Lesson
Help kids learn how to practice mindfulness at home.
The lessons in this unit help kids understand and practice mindfulness. 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. You can vary the ways your students practice being mindful each day. Some of the many fit resources available for daily mindfulness practice include:
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 throughout their day—at both school and home! For example, they can use their senses when trying a new food, do mindful breathing to relax or calm down, or a tense and relax exercise when they want to relax or 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 practice being mindful by choosing a Mindful Moment card.
Grade: K-2
Time: 20 Minutes
Teach kids to think about making healthy choices and the importance of doing so.
Start LessonEncourage kids to stop and think about their moods and energy levels. This leads to healthier decision-making.
Start LessonTaking time to think about choices is important, we call this a choice-check.
Start LessonTeach kids to think about how their energy and mood affect their food and move choices.
Start LessonMaking healthy choices happens throughout our day. Teach kids to recognize these moments.
Start LessonShow kids how making healthy choices can cause a chain reaction of feeling good and making more healthy choices.
Start Lesson