How to Be Mindful at Home

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. Print the Mindful Moments cards and  fitFlow yoga cards to practice mindfulness with your students.

Explain to students that they can use their breath to overcome frustration. Model the figure-8 breathing. Trace a figure-8 in the air, inhaling on one side, then exhaling as you move to the other side. Repeat several times.

To use this with your students click here.

Mindful at Home

Use the slideshow to guide a class discussion about times students feel frustrated, both at school and at home.

At school it may be trying to do something new and not succeeding. At home it might be when they are told it’s their bedtime and they want to finish what they are doing.

How to Be Mindful at Home

Explain to students that they can be mindful at school—and when they are at home too! For example, they can use their senses when trying a new food, doing mindful breathing to relax or calm down, or doing a body scan when they can’t fall asleep.

Check for Understanding: What can you do to be mindful at home? (Students give examples of purposefully paying attention to breathing, feelings, senses, or actions in the present moment.)

What mindful choices can kids make at home?

Encourage students to take a set of Mindful Moments cards home and practice mindful activities.

Students turn to a partner and talk about when and where they will choose a Mindful Moment card.