A quiet time to be calm, relax is very important for young children. Their days are so busy and full, having time to be mindful, relax, breathe, and slow down is very important to helping them refocus and not feel overstimulated or overwhelmed. Having this as part of the daily routine in a quiet corner or designated space with specific items that are associated with this time helps young children get into the habit of taking a few minutes to relax, breathe deeply, and be mindful.
It also helps them get more quality enjoyment out of their next play activity when they have had a few minutes to calm down, and then focus and think about their next play choices.
Here is a fun mindfulness idea I developed with preschoolers that they can participate in as well.
Playing soft relaxing music, we began with a short picture story book from off our bookshelf, anything that was calming, fanciful but relevant to their current interests.
After the story, I asked them to close their eyes, and take some deep breaths. Then, I made a wish relevant to something from the story like, ‘I wish I had a flying horse. I’d ride on its back and we’d fly across the sky and into the rainbow’.
Then I’d ask if any of them had a wish too and lots of hands would go up. I’d make a note of which hands went up, then I’d ask them to close their eyes and listen as their friends were making their wish and imagine that wish.
For children who were a little quiet or shy, I might repeat what they said to ensure all were able to hear it and then say something like, ‘Now, let’s imagine Annie’s wish of riding in flying car together with her’. This helps them develop the social skills of waiting for their turn, and listening to others speak. Sometimes I’d invite more details from the child such as, ‘What colour is your flying car?’
For artistic young ones, an art activity can quite naturally follow after this type of mindfulness activity of drawing their wishes and talking more about them.