Mindfulness Activities for Kids

May is Anxiety Awareness Month, and for kids it can be an especially anxious time with end of year tests and projects and things. But any time is a great time to talk to kids about anxiety and give them tools to help calm them down, and mindfulness is a big part of that.

Kids (and people) of any age need practice noticing how they feel in the moment and understanding that those feelings can and will pass. Even just being reminded to check in on their feelings a few times a day (whether they are feeling anxiety or not) can help them build mindful awareness and naming of emotions that is so important.

Mediation is not a thing that a lot of kids like (my teen has always hated it) but sometimes you can sneak in some mindful breathing even if you’re not formally meditating. There are lots of ways to make breathing fun for kids, and you can find a bunch of them at Calm Ahoy Kids. My daughter learned some of these at school like the candle and balloon, but they are all fun for kids to try. They also have an ebook and printable cards available on Etsy if you want these for a classroom or to use at home.

This mindful breathing stick craft from Local Anchor is an easy one for kids to make and keep in their backpacks (or even wear as a bracelet) to use as a tool for mindful breathing. I also love this one for making a calming stone of out clay. Get the details on that one from Hands On Teaching Ideas. Having something to hold that reminds you to breathe or pay attention can be super helpful.

Other mindful things you can practice in the classroom or at home include listening to calming music and really focusing on it, taking a very slow walk around the room or outside and paying attention to what you see, doing a slow body scan or eating something very slowly. Get more details on some of these ideas and others from The OT Toolbox and from Very Special Tales.

Another one that I like (which is also on the Very Special Tales list) that my daughter used a lot during covid was a variation on the 5-4-3-2-1 idea, which has you notice five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste (or you can change the last one to just taking a deep breath). This is a great way to ground and pay attention to your surrounds and it helps people of all ages, too.

Encouraging Self Care for Kids

Patriotic Yoga to Get Kids Moving

Last month I shared a collection of beach crafts that used items from the beach like seashells and sand. This month’s collection is all about beach animals and things you might see at the beach that don’t require beachy materials to make. In fact you’ve probably got what you need to make most of these beach crafts in your house already.

How about paper plates? With a paper plate you can make this cute watercolor seashell from The Educator’s Spin on It, or an adorable seagull like this one from Glued to My Crafts.

Add some white beans and you can make paper plate sand dollars like Crafts by Amanda. Or use a paper plate as a frame for a sweet beach scene like this crab and turtle one from Artsy Craftsy Mom, which includes a downloadable template and instructions to make it super easy.

Or grab a paper plate and some bubble wrap to make a jellyfish like this one from Happy Toddler Playtime. If you have paper bowls instead of plates, you can also make a jellyfish from one of those, like Natural Beach Living did.

Use your stash of craft sticks and googly eyes to make crabs, fish, sharks and more with this craft idea from The Keeper of the Cheerios.

I love this little crab made with a cardboard tube from Hunny I’m Home. With this same idea I’ll bet you could make lots of different creatures.

Grab some construction paper to make the loopy tentacles on this watercolor jellyfish from Craftsy Hacks. Or make a stained glass jellyfish like this one from Life Anchored.

Make easy puffy paint to make these fun fluffy starfish from I Heart Crafty Things, or use cupcake liners to make cute little crabs (also from I Heart Crafty Things).

Turn an old pool noodle into some super cute fish with this tutorial from Happy Toddler Playtime.

And if you’ve got some leftover yarn lying around, make pompoms and turn them into turtles like these from Craftsy Hacks. (And check out my post on different ways to make pompoms if you need a refresher!)

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