As counseling providers know, mindfulness creates real benefits for our bodies, minds, and relationships! These benefits are of course not limited to adults, and schools all over the country are recognizing the ways in which mindfulness can positively impact the school environment, grades, and behavior. If you’re looking for an easy school counseling mindfulness activity for kids to get started, grab some bubbles and give this one a try!
Easy School Counseling Mindfulness Activity for Kids
I love teaching mindfulness at the elementary level, as it increases self-regulation, reflection, and even compassion. I wanted to share one of my favorite methods of teaching mindful breathing, particularly to early elementary students. We call this “Be the Bubble Breathing” or “Bubble Breathing” for short.
Supplies
Bubbles and bubble wands, a quiet space, and willingness to try new things! Blow a few bubbles through the wand, asking students to watch how the bubbles fill and float away.
Instructions for Students
-Imagine that you are a bubble. As you breathe in, focus on your body being filled with air, just like a bubble is filled as you blow through a bubble wand.
-As you blow out your breath, feel your body relax, letting your thoughts about the past and future float away, just like a bubble floats.
-Focus simply on your present feelings and thoughts about the current moment.
Repeat several times and debrief! Find out what the experience was like for your students, how their bodies felt, what it was like to focus only on the present and let the past and future float away. You may also choose to let students blow bubbles afterward – who doesn’t love blowing bubbles?! Encourage them to watch the bubbles and continue focusing on the feeling of filling their lungs with air to blow the bubbles and letting it go as they blow.
What’s your favorite easy mindfulness activity for kids? Let me know in the comments section below!
Need school counseling mindfulness activities for your students right away? You’ll love these:
School Counseling Mindfulness Activities
For more information on mindfulness, check out the Greater Good Science Center from University of California, Berkeley.
This seems like a really awesome activity. I am going to be teaching some elementary children for some time, and I'll definitely try it out with them.
This seems like a really awesome activity. I am going to be teaching some elementary children for some time, and I'll definitely try it out with them.
This seems like a really awesome activity. I am going to be teaching some elementary children for some time, and I'll definitely try it out with them.