Christmas Mindfulness

Christmas is a stressful time for children and adults. The build up towards the BIG day is exciting and chaotic; so many colours, twinkling lights and sounds fill our environment! Our routines are disrupted and we can all get overwhelmed.

Here are some ideas that can help you to continue to develop Mindfulness that can lead to a quieter, calmer December!

Mindful Positivity

Mindful Christmas Chain
Put a twist on the Advent Calendar! Each day, give each child a link for a Christmas Chain and write one positive thing that had happened that day, decorate it and add it to the ever expanding Christmas Chain. Encourage the children to tell their parents about their Chain link each day (or have them make two chain links and send one home to make a chain at home) and watch positivity about school spiral up in the run-up to Christmas.

Mindful Meditation

Christmas Star Meditation

Breathing is one of the most natural things a person can do and an automatic reflex that is hard wired in our brains. How many times have you heard someone say, “Breathe!”, when someone is upset? What about a deep sigh when one is frustrated. It is purely natural reflex which helps us relax.
This Christmas Star Breathing adds a Christmas focus to a simple Mindfulness strategy.

First, get children decorate their own Christmas star for meditation.

Once complete, have the children place it near where they work. They trace the star and Inhale, hold at the point, exhale and keep going until you’ve gone around the whole star.

Christmas Meditation Music
Playing low music in the background as the children transition to a new activity or as they work diligently on their maths problems and writing, is a way to support behaviour management in the classroom while also supporting children’s learning. Here are some nice Christmas meditation music that allows for a calm, mindful Christmas atmosphere.

https://youtu.be/r-K1t8AZVyI
https://youtu.be/5_2OT7n_V0I
https://youtu.be/fl_XBFfeyh4
https://youtu.be/Uwx3puPyMdA

Christmas Mind Bottle

Create and use Christmas themed Mind Jars. Instructions for making and using the bottles can be found here: https://educationsvoice.wordpress.com/2016/02/23/mindfulness-in-the-classroom-mind-jar-meditation/ use Christmas themed glitter, sequins and colours to go with the season.

Mindful Gratitude
Gratitude is a fundamental feature of Mindfulness. We are able to change synapsis in the hypothalamus which controls emotion by waddling in our thankfulness.

Gratitude Christmas Tree
Decorate a tree or your class with the things you are grateful for. Your class can draw people, experiences, or things they are grateful for on small Christmas shapes. Then add them to your class decorations. The tree and decorations can act as a daily reminder of things that they are thankful for.
https://mothersniche.com/gratitude-lights-for-christmas-free-printables/ (Christmas lights decorations)

Thank you Cards

Create a selection of Thank You cards to take home over the holidays. Their homework is to complete with a message of thankfulness for gifts and time spent together with family and friends and given to them.
https://www.thebalance.com/free-printable-christmas-thank-you-cards-1356274 (free printable thank you cards/notes)
https://teachingmama.org/christmas-thank-you-cards-kids-can-make/ (Hand-made thank you card ideas)

Christmas Yoga

Christmas Yoga  helps us to recent research, relax and refocus. These yoga poses can be done in class with no extra space. Use it at the start or end of lessons as a transition in lessons or times of the day.

Christmas Tree pose
Children are to:
* Stand up straight and tall. Breathe in and out and feel your feet rooting into the floor. Keeping their eyes focused on one spot.
* They then need to lift up one leg by bending at the knee and placing that foot on the ankle or calf of the other leg.
* Have them Inhale and exhale while in tree pose and imagining they are being covered in decorations or snow.
* Then they lift their arms in the air. Try to hold for 3 slow deep breaths.
* Slowly place your foot back on the ground and repeat on the other side.

Christmas Gift pose
This is a variation on child’s pose.
Have children:
* Curl into a ball , keeping legs and feet underneath the body and feet on the floor.
* Are to focus on breathing in and out slowly, feeling the breath move into the ribs and the back of the body.
* After a few quiet breaths, get the children to slowly rise up on their knees as if the gift is being unwrapped and revealed.

Star pose
Have children:
Get in a full body stretch and feel energized.
* Stand with legs wide apart and stretch your arms out wide, making a star shape. Relax the neck and shoulders and breathe slowly and deeply. Hold for 5 slow deep breaths.

Education’s Voice wish you, your class and your family a mindful Christmas!

Find more mindfulness strategies on www.educationsvoice.wordpress.com and in the Bloomsbury book, 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Mindfulness in the Classroom by Tammie Prince ( Bloomsbury Link, Amazon Link )

November 28, 2021 0

#WeekOfGratitude2021

#WeekOfGratitude2021 is a five day activity to help yourself and your children mindfully focus on the good things in life.

We have been doing this for several years and each year it adds a great focus before the Christmas season begins.

However, this can be done at any time of the year to bring peace, harmony and thankfulness to classroom or family life.

Each day has a different focus.

#WeekOfGratitude

Memory Monday

Thoughtful Tuesday

Whimsical Wednesday

Thankful Thursday

Family Friday

We invite you to join us and share your success with me below, on Twitter or on our Facebook page, Education’s Voice! Use the hashtag #WeekOfGratitude2021.

November 18, 2021 0

Autumn Mindfulness for Children

Autumn is an amazing season. The crisp, cool air, the fluttering of leaves falling to the ground and the smell of nature changing as it prepares for winter. Appreciating the world around us allows for a deepening of our mindfulness practice and no one does it better than children. Why not celebrate this change with some of these Autumn filled Mindfulness ideas?

Leaf Meditation Find a place where your class can have a few minutes of quiet space; maybe it is in your school’s nature area, in a local park, a walk through some woodlands or, if all else fails, the classroom with access to lots of newly fallen leaves. Have the children: – Pick up the leaf and lay it in your hands. – Notice the colours, the different in shades of colours and fading of one colour to another colour. – Notice the veins in the leaf, the main stem, the edges of the leaf. – Feel the leaf. Run their fingers over the top and bottom; along the edges. Notice the differences. Rub it against their face or over the top of their hand. Use nerve endings that normally are not used to feel objects. Notice the difference. – Smell the leaf. Note the scent. Inhale deeply and notice the memories it may bring up. Have them close their eyes and take a minute to breathe deeply and allow themselves to be in awe and wonder of the moment they have had with the leaf.

Autumn Nature Walk Take the children on a nature walk. While on the walk, periodically have the children stop and notice one object (flower, stone, stick, leaf, etc) or sound (bird chirping, water trickling, car passing, etc) and spend a few moments appreciating that one moment. Repeat several times. When they get back to class, have them recreate their walk through drawings or doodles while listening to soothing Autumn themed meditation Music. ( https://youtu.be/w0szAwgybZs )

Walking Labyrinths Create Walking Labyrinths using leaves, stick, pine cones, etc for children to walk. How to do a Walking Labyrinth Meditation? 1. Take deep breaths to begin to relax and focus on the entrance to the labyrinth. 2. Children are to slowly walk the path of the labyrinth, focusing on one step at a time taking a deep breath on each step. Once at the centre of the labyrinth, they turn around and return to the entrance. 3. When they are finished, have them sit back, breathe deeply and relax. Observe how you are feeling again.

PlayDough Mindfulness Have children make their own Play Dough adding Autumn themed spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, all spice or pumpkin spice to enhance the smell. Use the Play Dough to create a nature mandala. Find the instructions for making the playdough and creating the mandalas here.

Autumn Meditation Music Set the scene in the Classroom by using Autumn Meditation music like this one: https://youtu.be/w0szAwgybZs . It mixes nice calm music with the sounds of nature. It is useful to use during transition periods, writing or handwriting periods. Happy Autumn everyone!

Find more mindfulness strategies for children and adults here: www.educationsvoice.wordpress.com or for more ideas for teachers, 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Mindfulness In The Classroom published by Bloomsbury or 50 Fantastic Ideas for Mindfulness published by Featherstone which is part of the Early Years Series.

September 12, 2021 0

5 Minute Mindfulness

As a new school year begins in what we know will be a challenging year following a challenging summer term, we are all keen to support the mental health and well being of our children and staff.

One way to support our school community is to develop mindfulness for all. Mindfulness skills are a number of strategies that allow the person to shift focus to the present and take control of how they react. The strategies are not a one size fits all. What will work for one person may not work for another person.

I had this in mind, as well as the lack of time teachers have in the classroom, when I put together the 5 Minute Mindfulness Calendar for the first part of Autumn Term for my school. The calendar, along with 5 minute videos teach basic mindfulness strategies to use in the classroom for both staff and class to learn and practice the strategies together everyday.

I know that many schools and teachers may find this useful and I want to share.

Here is the calendar I made for my school. However, there is no real need to start or finish on the same days I have on the calendar. The videos, which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp3WNwYP2umKrBYZ9Wn7ViFp9fUazpy_f , are identified as Day 1, Day 2, etc. (Be patient in the beginning as I will upload over the next few days and weeks.) So, as long as you follow the day sequence, all is well.

The strategies do not need any resources besides the video except for one.

I am happy for you to share this resource and videos and hope that it can support positive mental health and well being in your school.

I only ask that you feed back to me about how it is working for you, your class or your school.

Have a great school year everyone!

September 2, 2020 0

Day 28- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

The feel of sand beneath your feet, the sound of waves crashing on the beach, the smell of sea water in the air and the sight of the sun rising and setting in the blue sky. What more could you want from a place to relax and recharge?

In research published by Health & Place , subjects living along the coastal regions reported better health and well-being.

Richard Shuster, PsyD, clinical psychologist says, “The color blue has been found by an overwhelming amount of people to be associated with feelings of calm and peace. Staring at the ocean actually changes our brain waves’ frequency and puts us into a mild meditative state.”

He goes on to say that the rhythmic sound of the crashing waves kind of de-stimulates our brains. The noises combined with the visuals, activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is, as Shuster says in his podcast on The Daily Helping , “responsible for slowing us down and allowing us to relax and feel more engaged.”

In addition, the simple act of touching the sand makes you feel happy and relaxed. “The physical sensation of putting your feet in warm sand causes people to relax,” says Shuster.

This is great if you live by the sea and if you have time to get to the seaside. But, most of us, at this moment in time, do not have that capability and may not have that capability for some time.

So, how can we use mindfulness to virtually get us to the seaside?

Visual Meditations: play videos of beaches and waves crashing on the shore.

Focus children on the rhythm of the waves, the sound of the sea and the sky around it. Reminding them to take long Mindful breaths and allowing all worries to drift along like a cloud.

For a few moments, instruct them to close their eyes and imagine they are on that beach, with their toes in the sand and a warm breeze on their face.

Here are some ocean Meditations that would be good for children and adults:
Morning Meditation Ocean Sunrise – https://youtu.be/UpXMeZuWWR0
Misty Beach Ocean Waves – https://youtu.be/E7qRkUYu580
Nice Ocean Waves – https://youtu.be/V-_O7nl0Ii0
One Moment Ocean Meditation – https://youtu.be/RlOZ02HgAnE
Meditation on the Beach – https://youtu.be/jJkEiw6Gh0U

Don’t forget to share your child’s mindfulmoment and successes by using the hashtag #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge in the comments, on Twitter @Ed_Tmprince or on Facebook at Education’s Voice – Mindfulness ( https://www.facebook.com/educationsvoice/ ).

April 24, 2020 0

Day 27- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Mindfulness is about allowing yourself to be in the moment. It is allowing yourself to accept this moment without judgement and wallow in the present.

When we are teaching children the important life skill of mindfulness, we should endeavour to show children that mindful moments are all around them and that, with a little consideration, can help them to relax and joy life more fully.

Something that we know brings joy to many people is the act of singing and, with it part of the curriculum, this is another way to bring mindfulness to the forefront in an integrated way.

Singing is made up of deep breaths and long exhales which is natural calming strategy. We also know that music itself can have meditative properties. Thus, with just a little tweaking, we can also develop a mindful technique that can calm and relax children while also bringing joy. Many people sing when they are happy. With the right songs, they can make you happy when you are sad.

How to do Mindful Singing:

– Begin by having children sit up comfortably with their hands in their laps. Then have them take three deep belly breaths bringing their attention to their breath.

– Explain to children that while they are singing to ensure nice, deep breaths are taken and focus on how the sound vibrates through their bodies as they sing. How does the sound feel in your mouth? Against your tongue? In your throat? In your chest? How does singing make you feel emotionally?

The key is to bring awareness to the moment of signing and bask in the joy of the sound without judgement.

Some mindful songs for children that reinforces mindfulness can be found here, http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL76Tcrfnqwv4br4i_TG6Z9LlEp0L545tr

April 23, 2020 0

Day 25- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Today, is a simple mindfulness strategy that helps with mindful focus; The Hand Exercise. Items you need are simple. You just need your hands.

⁃ First, have children find a comfortable sitting or lying down position.

⁃ Get them to take a few deep mindful breaths to help them relax.

⁃ Then, have them hold their hands tightly for about 10 seconds, squeezing tightly and release them slowly.

⁃ Now, get your child to focus on how their hands feel; staying focused for as long as you can or until the feeling goes away.

⁃ Repeat 5 times

⁃ End with a few deep mindful breaths and proceed with your day.

If they find themselves becoming anxious during the day, have them have a mindful break and repeat this strategy to help them find peace in your day.

April 21, 2020 0

Day 24- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Mindful focus is a way of allowing your mind to be in the present and allows children to capitalise on their own innate sense of awe and wonder.

While in your garden or out on your daily walk, have each of your children (and you) collect a leaf. It can be a leaf that has fallen from a tree/plant or one still on a tree/plant.

Once home, have each child find a space where they can have five uninterrupted minutes with their leaf.

Leaf Meditation

Direct them to do the following:

– Pick up the leaf and lay it in your hands.

– Notice the colours, the different in shades of colours and fading of one colour to another colour.

– Notice the veins in the leaf, the main stem, the edges of the leaf.

– Feel the leaf. Run your fingers over the top and bottom; along the edges. Notice the differences. Rub it against your face or over the top of your hand. Use nerve endings that normally are not used to feel objects. Notice the difference.

– Smell the leaf. Note the scent. Inhale deeply and notice the memories it may bring up.

Close your eyes and take a minute to breathe deeply and allow yourself to be in awe and wonder of the moment you have had with the leaf.

Proceed with a new found calmness and appreciation.

April 20, 2020 0

Day 23- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

I am sure your children are as tired of hearing “Wash your hands!” as much as mine is. However, you can use hand washing as a mindful focus to support mindfulness development.

Many psychologists believe that our emotions begin with a physical sensation, positive or negative. When we focus on positive sensations that are calming, we can emotionally become calm.

Today, our mindfulness practice will focus on positive physical sensations to mindfully be in the moment and anchor us in the present.

Washing Hands Meditation

When we wash our hands in warm water, it opens the blood vessels and tricks your brain out of a stressful state.

– When your child goes to wash their hands, have them be mindful of the sensation of the water and soap as they rub their palms, between their fingers and on top of your hands. Get them to breathe deeply allowing their breathing enhance the feel of water and soap.

Ask them the following questions:

– How does this moment feel?

– How is it making the rest of your body feel?

Repeat every time they wash their hands today.

April 19, 2020 0

Day 22- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

As I am writing this blog I can hear the tv in the background and character 1 is telling character 2 that the key to stress management is to completely immerse oneself into an activity that engages the mind on something different that the stress that one is having. This reminded me of one of my favourite mindfulness strategies, Mindful Doodling.

The goal of Mindful Doodling is to fully engage with your doodles in a meditative way. It requires slowing down, focusing on the paper and pen and doodling repeatively with full intent. Thus, you become present in the moment.

Thus, mindful doodling:

focuses the mind
calms the body and mind
relieves stress
encourages relaxation
increases your sense of wellbeing
replaces negative or bored habits
allows you to be present and aware

Materials:

– markers, pens, pencil colours or crayons

– plain paper

How to do Mindful Doodling?

You don’t need to have any drawing skills for this to work. (This is a good point as I DO NOT have good drawing skills!) There really isn’t any right or wrong way to mindfully doodle. It is not about the end result but about the process that is being taken.

1- Draw, by freehand, a border around the outer edge.
2- In this step you can do one of three things:
Draw a string inside your border. ( A string is a simple curved line/squiggle that will lend structure to your design as your pattern will emerge accordingly from the contours of the string. The string divides the border into sections.)
Draw straight or angled lines free hand within the border dividing the area into smaller sections.
Choose a corner of the border and begin step 3.
3- Start creating your doodle with patterns drawn with a pen or marker along the contours of the string, lines or border. Allow the pattern to reveal itself naturally.

There is no right or wrong. You can use very simple shapes, lines, dots, squiggles and more. Shade as you desire and be mindful of and deliberate with each stroke.
Keep going until you are finished. You will know when this is.

Enjoy your creation!

Remember: There are NO mistakes. So, no erasing is allowed. Embrace the mark you have made and use it to continue your meditative journey of mindfully doodling.

Top Tips:

– You can use any size paper you desire. It can be as small as a post it note or as large as a poster. It is up to you. However, I suggest that in the beginning you start on a smaller sheet as you get the hang of this mindfulness activity.
-The finer the points of the pens/markers, the finer the detail will be in the doodles.

April 18, 2020 0

Day 20- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Developing mindfulness has a lot to do with shifting of perspectives. We have some deeply laid neuropathways that allow us to fall into a habit of reactions. We don’t even realise we are reacting; we just do it. Those automatic responses more deeply ingrain responses; many which are negative or destructive to our own health and well-being.

In times of high stress, such as what is happening around the world right now, a vicious cycle can put you on edge and creates reactions devoid of all mindfulness.

You need to focus on changing that perspective and challenging your response

So, if the day is starting to get on top of you and the children, try this quick and easy strategy.

10 Second Mindfulness- STOP

This is a simple but effective strategy to refocus our attention.

S– Stop what you are doing.

T– Take a deep breathe. Breathe in for a count of 5, hold for a count of one and exhale for a count of 8.

O– Observe what is happening around you at this moment.

P– Proceed with what you were doing.

Do this as often as you need during the day. Those few mindful moments can change your reaction to what is happening around you and your children leading to a better positive response that changes the course of events.

You may want to make a few copies of STOP signs and put it in key places as a gentle reminder for giving yourself and your children a mindful moment.

April 16, 2020 0

Day 19- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

On average, children smile over 400 times a day and happy adults smile 40-50 times a day. It’s been proven that smiling reduces stress and stimulates the brain’s reward mechanisms.

Children tend to mirror what they see in their role models. In these worrying times, we need to be conscious of what we are modelling to our children.

Mindful Smiling

Ask your child, “What is a smile?”. Take time to discuss their thoughts.
Invite them to look into a mirror and explore their smile.
Use questions to prompt their exploration: “How does your face feel when you smile?”, How does your body feel when you smile?”, “How do others look when they smile?” and “ How does the smiles of others make you feel?”
Set a smiling challenge. Every time they see someone smiling, they put a token in the Smiling Jar. If your family reaches a given target, everyone gets a small treat.

April 15, 2020 0

Day 17- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Tower Building is like a mini-meditation. It gives children the opportunity to be quiet, think and focus just on what they are doing. Their silent fixed attention is fully in the moment of balancing the objects.

Materials required:
– A collection of objects of different sizes, these can be stones, blocks, books, boxes, etc. Ensure that a large amount have some flatness on each side. But also include a variety of colours and roundness.

– Set the challenge:
“How many stones can you use to make a tower?”

– A place to do the building

– Optional: a camera so the child can take a picture of their tower or paper and pencils so they can make a sketch of their finished tower.

April 13, 2020 0

Day 14- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Our sense of touch is an important sense that can be overlooked due to the high demand we have on this sense. We process millions of sensations through touch every day.

Today, we will focus on our sense of touch by paying special attention to it for a specific point in time and truly noticing what you physically feel as you touch items through the day.

– At the beginning of the day, discuss what they are already noticing as they look around. Then, decide to notice that on a given signal. (This could be the ringing of a bell, code word, etc.)

– Have children take a minute to notice.

– Guide them by asking them questions:
-Have you noticed something or someone you have never noticed before?
-How many different things are you noticing? (I always surprise myself when I buy a new car and all of a sudden you notice that car EVERYWHERE!)

– Have the children make a mental note about this #mindfulmoment and congratulate themselves for being in the present and proceed with their learning/work.

April 11, 2020 0

Day 13- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Over the last few days we have taken time to focus on our senses. These mindful moments allow us to be in the present and appreciate what is happening around us.

Have your children begun to notice things they never noticed before?

Today, we will focus on our sense of hearing.

– At the beginning of the day, discuss what they are already noticing as they look around. Then, decide to notice that on a given signal. (This could be the ringing of a bell, code word, etc.)

– Have children take a minute to notice.

– Have the children make a mental note about this #mindfulmoment and congratulate themselves for being in the present and proceed with their learning/work.

April 10, 2020 0