Objectives
- Describe ways to use the five senses to be mindful.
- Give examples of being mindful of internal feelings.
Lesson Plan
This unit helps a child to understand and practice mindfulness. To practice mindfulness is to purposefully pay attention to your breathing, feelings, senses, or actions in the present moment. When a child is mindful, they increase their ability to regulate emotions, manage stress, and self-motivate.
Set The Stage
Describe an item in your classroom using your five senses. Can the students guess what you are talking about?
To use this with your students click here.
Captivate
Five Senses and Feelings
Present the slideshow to guide students through a mindful activity using their senses. Allow ample time between slides to encourage mindful thoughts.
Educate
Identify Mindful Actions
Tell students that whenever they pause and pay attention to something on purpose, they are being mindful. When they looked carefully at the picture, they were being mindful. Discuss how they used their senses to be mindful when they observed the forest picture.
Check for Understanding: How can you use your senses to be mindful? (Pause and think about how something looks, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels.)
Activate
Use Your Senses
Imagine you are in the forest. Think about what you would see, smell, taste, touch, and hear as you color the picture. How do you feel?
Close the Lesson
Today we took a moment to be mindful and looked carefully at a picture. When can you pause to be mindful and use your senses later today?
Grade: 3-5
Time: 20 Minutes
What You'll Need
Resources
Materials
- Markers
- Poster Board or White Board
- Slideshow
Health Education Standards
- Standard 1: Core Concepts -Promote Mental and Emotional Health
- Standard 4: Interpersonal Communication
- Standard 5: Decision-Making
- Standard 7: Practice Health-Enhancing Behaviors
Social and Emotional Learning Competencies
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Management
- Responsible Decision-Making
Extend the Lesson
- Play Greetings from the fitGames series for kids to practice ways to be mindful when greeting one another.
- Read about Breathing Techniques to help your students relax and become more mindful of their choices.
- Read about how you can help kids be more mindful of their choices with the cue "Think fit. Be fit!"