I love meditation. A diligent practice of meditation made a huge shift in my life, I feel happier, lighter, more full of hope. If you are interested in that story, you can learn all about my own meditation journey in my course. Since meditation and mindfulness had such a profound impact on my life, I want to make it a part of our family culture. I want our kids to grow up in it, to be immersed in the peace, stillness, and joy that comes from living in the present moment. Today I want to share five of my all time favorite resources that we use in our home to learn about and practice meditation, mindfulness, and being in the present moment with our children.
Before we dive into the resources, I just want to quickly say that I don't think we need to teach kids mindfulness and presence in the same way I would go about learning it as an adult. I think adults need to learn to return to mindfulness and presence, but kids are pretty good at living in that state most of the time. So as I teach my girls about mindfulness and presence, it is more of a reminder of who they naturally are, rather than showing them how to do something differently.
Okay here are my 5 favorite resources for teaching kids about mindfulness.
Books
1 | I Am Peace : A Book of Mindfulness By Susan Verde - This book is beautifully illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. It is colorful and vibrant while also simple and peaceful. It teaches how we can sometimes feel overwhelmed by life, but there are tools that can help us stay calm and come back to peace. It is written in a way that when I read it out loud I feel a sense of peace, there is not need to rush through any part of it. We read it slowly, and soak in the words. I love this book and would certainly recommend it.
2 | Om the Otter By Parvati Shallow, Beth Cooper, Rachel Robinson, and Paula Van Loan - I think the most beautiful part of this book is that it teaches us to be able to just sit and be with people that are having a hard time. So often I want to solve problems and help people be happy, but sometimes all people need is us to just be with them and give them love while they are struggling. This book shows us that it is okay to just be there for someone and not have to solve everything. It also teaches how you can take deep breaths in times of need.
Cards
3 | Mindful Kids - This deck of cards has a huge variety of meditations that are made specifically for children. They use play and imagination to bring kids to stillness and peace. There are morning meditations, evening meditation, meditations while moving, etc. I really love using this deck of cards and plan on incorporating it into our daily homeschool routine in the fall.
4 | Yoga Pretzels - Much like the mindful kids card deck, this deck of cards has a huge variety of yoga positions. They are divided into categories as well, like balance poses, standing poses, partner poses, etc. Yoga is a great way to teach being present and being present in your body. As you move you have to be mindful of your body and it's position. I love doing these poses with my girls and plan on incorporating yoga poses into our daily homeschool routine in the fall as well.
Videos
5 | Cosmic Kids Yoga - This channel on youtube is just one of my favorite channels ever. The host takes kids through a story (many of the stories are well known like Frozen & Moana or The Very Hungry Caterpillar and We're Going on A Bear Hunt). Throughout the story she has the kids move into different yoga poses that go along with what is happening. I just think it is brilliant. And my 5 year old loves it. It gets her moving but I think it is also really high quality and lovely entertainment as well.
Okay those are my 5 brilliant mindfulness resources for children. Am I missing anything? I'm sure I am, there are so many wonderful resources out there. Let me know in the comments below if you have used anything in your home that has been a wonderful way to teach your children about mindfulness.
Mallory
One of the best ways to teach mindfulness to our children, is to practice mindfulness in our lives. When we are mindful and present with them, they learn to be mindful and present as well. One of the best ways to practices mindfulness and presence is through a personal meditation practice. If you want to learn how to create and incorporate a meditation practice into your life that is perfect for you, I invite you to join my Introduction to Meditation Course. In this course you will learn about the benefits of meditation, how meditation works, and how you can create a perfect personal practice of meditation for your own life.
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