Mindfulness Games, Worksheets and Activities for Kids

Practicing mindfulness is important to be aware of the present and the surroundings. This post on mindfulness activities for kids will help you teach this important skill to your little ones. Mindfulness lets you live in the present without worrying about the future. This also helps in focusing on whatever work you are doing in a better way. There are several benefits of practicing mindfulness from a young age. And this process can be made interesting for kids as well. So, delve into this post for some engaging mindfulness activities that your kid will enjoy.

After all, it’s a pretty big topic lately; even those who are not involved in the world of positive psychology have likely to at least have heard about mindfulness.

As a reminder, mindfulness is “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us” (Mindful Staff, 2014).

We know that mindfulness is a great tool for adults to be more relaxed, beat their stress, and improve their overall quality of life; but does this hold for children?

Mindfulness Definition for Kids

Mindfulness can be defined in simpler, easier-to-understand terms for children. For example, mindfulness expert David Gelles defines it as “the simple practice of bringing a gentle, accepting attitude to the present moment” (n.d.).

Children should find it easy to understand what mindfulness is based on this definition, but you might need to discuss it with them to make sure they have a good grasp on it—especially if they are young.

How Can We Best Teach Mindfulness to Kids?

As is the case for most traits, habits, and skills, the best way to instill mindfulness in children is to start early. Mindful children grow to be mindful teenagers, mindful adolescents, and mindful adults.

In addition to getting started early, it’s important to note that the very best way to teach mindfulness to your children is to practice it yourself and model it for them.

What are the Benefits?

Many of the benefits of mindfulness for children are the same as the benefits for adults, including:

1. Improving physical health (e.g., reducing pain, lowering blood pressure, improving symptoms of conditions like psoriasis and fibromyalgia).
2. Improving mental health (e.g., helping to address substance abuse issues, stress, anxiety, and depression, and improving sleep).
3. Enhancing important social and emotional skills (e.g., the ability to feel in control, to make and maintain meaningful relationships, to accept reality, to manage difficult feelings, and to be calmer, more resilient, more compassionate, and more empathetic).
4. Increasing intellectual skills (e.g., improved sustained attention, visuospatial memory, working memory, and concentration; (Weare, 2012).

However, there are some benefits specific to children, including:

5. Improved cognitive outcomes (e.g., better attention and focus, higher grades).
6. Improved social-emotional skills (e.g., emotion regulation, better behavior in school, higher empathy and perspective-taking, and better social skills).
7. Greater well-being (e.g., lower test anxiety, lower stress, fewer posttraumatic symptoms, and less depression; Mindful Schools, n.d.).

Research and Studies

More findings are coming out on mindfulness in children all the time. Some of the latest and most influential studies on the subject have found that among other things:

• Mindfulness-based interventions for children are not only feasible but seem promising in their impacts as well (Burke, 2009; Greenberg & Harris, 2011).
• There is preliminary evidence that mindfulness training can benefit children with anxiety, reducing their symptoms and improving their behavior (Semple, Reid, & Miller, 2005).
• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for children (MBCT-C) has been found to reduce symptoms of anxiety and the rate of problem behaviors in children with anxiety and attention problems (Semple, Lee, Rosa, & Miller, 2009).
• A valid and reliable measure of mindfulness in children and adolescents was developed by researchers Greco, Baer, and Smith (2011), a measure that correlates as expected with the quality of life, academic success, social skills, somatic complaints, internalizing symptoms, and externalizing behavior problems.
• Mindfulness training for children with ADHD and their parents can lead to significant reductions in parent-rated ADHD behavior, significant increases in mindful awareness, and significant reductions in parental stress and over-reactivity (van der Oord, Bögels, & Peijnenburg, 2012).

As more and more research is produced on the subject, we’ll surely hear more about the benefits and applications of mindfulness for children.

12 Mindfulness Activities and Exercises for Kids

If you’re interested in tapping into some of these benefits for your children, you’ll probably want some tips and techniques to get them started on the right path. Read on to learn about ways you can incorporate mindfulness into your children’s daily routines.

3 Mindfulness Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers

Breathing exercises are a great way to introduce very young children to mindfulness practice. Give one of these three breathing exercises a try with your toddler or preschooler.

1. Breathe with a Pinwheel

First, grab two pinwheels—one for yourself and one for your child. Next, follow these five steps:

1. Sit with your backs straight and your bodies relaxed.
2. Blow on your pinwheels together using long, deep breaths. Notice how you feel—calm and relaxed? Have trouble sitting still?
3. Next, blow on your pinwheels with short, quick breaths. Notice how you feel again—do you feel the same as you did when using long, deep breaths?
4. Blow on the pinwheels as you normally would. Again, notice how you feel.
5. Think about the different types of breathing you engaged in, and discuss how the different breaths made you feel (Gelles, n.d.).

2. Square Breath

A square breath is a breath that is even on all sides, and it can be useful as a mindfulness exercise for both you and your child.

Here’s what to do:

1. Breathe in, to the count of four.
2. Hold your breath for four seconds.
3. Breathe out to the count of four.
4. Wait for four seconds before taking in your next breath.

To help your child keep track, show them how to draw a square in the air with their finger, taking four seconds on each side (Roman, n.d.).

3. Darth Vader Breath

This fun breathing exercise will keep your child engaged and interested.

Follow these steps to give it a try:

1. Breathe in deeply through your nose.
2. Keep your mouth closed and exhale from the back of your throat, making a “Darth Vader”-style noise as you do.
3. Show your child how to do it, then practice it with them.

This simple exercise will help your child focus on their breath and stay fully anchored in the present (Roman, n.d.).

To learn more about activities you can incorporate into your curriculum, check out this resource from Mindful Moments in Education.

4 Tips to Teach Mindfulness in Kindergarten

If you’re looking to teach mindfulness to children in your kindergarten class (or to children around kindergarten age), try these four tips:

1. Bring a stuffed animal friend with you to match a mindfulness meditation script (e.g., if you have a script about a bunny, bring a stuffed bunny).
2. Use a video to keep your kids engaged in learning about mindfulness.
3. Integrate nature into the practice of mindfulness; take students outside and relate the exercises to things in nature (e.g., “Sit up straight like a tall tree”).
4. Keep timing in mind; keep mindfulness exercises short and sweet and plan them for times when your students may have a bit less energy (Counselor Keri, 2018).

5 Mindfulness Games for Kids

These five games from Chris Bergstrom (2017) at BlissfullKids.com provide you with an excellent opportunity to introduce your children to mindfulness and help them practice it.

1. Balancing on One Foot

This exercise is for children 3 and up, and all you need for it is your body!

Here’s what to do:

1. Tell your child to focus her gaze slightly below eye level.
2. Tell her to stand on one leg and keep her gaze fixed on that focal point.
3. Challenge her to see how long she can stand on one leg like this.
4. Tell her to try the other leg.
5. Challenge her to stay focused while you engage her in conversation, ask her to sing a song, or tell her to close her eyes.

This is a simple game that can help your child develop her focus and improve her body awareness as well as give her a chance to practice mindfulness.

2. Jenga

Have you ever played Jenga? If so, you know that it can be a lot of fun but that it also requires concentrated attention and awareness. Take advantage of that fact and use Jenga to build your child’s mindfulness.

To make the game into an exercise, play two ways:

1. First, play the game while your child is distracted. Allow his mind to wander and engage him in conversation or activities that take away from his focus on the game.
2. Next, help your child cultivate a calm and clear mind through mindful breathing, and play again.

After you play the distracted version, engage your child in a discussion about it; does he know what made him lose focus? Did certain thoughts or emotions distract him and ruin his concentration?

After you play the calm and clear-minded version, discuss again; did he have an easier time paying attention? Did mindful breathing contribute to better focus?

This game will help your child see the advantages of being mindful and encourage him to work on his mindfulness.

3. Pennies Game

This game is good for children 3 and up and can be played one-on-one or with a group. All you’ll need to play is a penny for each player and a basket.

Here’s how to play:

1. Give everyone a penny and allow them one minute to study it, focusing on the details.
2. Put all the pennies in the basket.
3. Have each player pick their penny out of the basket.
4. Once a player chooses their penny from the basket, have them explain how they knew it was their penny.

The penny game can be played with other objects too; the important part is that the children playing can focus on something and pay attention to detail.

4. Balancing Relay

The balancing relay game is good for children 5 and older. If you’ve ever seen or participated in an egg and spoon race, you’ll recognize this game.

You will need a spoon and some water or a spoon and a potato for each team playing.

Split your group into teams (two teams might work best, but you can always do a few smaller teams) and give a spoon full of water to each team. Challenge them to carry their spoon to the next person on their team without spilling any of the water.

To make it even more difficult for older children, have them walk backward or sideways instead of forward.

This game will encourage your children to develop greater awareness, enhance their focus, and stay grounded in the present moment and their bodies.

5. Simon Says

An old classic, this game can help children practice mindful seeing, mindful listening, and greater awareness. It’s good for children 4 and up and all you need is some space to move around in.

Here’s how to play Simon Says:

1. Designate a “Simon” to lead everyone (it might be best for an adult to play Simon first).
2. Simon stands in front of the other players and instructs them to do physical movements (e.g., touch your nose, and balance on one foot).
3. The players should only do what Simon instructs them to do if he or she says “Simon says” at the beginning.
4. If a player follows one of Simon’s instructions that is not prefaced by “Simon says,” he or she is eliminated from the game.
5. The last player standing wins.

Once you finish the game, talk to your child(ren) about how hard or easy it was to follow the instructions and pay attention to the “Simon Says” at the beginning. Discuss the importance of paying attention and being present.

4 Mindfulness Worksheets for Kids (incl. PDF)

While children generally appreciate opportunities to play games and practice fun exercises more than filling out worksheets and answering written questions, some helpful worksheets can both keep them engaged and encourage them to be more mindful.

These are intended for older children, but younger children with particularly good focus might benefit from them as well.

1. Mindful or Unmindful

This worksheet is easy to use and provides children with some ideas for ways that they can act more mindfully.

The only instructions are to read the actions and decide which are mindful and which are not. The actions include:

• Leaving your jacket on the floor when you come in from outside.
• Keep your voice quiet when other people are reading.
• Helping someone hurt or scared.
• Crossing the street without looking.
• Letting someone finish talking before answering.
• Practicing a new skill like sports or music until you feel your body improving.

As a bonus, the worksheet can also be used for coloring, offering children an opportunity to practice even more mindfulness.

Click here to see the worksheet, or here to download it.

2. The Present Moment

This worksheet opens with a definition of what it means to be present or mindful: “The word ‘present’ can mean a gift, and it also describes what is happening right now, in the moment.”

Next, there are instructions on how to complete the rest of the worksheet: “Sit quietly and pay attention to what is going on right now using your five senses. Reflect on what you experience below.”

There are five sections to fill out based on the five senses:

• Right now I see…
• Right now I hear…
• Right now I am touching…
• Right now I smell…
• Right now I feel…

This is a great way for children to work on becoming more present, vital practice for encouraging mindfulness.

Click here to see the worksheet from Education.com.

3. Mindful Listening

This worksheet guides children through listening “like an owl,” and becoming more aware of the sounds around them.

Here are the instructions: “Listen like an owl to become more aware of the sounds around you. An owl can hear sounds that are close up and far away, and can also be silent when needed. Go on a ‘sound hunt’ as an owl. What do you hear close up? What do you hear far away? Write and draw your observations.”

The worksheet is a simple one, with lots of space for noting the sounds your child hears and drawing what they hear.

You can find this worksheet here.

4. Mindful Movement

Another worksheet from Education.com, this one will walk your child through moving mindfully.

Although children may have a hard time pairing mindfulness with movement, especially when they are first learning about mindfulness, the two are certainly not mutually exclusive. The worksheet helps your child learn about moving mindfully by instructing them to act like a deer this time.

The instructions are as follows: “Sometimes when we want to be mindful we are still. We can also be mindful when we move. Practice walking like a deer. Move slowly and deliberately, with purpose, and pay attention to where you are going. Practice pausing in stillness, as though you are camouflaged.”

Next, your child will answer a few questions about their mindful movement practice:

1. What does it feel like to walk like a deer?
2. What does it feel like to be still/camouflaged like a deer?
3. Describe a time when you can walk mindfully.
4. Describe a time when you can use stillness or camouflage.

If your child enjoys the first page, they can also turn to the second page for more mindful movement. On this page, they choose another animal to practice moving and remaining still, then they have the opportunity to draw themselves walking as this animal.

You can find this worksheet here.

For more resources on teaching mindfulness to children, check out this handout from TherapistAid.com.

4 Mindfulness Meditation Scripts for All Ages

These mindfulness meditation scripts from MindfulnessExercises.com are intended for adults, but can easily be used by older children or as a template you can customize for your child.

1. Body Scan Script

This script walks you through a classic mindfulness meditation called the “body scan.” As you might guess, it involves doing a mental scan of your body to note any areas where you are holding on to tension or storing your stress.

You will start with cultivating awareness through your breath, then you will move to your head, face, neck, and shoulders. Next, you will move down to your arms and hands, and continue until you reach your feet. As you go, you will notice how your body feels in each area.

In the end, ask yourself this reflection question: “What information do you receive when checking in with your body?”

You can find this script here.

2. Two Minutes of Mindful Breathing

This quick script will help you use your breath to boost your awareness and cultivate greater mindfulness.

You will start with a full breath in and a long breath out, then count through your breath and finally observe the way your body feels as you breathe—how your chest rises and falls, how it feels to take air in through your nose, etc.

To make this exercise even more impactful, you can follow the instructions at the end to make it a journaling experience; the prompts are:

1. What I want from this 28-day challenge is…
2. Some obstacles to me practicing every day could be…

Click here to read through this script.

3. Mindfulness of Anger

This script is a useful one for anyone struggling with anger. As such, it’s a great choice for children who are having behavioral problems or lashing out, although you may need to tweak it a bit to make it relevant and appropriate for children.

The script will walk you through bringing yourself to greater awareness, being present in your body, breathing mindfully, finding your anger, and allowing yourself to express it, let go of it, or both.

To read the whole script, click here.

4. Self-Compassion

If you want to help your child build self-compassion, this script is a great place to start. It is a version of the popular “loving-kindness” variety of meditation that is particularly focused on cultivating compassion for the self.

It opens with the usual mindfulness meditation practices: improving awareness, becoming present, checking in with your body, and breathing mindfully.

Next, it guides you through identifying a mistake, a failure, or a part of your personality that you don’t feel great about. It shows you how to accept the emotions that come with it and allow them to simply be, without fighting them.

Finally, this script will walk you through giving yourself a break and offering yourself love and understanding. Towards the end, you will repeat some phrases or mantras to help you appreciate yourself, including “May I be safe. May I be peaceful. May I be kind to myself. May I accept myself as I am.”

You can find this script here, and access more scripts and other mindfulness exercises here.

Teaching Mindfulness to Teens

There is a lot more flexibility when teaching mindfulness to teens vs. teaching mindfulness to younger children. The five simple exercises below offer a good opportunity to allow your teenager to try mindfulness on their own. These exercises come from D’Arcy Lyness at KidsHealth.org.

5 Mindfulness Exercises and Activities for Teens

1. Mindful Eating

In this exercise, your teen will learn how to eat mindfully. The example used is an orange, but it can be almost anything.

Here’s what to do:

1. Start by holding your orange and rolling it in your hand, noticing how it feels.
2. Hold the orange close to your nose and take a sniff. Think about what it smells like.
3. Pay attention to what it looks like and what it feels like.
4. Peel your orange mindfully, and stay present.
5. Taste the orange, noting the flavor, the texture, the juiciness, etc.

2. Mindful Breathing

Mindful breathing is another simple exercise your teen can try. He or she will focus on breathing but refrain from forcing themselves to breathe in a certain way.

Have your teen follow these steps:

1. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
2. Breathe normally and notice how it feels; pay attention as the air goes in and out of your lungs.
3. Notice how your breath moves your body; do your chest and/or your belly rise and fall as you breathe?
4. Sit for a few minutes, pay attention to your breathing, and become as relaxed as you can be.
5. If your mind starts to wander from the task at hand, gently guide it back to your breath.

3. Mindful Walking

Mindful walks are great ways to practice and maintain mindfulness in your everyday life, and your teenager will likely feel the same.

Guide them through these four easy steps:

1. Pick up one foot and take a slow-motion step forward. Notice what you have to do to stay balanced.
2. Walk in slow motion, one step at a time. Pay attention to how your arms, legs, and feet move as you walk.
3. Breathe in and out in time with your steps. Stay relaxed but keep your attention focused on your breath and your steps, working in tandem.
4. If your mind starts to wander, bring it gently back to your slow-motion walking.

4. Mindful Word

This exercise instructs you to choose a word that connects back to mindfulness and use it as an anchor to keep you present, calm and collected. Teenagers should find it easy to follow and helpful in maintaining their mindfulness.

Here are the steps:

1. Think of a word that seems calm or soothing to you, like “peace”, “love”, “sunlight”, or “calm.”
2. Think the word to yourself, saying it silently in your mind. Say it again as you breathe, once when you breathe in and once when you breathe out. Stay focused on the word.
3. If/when your mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to your word.
4. Challenge yourself to do this for one minute. If that seems too easy, try five minutes!

5. Mindful Driving

This is a great exercise for teenagers because it will not only help them become more mindful but can also encourage them to be better and safer drivers.

Here’s how it works:

1. Take a moment before you start the car to cultivate greater awareness. Think about how it feels to sit in the driver’s seat right now.
2. Take one slow, deep breath as you settle into your seat. Make sure you are comfortable and you can easily reach the pedals. Adjust your seat if necessary.
3. Fasten your seat belt and say to yourself, “I plan to pay attention while I’m driving. I plan to drive safely and well.”
4. Shift your attention to the mirrors, checking to make sure they are in the right position and adjusting them if they are not.
5. Take another slow, deep breath and start the car. Expand your awareness to the area directly around the car, looking for people, other cars, or anything else that could be an obstacle.
6. As you drive, pay attention to any of the many situations that require you to slow down or speed up. Keep your attention focused on your driving and the situations around you.
7. If you feel distracted or find your mind wandering, remind yourself that you are driving and refocus on the task at hand.

Click here to see these five exercises explained in detail.

What is Mindfulness Music for Kids and Where to Find it?

Mindfulness music is exactly what it sounds like—it’s music that is intended to help you relax, meditate, stay mindful, and stay calm and cool-headed.

There are tons of mindfulness music videos out there that you can use with your children. Here are just a few examples:

Relax Music for Children – Stress Relief, Study Music, Sleep Music, Meditation Music from Mindful Kids

Morning Relaxing Music for Children – Childhood Memories (Hayfield) from OCB Relax Music

To find more, simply search for “mindfulness music for kids” on Google or YouTube

17 Fun Mindfulness Activities For Children

Here are some fun and engaging mindfulness activities for kids to practice and benefit from.

1. Breathing exercise

Breathing exercises help in relaxing and training the mind to be calm and balanced, regardless of the circumstances.

How to:

• Get the child to sit in a calm environment, in a comfortable position.

• Ask the child to breathe normally and to observe their breath.

• After a couple of minutes, ask them to take a deep breath and once again observe the inhaling and exhaling procedure.
• Repeat this activity at least 5 to 10 times every day.

2. Take a walk in nature

A walk in a natural setting such as a forest or a park makes one more aware and vigilant of their surroundings. Mindfulness activities are about making oneself more attentive, and this activity will help you achieve just that.

How to:

• Choose a garden, trek, or any outdoor area with greenery.

• Stock up on healthy snacks and water to stay hydrated.

• Let the child walk around in a relaxed manner. Ask them to observe everything they find on their trail and listen to the sounds of the birds, the wind, and the stream if there is one.
• This mindful walk will awaken all their senses and connect them with nature.

3. Bell exercise

This fun exercise will make the child relate to the present moment and enhance their auditory senses. This can be an individual activity or a group activity. You will need a medium or large-sized bell and a noise-free room.

How to:

• Make the child sit in a quiet place. If it is a group of children, ask them to sit in a circle.

• Now ring a bell and ask the kids to pay attention to the sound of the bell, and the vibrations it generates.

• Ask them to remain silent, and when they stop hearing the sound of the bell, ask them to raise their hand.
• Let them stay silent for a minute more to pay attention to the other sounds they can hear around them.

• Finally, ask the children to describe their hearing experiences before and after the bell was rung.

4. Breathing companion

In this mindfulness activity, children will use a soft toy as a breathing companion, which will engage them and also help them understand how breathing can affect the vibrations in their body.

How to:

• Place a soft or a stuffed toy on the child’s stomach.

• Now ask the child to breathe normally and observe the movement of their breathing companion.

• Next, ask them to breathe heavily and observe how their companion moves.

• Repeat the same while breathing slowly.
• They will notice that their breathing companion falls when they breathe heavily and stays intact when they breathe normally or slowly.

• This activity can be used to teach kids about the importance of maintaining a balanced mindset in all situations in life.

5. Sense of smell

This is a simple yet powerful activity to train kids on exercising their sense of smell and how it can have an impact on improving their mindfulness. Soothing aromas can sometimes relieve anxiety and stress too.

How to:

• Place various objects with distinct smells in front of the child.

• Ask them to pick each item, smell it, and then describe it.

• When they smell, ask them to close their eyes and focus all their attention on the smell alone.

• Choose objects with appealing fragrances so that at the end of the activity, they experience a feeling of freshness.

6. Read your heartbeat

This is a regular jumping exercise but with a twist – you have to read your heartbeat when you do.

How to:

• Ask the kids to stand still and observe their heartbeat.
• Now make them jump continuously for a minute or so, without any interruption.

• Ask them to pay attention to their heartbeat now.

• At the end of this fun activity, ask them to record their observations.

7. Positive mission statement

Use this activity to reinforce a positive attitude and motivation, which can play a critical role in improving mindfulness.

How to:

• Ask the children to sit in a relaxed position, with a calm mind.

• Ask them to take a couple of deep breaths, close their eyes, and think about their lives and what inspires them.

• Next, give them 15 minutes to come up with a positive slogan or mission for their lives.

• This positive mission statement can be practiced by them regularly to reinforce the zeal and confidence in their everyday lives.

8. Embrace every feeling

Feelings are just feelings, and they are temporary. It is essential for children to learn that there is no good feeling or bad feeling, and this activity helps them with that.

How to:

• Ask the child to think about two past experiences: a happy one and a sad one.

• Now ask them to describe both the instances in detail.

• When they are done with the explanation, ask how it feels in the present moment, and if those feelings matter to them in the current moment.

• When they talk about it, they will realize how liberating it is to let go off irrelevant thoughts about what happened in the past.

9. Create a mind jar

Although rare, just doing nothing and fidgeting around with things can sometimes help in relieving tense muscles. And if the things around are really nice and colorful, it is all the better.

How to:

• Take a clear jar with a tight lid to secure it properly.

• Help your child add hot water to the jar until it fills up to the 3/4th mark.

• Now, it’s time to have fun with glitter. You can stick to one color or go crazy with as many as you want.

• Let it sit for some time and secure the lid with hot glue so that it won’t spill over later.

• That’s it! Your very own mind jar is ready! Shake the jar and see the colorful glitter dance for you.

You may use this mind jar, every time you feel stuck with thoughts or even when you are stressed.

Tip: A parent or guardian must supervise children during this activity. Parents are advised to be very careful while using hot water or hot glue so that children do not harm themselves.

10. Body scan

This is a simple but thoroughly relaxing activity that helps in developing a mindful and attentive personality. The ideal time for this activity is before your child’s bedtime, as it can help them relax and sleep soundly.

How to:

• Make the child sit in a relaxed position.

• Ask them to take a couple of deep breaths.

• Now ask them to lie down comfortably and close their eyes.

• Ask them to focus on each little part of the body, starting from head to toe, as they inhale and exhale. They must move their attention from the tip of their toe to feet, then legs and slowly upwards to the head.

• To end this activity, they must once again spend a few minutes running their attention throughout the body.

11. Visualization

Guided imagery or visualization for kids is an engaging activity. The visualization you choose may vary from short and simple to quite deep.

How to:

• Choose a topic which suits the child or kids in one group, and something that will also address their concerns. For instance, you can pick a motivational topic before a test or competition.

• Ask children to sit in a relaxed and comfortable posture and close their eyes.

• Give them specific and clear instructions, right from the beginning of the visualization process to the end.

• To make the activity very soothing, you may also choose to play music such as nature sounds or calming rhythmic playlists.

12. Yoga

Yoga has enormous benefits, not just for the body but also for the mind. It helps in improving focus and concentration levels too.

How to:

• Start with basic yoga exercises while explaining children about the benefits of each of them.

• Yoga, introduced at an early age in life, helps a child in building self-esteem, physical and mental awareness.

13. Practice gratitude

Being thankful and expressing gratitude plays a pivotal role in becoming a better human. For every little blessing or favor we receive from anyone, we must be grateful.

How to:

• Kids can practice gratitude by thanking their parents for providing them with food, shelter, and a good life.

• They may also express gratitude to their teachers, friends, and elders.

• They can express this aloud or write it down in a journal.

14. Create a bedtime ritual

Having a bedtime ritual is simple yet fulfilling.

How to:

• Parents can help build a bedtime ritual for children. Start the evening with homework, followed by an early dinner, a bedtime story, and finally lights out.

• Before going to bed, they may also have a routine of praying or meditating to calm their mind.

15. Hand tracing

Who knew that an activity as simple as tracing your hand could also contribute to mindfulness?

How to:

• Ask the child to take a blank paper and place their non-writing hand on it first.

• Let them start tracing, using the other hand, on a sheet of paper. This would be the easy part.

• Now ask them to place their writing hand on the paper and trace it with the non-writing hand.

• Ask them how it feels? Not very easy, but that’s the trick, to challenge your mind to perform non-routine activities with ease. This will prove beneficial in training the mind in doing various activities with ease.

16. Stay calm and composed

It is easier said than done! No matter how much one may try, it is quite natural for anyone to lose their mind when things are not going right. But with a little patience, you can slowly train your child to take little steps towards having a calm or balanced reaction to any unforeseen event or situation in life.

How to:

• Every time something agitates them, ask them to try something like drinking water, counting numbers, taking a deep breath, or going for a walk to calm or distract themselves.

• These small steps will bring a significant change if practiced consistently.

If these activities are too dry for the child, you can up the fun element a bit and try these mindfulness games next.

17. Balancing on a single foot

This is a challenging activity where the child has to balance the body on a single leg or foot.

How to:

• Ask the child to stand at ease.

• Now take a couple of long and deep breaths.

• They have to now slowly balance their body on one foot and lift the other leg.

• It may be quite challenging initially, but once they master it, kids are sure to enjoy this mindful game.

6 Best Mindfulness Games For Kids

Like the activities discussed above, mindfulness games for kids help in making the child more aware and alert about their bodies and mind. These games are fun and challenging as well, and prepare the kids for becoming more proactive and diligent.

18. Blind man

We all love playing the blindfold game, but do you know that it can offer plenty of mindfulness benefits too?

How to:

• Choose one kid to be a blind man and blindfold him/her.

• Now the blind man has to hear the sounds and observe the sensations around, to identify others who are playing together.

• The blind man has to catch as many people as possible.

• The challenge here is to win at the game when the most important sensory organ; your vision is not supporting you.

19. Balloons off the ground

This is one such game which can be enjoyed by not just kids but elders, pets, and everyone else too. The game compels the participants to focus and improves mindfulness also.

How to:

• Get a few colorful balloons.

• Ask the kids to blow the balloon as big as they can, under the supervision of a parent.

• Now the challenge is to play with the balloon and keep it up in the air.

• They lose a point every time the balloon touches the ground.

20. What’s in the bag?

What’s in the bag is a fun game for young children; it can be used as an educational tool too.

How to:

• Place random items of various shapes, sizes, and textures in a bag.

• Ask the child to reach into the bag using just one hand and identify the item without looking at it. You may even blindfold them to make it more challenging and activate their sense of touch.

• The challenge in mindfulness game lies in trying to name the objects correctly, the more, the better. Having a timer would make it more fun.

21. Blindfolded taste test

Awareness of each of the sensory organs also plays a crucial role in developing mindfulness in kids and adults. A blindfolded taste test is a game to activate or test your taste buds. Here’s how it’s done.

How to:

• Blindfold any one player.

• Place any ten random food items such as sauces, cookies, chocolate, juices, fruits, etc., on a table.

• Now the other players have to make the blindfolded player taste each food item.

• The blindfolded player has to guess the name of each item.

• The player who identifies the most number of food items wins the game.

Tip: Do not include any allergens or food items such as nuts, dairy, gluten, etc., that children could be allergic to.

22. Playing Jenga

Jenga helps in improving the child’s fine motor abilities, critical thinking, attentiveness. In addition to all of this, this game is a lot of fun.

How to:

• To play this, you will need the Jenga game blocks and a flat, sturdy surface.

• Now in sets of three, start building your Jenga tower. Each new layer must be adjacently placed with the previous layer’s thin ends.

• Once all the 54 blocks are stacked, the challenge begins.

• Choose an order to rotate the sequence of players.

• The players have to carefully and diligently remove a block from anywhere without causing the tower to fall. The block removed shall be replaced on the top.

• Keep repeating this, either until the tower is knocked off or till an entire set is finished. Sounds simple, right? Wait until kids try playing Jenga.

23. Pennies game

This is another exciting mindfulness game that is sure to get the children excited. This game requires more than two players.

How to:

• Hand over a penny to each child and ask them to analyze it thoroughly.

• Once they finish studying the pennies, it’s time to place them back in a bag.

• Mix all the pennies.

• After a couple of minutes, they have to look for their penny.

• If they can identify their penny correctly, they win the challenge.

Mindfulness can help your child come in contact with their innermost thoughts and feelings. And, awareness about our body and mind, helps in thinking and communicating accurately. There are various ways in which children can practice mindfulness, but what works best for your little one can be understood by exploring and customizing as per their needs.

How Toys Help Children Learn About Mindfulness

There are many toys available that can help children learn about mindfulness, cultivate mindfulness, and practice and maintain that mindfulness.

Some of these toys, like the mindfulness bear described below, are newer toys designed specifically for boosting mindfulness, but many “classic” toys can also help to boost mindfulness in children.

These toys include:

• Kites
• Spinning tops
• Cards
• Dominoes
• Kaleidoscopes
• Handheld ball mazes (Schwartz, n.d.)

Each of these toys can capture a child’s attention and keep them grounded in the present—batteries are not required!

The Mindfulness Bear

If you’re looking for a toy that was designed to help your child be more mindful, the mindfulness bear might be just what you’re looking for.

This fuzzy guy is called Max Mindpower, and not only is he cute and cuddly—he can help your child develop and maintain their mindfulness! He comes packed with three guided meditations (body scan, mindfulness of breathing, and kindly awareness), one neuro-linguistics exercise for children, and an introductory rhyming book.

Can Video Games Help Encourage Mindfulness?

It might seem counterintuitive, but video games can boost mindfulness in children. It depends on the video game and how it is being played, of course, but there is potential for greater mindfulness through three mechanisms:

1. Video games train our brains to stay focused and regulate our attention, just like meditation does.
2. Visual training through video games has effects that are similar to meditating, allowing us to tune out visual distractions and focus on the important things.
3. Video games teach us how to regulate our emotions; since getting too angry or frustrated sets us up for failure, we must learn how to deal with these emotions to succeed in our video games (Trunk, 2015).

Video games may not be the best way to teach mindfulness, but don’t cross it off your list of possibilities!

Great Mindfulness Apps for Kids

There are tons of mindfulness apps out there to help you become more mindful, and many of these apps are designed specifically for kids.

Here’s a list of 15 such apps that can help kids deal with anxiety and stress and become more mindful:

1. Breathe, Think, Do Sesame
2. Calm
3. DreamyKid
4. Headspace: Guided Meditation and Mindfulness
5. Kids Yoga Deck
6. Stop, Breathe, and Think Kids
7. Breathing Bubbles
8. Smiling Mind
9. Positive Penguins
10. Calm Counter
11. Emotional
12. Take a Chill
13. Chill Out
14. Super Stretch Yoga
15. Relax Melodies

Meet the Mindful Yeti

Another app that is specially designed for building mindfulness in children is a fun one centered on an engaging mascot: the Mind Yeti. The Mind Yeti guided kids and “their adults” through mindfulness sessions that can help them boost their mindfulness and prepare for whatever comes their way.

Here’s what the app can help your child(ren) do:

• De-stress, relax, and calm down.
• Find a way to get along through practicing gratitude, empathy for others, and kindness towards themselves.
• Get more out of study time by improving their focus.
• Relax at the end of the day and fall asleep easier.

There is a free version of the app as well as a premium version with several options. You can learn about these options or sign up for the free version here.

What is the Youth Mindfulness Program?

If you’re interested in learning more about instilling mindfulness in children, you should check out the Youth Mindfulness Program.

The program is offered by the nonprofit Youth Mindfulness, a charity that is devoted to boosting mindfulness in children, adolescents, and young adults. The One Year Youth Mindfulness Program is “an in-depth comprehensive learning experience, training practitioners to teach mindfulness from a place of compassion, authenticity, and confidence.”

The program helps participants learn how to:

• Embody mindfulness in day-to-day life.
• Cultivate self-compassion, joy, and kindness.
• Develop insight into their minds.

The Youth Mindfulness Program is guided by four main themes:

1. Discovering embodiment
2. Transforming and healing
3. Cultivating insight
4. The art of facilitation

To learn more about this program, how it works, and how you can get involved, click here.

3 Videos that Explain the Concept to Kids

To teach your children about mindfulness, you might want to try a video. Videos can be more engaging than simply listening to someone talk about a topic, and mindfulness is no exception.

These three videos can help you teach your kids about mindfulness:

5 More Mindfulness YouTube Videos

If you’re looking for exercises and activities that your child can follow along with, there are also many helpful videos for this purpose.

Here’s a small sample of the videos that you can show your child to help them practice mindfulness:

Mindfulness for Kids – Loving Kindness Practice from Fablefy – The Whole Child

Mindfulness Meditation for Kids Breathing Exercise – New Horizon – Meditation & Sleep Stories

5 Minutes Bodyscan Meditation for Classrooms and Students – Fablefy – The Whole Child

Peace Out Guided Relaxation for Kids – Cosmic Kids Yoga

Mindful Eating: Mindfulness Exercise for Kids with Chocolate – GoStrengthsOnline

6 Books to Teach Kids About Mindfulness

If you want a book you can give your child or read with your child to encourage greater mindfulness, you’re in luck—there are many books for you to choose from.

Here’s a sample of some of the most popular ones:

• Ultimate Mindfulness Activity Book: 150 Playful Mindfulness Activities for Kids and Teens (and Grown-Ups too!) – Christian Bergstrom (Amazon)

• Mindfulness for Kids: 30 Fun Activities to Stay Calm, Happy, and In Control – Carole P. Roman and J. Robin Albertson-Wren (Amazon)

• Mindful Kids: 50 Mindfulness Activities for Kindness, Focus, and Calm – Whitney Stewart and Mina Braun (Amazon)

• Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere – Kira Willey and Anni Betts (Amazon)

• I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness – Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds (Amazon)

• Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents) – Eline Snel and Jon Kabat-Zinn (Amazon)

8 Mindfulness Quotes for Kids and Young Children

Like adults, children can use quotes to help them further their understanding and stay focused on their goals. To help your child appreciate the power of mindfulness, try sharing and discussing these quotes with them.

Mindfulness isn’t difficult, we just need to remember to do it.

Sharon Salzberg

Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life.

Buddha

Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.

Jon Kabat-Zinn

In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived. How well we have loved. How well we have learned to let go.

Jack Kornfield

Respond; don’t react. Listen; don’t talk. Think; don’t assume.

Raji Lukkoor

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.

Etty Hillesum

Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance.

Amit Ray

As long as you are breathing there is more right with you than wrong with you.

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Conclusion

I hope you take this message home from this article: mindfulness is a vital skill for children, and there are tons of ways to go about boosting it!

What are your thoughts on cultivating mindfulness in children? Do you have any other exercises, activities, or games that you use to teach children how to be mindful? If so, feel free to share them in the comments section.