pose of laying on our backs. It’s a great way to incorporate meditation, too!

6. Mindfulness 5-4-3-2-1. Use this technique to ground kids and young adults. This is an especially great activity to help kids manage anxiety or anger. Have students look around their current surroundings and find five things they can see, four things they can tough, three things they can hear, two things they can smell, and one thing they can taste. By the time they get through listing all of those, they will be more present and calm.

7. Recite Positive Affirmations. I’m a huge advocate for teaching kids and young adults positive self-talk. Not only is it uplifting, but it provides a sense of calm when students read their positive affirmations to themselves. You can use this free list of positive affirmations to have students read from.

8. Practice Guided Meditations. Have kids find a spot on a rug or yoga mat and lie down. Have them close they eyes and just breathe in and out. Read a guided meditation to help kids visualize a soothing beach or a calm walk through the forest. You can find one online or make up your own! Within a few minutes, kids will find themselves more calm and relaxed.

9. Use Breathing Visuals. Some kids and young adults need a more concrete and visual method for practicing breathing. A “breathe board” is just a set of shapes or lines that kids can follow with their fingers as they breathe in and out. Different shapes will work differently for different kids, so it’s helpful to try a few!

10. Listen to music. Play your choice of nature sounds, classical, or any acoustic music. You can play the music while kids are doing something independently or allow kids to just sit down and relax while mindfully listening to the music.

11. Use crafts. I know this is more than 10, but I had to add this one in! Crafts can be a very mindful and calming activity for kids and young adults. Weaving and beading are two of my favorites. They are simple and repetitive, so it’s easy for all learners to give them a try. You can also pick up materials at the local dollar store to get started. As a bonus, kids are often left with a tangible reminder of their mindful practice after finishing the craft.

I hope you are as excited about practicing mindfulness with kids and young adults as I am! It’s a quick and simple activity you can add to your routine to help kids improve focus, develop self-control, become more self-aware, and just feel better about themselves. I have developed these activities and several more to practice mindfulness with kids and young adults. If you are interested, consider checking out my Mindfulness and Coping Strategies Mega Bundle filled with mindfulness and coping strategies resources for all ages. Feel free to share what other ways you practice mindfulness with your learners!

10 Best Times to Practice Mindfulness in the Classroom

April 17, 2017 by pathway2success 2 Comments

Mindfulness means being present in the moment with your thoughts and feelings without making judgements. It is being aware of what is happening but not being overwhelmed. Practicing mindfulness on a regular basis can help you feel calmer, happier, and be more in tune with yourself. People of all ages and abilities can practice mindfulness, including kids and young adults. Some people practice mindfulness for different reasons, too. If a child gets nervous before a test, it can help calm them down and regain focus. If a young adult struggles with controlling their anger, it can help them control emotions. And if someone just wants to feel a bit happier (who doesn’t?), it can help take away negative thoughts. Overall, practicing mindfulness can be helpful in so many different ways.

There are many different ways mindfulness can be practiced. Some strategies include practicing slow breathing, mindful observance, mindful listening, walking meditation, yoga, or even mindful coloring. If you need specific materials to start teaching mindfulness, consider this ready-to-go mindfulness activities guide. The mindfulness activities include listening to music, coloring, making crafts, and much more. Best of all, activities are specifically tailored to kids and young adults.

Here are the 10 best times to practice mindfulness in the classroom:

1. At the beginning of a morning meeting. Start the day together with a positive intention. This helps kids to get centered for the day ahead while leaving any emotional challenges they have at the door. It’s a great way to begin a fresh start.

2. After lunch or recess to help bring the class back together. It’s easy to say that lunch and recess are two of the biggest sensory-overloads kids experience all day. Rather than trying to fight that, turn the day around by meditating for a few minutes. It can become a signal that “we are back in the classroom now”.

3. Before high-stakes testing to help focus and calm the mind. So many kids and young adults get extremely stressed over high-stakes testing. Even the ones who don’t say anything may be experiencing a high level of anxiety and worry. Spending a few minutes mindfully relaxing can help kids de-stress and do their best on the test.

4. In small group counseling sessions to promote relaxation. Many kids and young adults just do not know HOW to relax. Much of their time is spent at school, playing sports, playing games, being online, and checking their phone. Unfortunately, none of those activities promote relaxation. Arrange a small group of kids that meets on a regular basis to practice mindfulness strategies. Anyone can do this, including a special education teacher, counselor, psychologist, social worker, or even regular education teacher. By setting up this small group to practice mindfulness, you can explicitly teach these relaxation skills that so many kids desperately need to cope with stressors in their lives.

5. In between class transitions to provide a mental break. Transitioning from one task to another can throw an entire class off. Transitions provide the perfect natural break to practice mindfulness and relaxations.

6. At the beginning of a resource class or independent work session. One of the greatest elements to mindfulness is that it can help clear the mind. Dedicate five minutes or so to practicing mindfulness just before an independent working session and the benefits will last.

7. Small group counseling sessions to teach strategies for anxiety. Kids and young adults with anxiety need to learn coping strategies to help them through their challenges. Mindfulness and meditation are some of the best ways to deal with anxiety. Remember to try several different techniques to help find ones that work best for individual students. Also, note that many kids struggle with “invisible anxiety” and may benefit from these strategies without ever having the actual anxiety label documented.

8. Let partners or small groups practice before a test or quiz. Any type of assessment can be overwhelming for a number of students. Practicing mindfulness techniques just before a test or quiz can help kids get their thoughts together and feel more confident before they take on an assessment.

9. Just before an assembly or guest speaker. Big assemblies can be extra-challenging for many kids. Some students may feel anxious about the change in schedule, while others may have an extreme difficulty in keeping their thoughts to themselves for that whole time. Try practicing some mindfulness and relaxation strategies before such an effort to reduce challenges.

10. Anytime (just for no reason) to show that mindfulness can be done anytime and anywhere. While there are many times that are ideal to practice mindfulness strategies, it’s important to recognize that you can practice it anywhere and anytime! Use it when the class is getting a bit loud, a group of students are having trouble focusing, or you just need to set a calm tone. Sometimes just taking a mindfulness break can do the trick. And best of all, you don’t really need a reason to do it.

Use this Mindfulness Activities resource to teach and practice mindfulness with kids and young adults right away!

Teaching Kids How to Relax with Mindfulness

March 4, 2017 by pathway2success 1 Comment

Relaxation is a skill that promotes health and well-being for people of all ages- including kids! Too often in school, we are all rushing to get through our days, complete our work, and fix the problems that come up. It’s easy to forget that kids need time to relax and de-stress, too. There are many health benefits to practicing relaxation. It reduces feelings of worry and anxiety, increases blood flow to muscles, reduces feelings of chronic pain, improves concentration, reduces feelings of anger and frustration, and boosts self-esteem.

Use these five simple techniques to teach and promote relaxation in your classroom:

1. Play calming music during tests, quizzes, and independent work time. You can choose whether to use meditation music, nature sounds, or instrumentals. Not only will this promote a calming effect on the classroom, but it will help kids who struggle with attention, too. Background music can really help kids with attention issues, such as ADHD, since it allows them to focus on their task instead of always focusing on interfering background noises and interruptions.

2. Build a yoga time into your day or week. Kids actually love having a daily exercise or warm-up time. Yoga can address that need while encouraging a way to relax. Research shows that yoga can reduce feelings of sadness, anxiety, and depression. It helps kids and young adults develop coordination, focus, and self-awareness. If you aren’t comfortable teaching yoga on your own, there are many online videos and tutorials you could play for the class. To make it even easier on a teacher, you can use relaxation task cards with kids. The cards help students learn and practice strategies to help them feel more calm and relaxed. Some of the strategies focus on yoga techniques and postures, while others focus on visualizing and even being a little silly.

3. Practice meditation. After recess or a big activity, turn the lights off. Have kids sit at their desks, close their eyes, and just meditate. This is tough at first because kids honestly do not know how to calm their own bodies and minds. It can really help re-center kids, though, before getting back to work.

4. Teach mindfulness activities. Help kids and young adults practice mindfulness to help promote happiness, attention, and emotional control. Mindfulness activities can often include listening to music, coloring, practicing mindful breathing, learning to be present in the moment and much more. Use these mindfulness activities to find even more ways to practice mindfulness in your classroom.

5. Practice slow breathing techniques. Being able to control your breathing can really help you control your emotions and your thoughts at the same time. It can be fun to practice slow breathing to the beat of a drum or using a “breathe board” like shown below.

And while you are teaching kids to relax, make sure you give time for yourself to relax, too!

6 Simple Ways to Help Kids Manage Big Emotions

April 1, 2021 by pathway2success Leave a Comment

Being able to manage our own emotions seems like a simple task at first glance, but it’s actually quite complex, especially for growing children and teenagers. It involves understanding your feelings, managing stress, using coping strategies at the appropriate times, problem-solving through challenges, and knowing when to ask for help. This can be a lot for growing children and teens. They don’t always know exactly how to manage those feelings, which is why it is so critical for adults to provide support along the way.

Big Emotions, Big Behaviors

Anger, worry, fear, shame, frustration, embarrassment, confusion, and even excitement. These are just a few big feelings that children and teens might need to cope with on any given day.

One important point to make is that when a child is struggling, we usually don’t see the emotion at first. We see the challenging behaviors. This might include acting in aggressive ways such as yelling, pushing, kicking, biting, or destroying property. Other times this might look like work refusal, avoidance, and doing the opposite of the directions given. We might also see withdrawal or irritability. These are just a few examples, as children and teens can behave in various ways when struggling with emotions. Always keep in mind that emotions are often the driving force behind behaviors.

A child or teen most likely isn’t going to say, “Excuse me, I’m struggling with my feelings right now.” They might act out, though. It just happens to mean the same thing. When we see children and teens acting out in negative ways, this should be a cue that they need some support.

Teach Skills When Calm

All kids and teens are going to struggle with managing emotions from time to time. It’s normal and healthy. With that said, some kids are going to need a bit more support than others. If working with learners who continually struggle in this area, consider teaching some of the skills for managing emotions just as you would skills for learning math or reading. Kids and teens can learn how to understand their emotions, check in with themselves, use coping strategies, practice flexible thinking, using self-control, and appropriately deal with emotions. Remember to teach these skills proactively when kids are calm.

Simple Strategies In the Moment

All educators of kids (big and little) need strategies for helping them manage emotions in the moment. And while I’m a huge advocate for teaching coping strategies and skills to children themselves well ahead of time, these techniques are really designed for adults to use while a child is struggling.

This article also puts an emphasis on simple strategies because in any given fast-paced day, it’s important to have to-the-point techniques in our toolbox that work. What’s most helpful in this list of techniques is that they are truly universal; these are strategies that can be used with children in preschool to high schoolers (and yes, even adults).

There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to helping kids manage tough emotions, which is why it’s important to have a few ready for when something doesn’t work.

Here are six simple techniques for helping children and teens manage their emotions:

#1 Listen

The most important technique when a child or teen is struggling with emotions is to actively listen to them. This means giving distraction-free attention to a child and really hearing them out. It helps to remain judgement free while a child or teen is expressing their emotions. Try to avoid taking over the conversation. Instead, ask prompting questions that might help them share more information about how they are feeling and what they need. Sometimes, this can take a while, but if you chat long enough, valuable information is almost always given.

Beyond all of that, sometimes someone just need to be heard. A few prompts for starting the conversation might include:

“What’s going on?”
“I noticed you’re struggling with ______ today. What’s up?”
“Talk to me. How are you feeling?”
“Let’s chat.”
“How would you rate how you’re feeling from 0-10?”

#2 Co-regulate

Co-regulation is the process of actually sitting with kids and teens to calm down together. It’s most helpful if these strategies and techniques have already been practiced ahead of time. This is just because of how the brain works. When kids and teens are overwhelmed, they don’t think as clearly. It’s difficult for them to pick up a new coping skill on the fly. If we want them to use these strategies when they truly are overwhelmed, we need to teach them before.

Even so, sometimes in the moment it can be difficult to embrace the idea of calming strategies. This is why co-regulation can be so powerful. Adults are modeling the skills they want kids and teens to do.

You can start by offering or suggesting a strategy. For example, you might say, “Let’s take a few minutes and color together.” Another idea is to offer a choice between two activities. If neither of those seem to work, just choose a calm down strategy and do it on your own near the child. Quite often, the learner will pick it up and try too.

Here are a few coping strategies that might work best:

Coloring or drawing
Reading a book or magazine
Reading positive self-talk statements
Exercising
Practicing mindfulness
Journal writing
Organizing something
Doing a puzzle
Mindful breathing
Mindful journaling

These are just a few of many different coping strategies you can try. Use a coping strategies list to read more and give them a try.

#3 Give Space

One of the most under-utilized supports for helping manage emotions is giving space. An overwhelmed child can sometimes become more overwhelmed without the time and space they need to get back on track. Give supports, but it’s also okay to walk away. Some helpful phrases to give some space include:

“I’m here when you need me.”
“If you want to talk about that later, let me know, and I’ll be here to listen.”
“Let’s talk about that later.”
“Take a break and I’ll check back in with you in a few minutes, okay?”

#4 Distract

Sometimes children and teens need mental space from the challenges they are coping with. A quick distraction can provide that. Here are some ways to help distract a child or teen in the moment:

Have the child help with a task. Keeping busy can help kids and teens reset their minds. The task doesn’t need to be “fun,” but it’s best if it’s not challenging. For example, ask if they can help you put up some bulletin board pieces or if they can deliver a note to another teacher down the hall.
Ask about a pet or loved one. The people and pets we love are comforting. You might ask about how a child’s dog is doing to set them on a better frame on mind.
Tell a funny story from your own life. Kids and teens loving hearing stories from trusted adults. The story doesn’t need to be connected to how the child is feeling at all. It’s just a quick distraction. Anything to get a laugh is best! I personally loved telling stories about my dog, Nova. Just as an example, the time Nova growled at a snowman was always a favorite.
Ask questions about a favorite hobby or activity. We all experience positive emotions when we talk about our favorite activities. Use that to your advantage when helping a child manage emotions by asking about some of those hobbies. If a teen loves hockey, ask how his team has been doing. If a child loves music, talk about their favorite songs or band.
Ask a riddle or brainteaser. Consider giving a small brain game to help provide a distraction. Again, this technique will not work for every child, but some kids and teens thrive on puzzles and figuring things out.
Play a game. When all else fails, offer to play a game together. While this strategy cannot be done in every setting or in every situation, sometimes it’s important tool to have ready. So often, kids will begin talking and externalizing their emotions during a game. So, sometimes it’s worth a try.

#5 Draw or Write

Not all children and teenagers are capable of verbalizing how they are feeling and what they need. This is where drawing and writing come into play. These different methods give kids a chance to share those emotions in a non-threatening way.

Some strategies to help kids express feelings in this way include:

Write a letter about how they are feeling.
Draw a picture that shows their emotions.
List out all the feelings they feel.
Give free journal writing time.
Journal or draw to music.

#6 Problem-Solve

When a child or teen is calm, one of the most powerful ways to help them manage emotions is through problem-solving. When problem-solving, it’s important to not solve for kids but with them. It is critical that kids and teens know they have the power to solve their own problems, even if they need help sometimes.

Some ways to problem-solve together include:

Come up with a list of possible solutions.
Draw a picture of the perfect way to solve the problem.
Act out different ways to solve the problem.

Teaching Coping Skills

If you’re ready for the next steps in teaching techniques to students, give some of these coping strategies and calm down resources and activities a try.

Parent Support for Managing Emotions

Managing emotions is a social-emotional skill that allows children and teenagers to understand and cope with their every day feelings. Click on any of the frequently asked questions (click right on the picture!) for more information.

Managing Emotions