What are the Benefits?
Many of the benefits of mindfulness for children are the same as the benefits for adults, including:
- Improving physical health (e.g., reducing pain, lowering blood pressure, improving symptoms of conditions like psoriasis and fibromyalgia).
- Improving mental health (e.g., helping to address substance abuse issues, stress, anxiety, and depression, and improving sleep).
- 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).
- 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:
- Improved cognitive outcomes (e.g., better attention and focus, higher grades).
- Improved social-emotional skills (e.g., emotion regulation, better behavior in school, higher empathy and perspective-taking, and better social skills).
- 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 which 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 own 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 routine.
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:
- Sit with your backs straight and your bodies relaxed.
- Blow on your pinwheels together using long, deep breaths. Notice how you feel—calm and relaxed? Having trouble sitting still?
- 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?
- Blow on the pinwheels as you normally would. Again, notice how you feel.
- 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:
- Breathe in, to the count of four.
- Hold the breath for four seconds.
- Breathe out to the count of four.
- 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:
- Breathe in deeply through your nose.
- Keep your mouth closed and exhale from the back of your throat, making a “Darth Vader”-style noise as you do.
- 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:
- 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).
- Use a video to keep your kids engaged in learning about mindfulness.
- 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”).
- 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:
- Tell your child to focus her gaze slightly below eye level.
- Tell her to stand on one leg and keep her gaze fixed on that focal point.
- Challenge her to see how long she can stand on one leg like this.
- Tell her to try the other leg.
- 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 giving 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:
- 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.
- 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 the 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 own 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:
- Give everyone a penny and allow them one minute to study it, focusing on the details.
- Put all the pennies in the basket.
- Have each player pick their penny out of the basket.
- 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 are able to focus in 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 in their own body.
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:
- Designate a “Simon” to lead everyone (it might be best for an adult to play Simon first).
- Simon stands in front of the other players and instructs them to do physical movements (e.g., touch your nose, balance on one foot).
- The players should only do what Simon instructs them to do if he or she says “Simon says” at the beginning.
- If a player follows one of Simon’s instructions that is not prefaced by “Simon says,” he or she is eliminated from the game.
- 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, there are some helpful worksheets that 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.
- Keeping your voice quiet when other people are reading.
- Helping someone that is 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 an added 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, a 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:
- What does it feel like to walk like a deer?
- What does it feel like to be still/camouflaged like a deer?
- Describe a time when you can walk mindfully.
- 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.
At 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 counting through your breath, and finally observing 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:
- What I want from this 28-day challenge is…
- 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 their 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.
What our readers think
Great resources so meaningful and thoughtful put together. Thanks you ,i shall put it to practise and share too. Red balloon relaxation is really a good idea for kids to
get the feelings and to learn about their body .it improves the behaviour too.
Hi Sue,
Glad to hear you enjoyed the read. I hope these activities work well for you in practice, too!
– Nicole | Community Manager
We have been doing the cosmic kids yoga on You tube!
What great resources!! So thoughtfully put together. Thank you. I shall put it to practice and share too
Great post I will certainly implement some of these suggestions into my ESL classes here in Italy… so important to practice mindfulness… so much garbage in the world…thanks for putting all this together… wonderful resources….
Hello Carole,
Ashish here from India.
Would you like to share the content of your ESL class please?
Thanks
Great resource for children. Thank you
Great references, thanks so much!
What a great webpage. Thank you….Would love to have more info. for high school age students dealing with anxiety and stress.