As a parent, you may often find your children distracted by screens or lost in their thoughts, missing out on the joys of the present.
This guide will provide simple and practical tips to help your children cultivate mindfulness and presence in their daily lives. Implementing these techniques lets your children develop greater awareness, focus, and emotional regulation leading to happier and more fulfilling lives.
Lead By Example
The best way to teach your kids mindfulness is to set an example and practice it yourself. Demonstrating how you use mindfulness in your daily life can help your kids understand its importance.
For example, you can show your child how to take deep breaths when feeling overwhelmed, practice gratitude by reflecting on things you’re grateful for, or go out for an afternoon stroll.
Lead by example and encourage your child to cultivate mindfulness by incorporating these practices into your daily routine.
Do Fun Mindfulness Activities and Worksheets
Encouraging children to practice mindfulness can be challenging, but making it fun and engaging can keep them motivated. One way to do that is through worksheets and activities aligning with their interests.
Worksheets are a great tool as they often feature prompts and exercises that keep children interested and encourage reflection. Ultimately, the goal is to help your kids develop a lifelong appreciation for mindfulness and its benefits, and this involves making the practice fun and interactive.
Check out these FREE Positive Affirmation Printables from Purple Ladybug!
Focus on Scents
Engaging a child’s sense of smell by giving them something aromatic to focus on, like a spice jar, flower, or scented stickers, can be an easy and effective way to promote mindfulness. Here’s how:
- Encourage your child to close their eyes and concentrate on the scent.
- Guide them to take a few deep breaths and remind them to pay attention to the aroma.
- Spend a few minutes in silence, focusing on the scent and becoming more present.
This activity can be a fun and engaging way to promote mindfulness in your kids and develop their sense of smell.
Purple Ladybug’s Scented Stickers is the perfect tool for this activity! Each pack comes with 675 stickers with fun scents like banana, cherry, peach, chocolate, cake, lemon, and more.
Blindfolded Taste Test
Blindfold taste tests are a fun and effective way to help your children become more in tune with their taste buds and develop greater awareness of their senses. Here’s how to do it:
- Blindfold your child and give them a small bite of food.
- Encourage them to move the food around their mouth for a minute and really focus on the taste and the texture.
- Ask them to describe and guess the food.
This activity encourages your kids to be more present and focused during meals and snacks and learn to appreciate the sensory experiences of eating.
Encourage Gratitude
Encourage your kids to express gratitude daily for big and small things, like having a comfortable home, playing with classmates, or enjoying a delicious snack.
To help your child practice gratitude, encourage them to keep a gratitude journal where they can write down things they’re grateful for each day. You can also make it a habit to discuss what each family member is thankful for during mealtime or before bed.
These simple practices can help your child develop a positive mindset and become more mindful of the good things in their life.
Forest Bathing
Forest bathing is a widespread practice that involves immersing oneself in nature to promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and improve overall well-being. This practice can be a great way to engage in mindfulness with your child and foster a deeper connection to the natural world.
To get started, find a safe and accessible nature-filled area. Encourage your child to use all five senses to fully experience the natural surroundings, like smelling the trees, listening to the birds sing, feeling the warmth of the sun, and feeling the leaves underfoot.
Forest bathing can help your child cultivate mindfulness and present-moment awareness while enjoying the benefits of nature.
Gardening
Gardening is another way to teach your children about mindfulness and help them connect with nature. You can do it in several sessions, from preparing and planting the soil to nurturing a seed into a thriving plant. Seeing your plant grow can be a satisfying experience for you and your kids.
Gardening can help children be more present while learning to be patient, responsible, and respectful of the environment.
Final Thoughts
Teaching mindfulness to children can improve concentration, help manage emotions better, increase creativity, and develop an appreciation for the environment.
You don’t need expensive activities or materials to teach mindfulness. You can follow the simple strategies above to give them the tools they need to succeed now and in the future.
