Are you interested in mindfulness? What do you know about it?

When I think of mindfulness, the first thing coming to my mind is meditation. Then, what is meditation? Meditation is a “mental exercise that trains attention and awareness.” (Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/meditation)

I am not an expert on mindfulness or meditation, but I want to talk about it here because I believe mindfulness can be helpful for children in many ways. Not only for mental health but also in the aspect of academic learning.

What I often find in a preschool classroom is that some children have a real difficulty of focusing. You might want to say that they are still young and it is a natural thing. Yes, they are still young and that is not unnatural. But these preschoolers are going to go to the formal school in just one or two years and the ability to focus is one of the necessary skills to be successful in school.

In today’s world, children are surrounded by many distractions, just like adults. Children are used to having many toys in their room, being in a classroom that is full with activities already set up and having intense stimulations from screen time.

Overstimulation makes focusing hard.

I believe that blocking distractions and being able to focus on one thing to achieve one’s goal is not a skill that will suddenly and naturally emerge as children get older. I believe these are the skills that also need to be practiced and cultivated just like any other developmental skills from the preschool age.

And mindfulness activity can be used as a gentle start of practicing focusing.

Here is my list of mindfulness activities that you can try with your child.

Pretty easy, right? Being mindful can start with one small step.

If you want more detailed directions to try these activities or if you wonder how I would implement these to my day with students, download my “Introduction to Mindfulness for Children”. You will be well equipped to give your child a successful mindfulness day 🤓

Enjoy!

Missangela🎀