"The greatest gift you can give yourself is a little bit of your own attention." - Anthony J D'Angelo
How Mindful Moments Can Help Children Thrive
"Compare this world with the world 30, 40, 50 years ago, it’s a different world. It’s faster. It’s busier. Scarier maybe? That’s why it’s more important than ever to equip our children with the tools they need to navigate life's challenges.
Enter mindful moments - a powerful technique rooted in ancient practices that can help children (and adults) thrive in the modern world.
Mindful exercises promote self-awareness, emotional regulation, and overall well-being by teaching children to be present and in the moment, recognise their feelings and thoughts, and be able to respond calmly and thoughtfully. It’s never too young to start incorporating mindfulness into daily routines - as long as the mindful exercises are age-appropriate (we’ll talk more about that later on). Children can develop resilience, focus better, and create a positive mindset that will serve them well throughout their lives."
This week's article offers useful insights into the role of mindful moments in supporting children's emotional regulation to enable them to thrive and offers practical exercises so you can get started right away with your child! [Read Article]
Enter mindful moments - a powerful technique rooted in ancient practices that can help children (and adults) thrive in the modern world.
Mindful exercises promote self-awareness, emotional regulation, and overall well-being by teaching children to be present and in the moment, recognise their feelings and thoughts, and be able to respond calmly and thoughtfully. It’s never too young to start incorporating mindfulness into daily routines - as long as the mindful exercises are age-appropriate (we’ll talk more about that later on). Children can develop resilience, focus better, and create a positive mindset that will serve them well throughout their lives."
This week's article offers useful insights into the role of mindful moments in supporting children's emotional regulation to enable them to thrive and offers practical exercises so you can get started right away with your child! [Read Article]
Reading Corner
Game: Mindful Games
By: Susan Kaiser Greenland
Stages: Kids and Teens
"A playful approach for cultivating mindfulness in kids, with fifty simple games to develop attention and focus, and identify and regulate emotions--by the author of"The Mindful Child."
Playing games is a great way for kids to develop their focusing and attention skills and to become more mindful. Susan Kaiser Greenland has had a lot of success bringing mindfulness to the classroom, and in this book she shares her experience, showing how parents, caregivers, and teachers can cultivate these qualities at home or in a school setting.
She includes fifty mindfulness games that develop what Greenland calls the "new A, B, C's" for learning and for a happy and successful life: Attention, Balance, and Compassion. In a playful way, the games introduce kids to breathing practices and techniques for developing focus, concentration, and sensory awareness, and identifying and self-regulating emotions, among others skills. They include "anchor" games that develop concentration; visualization games that encourage kindness and focus; analytical games that cultivate clear thinking; and awareness games that develop all of these qualities and give greater insight into ourselves, others, and relationships. Greenland contextualizes each game and offers guidance for the parents/caregivers throughout.
Even though the games are written for kids, they can be just as fun and transformative for adults. Greenland encourages parents and caregivers to develop their own attention, balance, and compassion and explore the universal concepts that she presents. She points out that as caregivers, our own mindfulness has a powerful effect on everyone in our lives, especially our children. They notice when we're calmer, more composed, and more joyful, and learn by our example."
By: Susan Kaiser Greenland
Stages: Kids and Teens
"A playful approach for cultivating mindfulness in kids, with fifty simple games to develop attention and focus, and identify and regulate emotions--by the author of"The Mindful Child."
Playing games is a great way for kids to develop their focusing and attention skills and to become more mindful. Susan Kaiser Greenland has had a lot of success bringing mindfulness to the classroom, and in this book she shares her experience, showing how parents, caregivers, and teachers can cultivate these qualities at home or in a school setting.
She includes fifty mindfulness games that develop what Greenland calls the "new A, B, C's" for learning and for a happy and successful life: Attention, Balance, and Compassion. In a playful way, the games introduce kids to breathing practices and techniques for developing focus, concentration, and sensory awareness, and identifying and self-regulating emotions, among others skills. They include "anchor" games that develop concentration; visualization games that encourage kindness and focus; analytical games that cultivate clear thinking; and awareness games that develop all of these qualities and give greater insight into ourselves, others, and relationships. Greenland contextualizes each game and offers guidance for the parents/caregivers throughout.
Even though the games are written for kids, they can be just as fun and transformative for adults. Greenland encourages parents and caregivers to develop their own attention, balance, and compassion and explore the universal concepts that she presents. She points out that as caregivers, our own mindfulness has a powerful effect on everyone in our lives, especially our children. They notice when we're calmer, more composed, and more joyful, and learn by our example."
Recommended by Kindful Kids Editors
Be the Change
Try one of the activities from the Mindful Games deck at the bottom of this page with your family! They are simple to follow and fun for the family to do together.
