Calm mindfulness for kids: Activities to help you learn to live in the moment by Wynne Kinder
Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN 9780241342299.
(Age: 8-12) Highly recommended. Themes: Mindfulness. Kindness.
Emotional wellbeing. Wynne Kinder brings her comprehensive
experience in mindfulness education and creating digital content for
the brain breaks program GoNoodle
to this Dorling Kindersley information book. Calm mindfulness
for kids is beautifully presented with photographs of children
engaged in calming and distressing activities. Presented in six
chapters, educators and children can delve in to the sections -
Focus, Calm, Move, Change, Care, and Reflect. They are guided
through each chapter, through the distressing, learning calm breath,
sensory experiences, caring for themselves and collaborating with
others.
Mindfulness is a key tool which underpins classroom harmony,
promotes positive energy and helps support children developing
positive emotional health. There are colourful circles placed
throughout to help grownups support and explain the activities. In
'Bubbles of kindness' there is an easy-to-follow exercise with the
ingredients listed, bubble mix and twisted pipe-cleaners. Adults can
help the child focus on sending kind bubble thoughts to their
friends and those they find difficult to relate with.
'Reflecting is a way to turn an experience into wisdom.' By making a
gratitude paper chain, siblings, families, classes and teams can
write something they are grateful for on individual strips of
coloured paper, then build a chain to decorate their home or
classroom. A mindful body begins with eyes closed focussing on
breathing and quietly stilling the body. Each activity boosts
self-confidence and builds esteem. They are malleable enough to suit
the individual child's flexibility and levels of understanding.
Calm mindfulness for kids is an excellent resource for
teachers supporting students developing their personal and social
capabilities. Kinder illustrates that promoting children's positive
wellbeing can be achieved in short sessions, without expensive tools
and is inclusive for all. For families, this is a wonderful tool to
promote a well-grounded sense of self-knowledge and self-confidence,
great for parents and children
Rhyllis Bignell