It’s normal for back-to-school anxiety to creep in as the summer days begin to count down. The unknown can be scary, as one wonders who their teacher will be, whether they will be with their friends, and what classroom they will be in. Children have had two months of late summer nights and carefree days. Soon, these lazy days at home will be replaced with the structure of school, and change can be challenging.
As a certified children’s yoga teacher, I strive to introduce mindfulness techniques to children at a young age. In times of change and anxiety, such as returning to school, simple mindfulness tools can be invaluable. Mindfulness is the act of putting all your awareness on one task at a time. Practicing it can help to calm the busy mind, which in turn soothes fears and anxieties. Mindfulness can be taught to all ages. Activities like stacking, coloring, and doing yoga poses can stimulate the art of calm.
If you’re interested in introducing mindfulness to your child as they head back to school, here are my top picks for kids’ resources to get started.
ABC Mindful Me – Book By Christiane Engel
If you’re unsure what mindfulness entails, this sweet little book will guide you with examples from A to Z. ABC Mindful Me is a book published by Scholastic Publishers. I most likely picked up the kids’ school book fair. Every letter of the alphabet presents an act of mindfulness or a word to reflect on.
I will use this book with children, selecting two or three letters at a time to discuss. Reading the entire 26 letters in one shot will defeat the idea of mindfulness, which involves concentrating on one thing at a time. ‘A’ is for ‘Awareness,’ and it’s where you can begin your child’s mindfulness journey. Talk about what ‘awareness’ means. ‘B’ is for ‘Breathing.’ The illustrations show children blowing bubbles, and in class, I would do the same with the children. Learning calming breathing strategies is a fantastic tool for calming back-to-school nerves. One of my favorite letters in the book is ‘T’ for ‘Thankfulness’. Ask your child what they are thankful for. Being grateful is an excellent tool to possess.
My Calming Strategies – Coloring Book By GenMindful.com
Generation Mindful is “dedicated to helping adults raise caring, confident, and resilient children through play-based social-emotional learning tools.” This website offers a wealth of resources to help children develop lifelong strategies for mental health and well-being. For teaching mindfulness to kids, I downloaded the My Calming Strategies coloring book. The digital download costs $1. The printables can be folded and personalized to create a little pocket-sized coloring book.
The cover of each book has a space for the child’s name and a picture, photo, or sticker to identify themselves. Within the pages are mindful suggestions for the child to refer to when they need a calming strategy. Some of the activities included are ‘squeeze a ball’, ‘ take three deep breaths’, ‘hug a stuffy,’ and ‘read a book.’ In yoga class, I will have kids create the book, read through the pages, and color the ones they may want to try. What I really like about this download is that it includes blank pages as well, so that in class, we can brainstorm more mindful strategies. Children can choose which ones they like and add them to their book by drawing the activity.
Mindful Kids – Card Deck By Little Renegades
These beautiful cards by ‘little renegades’ are available for purchase on Little Otter Health‘s website. The set was created to provide everyday mindful exercises for families to discover the ‘present moment’. 38 nature-inspired illustrations decorate each activity card. In words and art, they are such a lovely addition to my collection of children’s resources.
Depending on the theme of my class, I will often choose one or two activities from the Mindful Kids deck to do with the children. The exercises could be anything from a simple positive affirmation: “mighty moon: Close your eyes and breathe in. Exhale. Say out loud. ‘Just like the moon, I am enough'” to mindful movements: “teepee twist: Stand with your feet spread apart. Hands over head., Twist to the right. Twist to the left.” The cards are designed for children aged three and up, and I have used them with both school-aged kids and teenagers. If you are new to mindfulness, these would be great to have at home or in the classroom. You could let kids draw a card themselves, read together, and use the simple exercise to wind down at the end of the day.
Creative Reflections – Mindfulness Journal By Zendoodle
I love a good journal, and when it provides prompts, it’s even better. The Creative Reflections mindfulness journal features pages filled with journal prompts to guide your child in expressing themselves through writing. Author Aimee Chase inspires reflection and calm with her thought-provoking journal. I purchased this journal from Indigo Books in Canada, but it is also available on Amazon.
Of course, there are thousands of journals available, but I chose this one for children because each page features mindful coloring opposite the prompt, making it a two-for-one. I have used this journal personally, but will also photocopy a page here and there to give to my children. Some of my favorite prompts in the book for kids include, “What is the most generous thing someone has ever done for you?”, “What brings you joy?”, “What activity brings you a sense of peace?”, “Describe a time when you tried something new?” These prompts, in my opinion, provide just enough inspiration without being too complicated for children to work with. As the kids contemplate their writing, they can color the adjacent design.
Bunny Breaths – A Board Book By Kira Willey
In my article ‘Yoga for Kids: My Favorite Resources As A Children’s Yoga Instructor,’ I mentioned singer, author, and children’s yoga mentor Kira Willey. I use her books and music often in my yoga classes and library story time. Willey also has a ‘Mindfulness Moments for Kids’ collection from which I pulled ‘Bunny Breaths’. This board book is a lovely introduction to nostril breathing for the youngest of yogis. The whimsical illustrations by Anni Betts tell the story of a bunny as she uses her nose to sniff out a carrot.
I use bunny breaths to demonstrate a new yoga breath technique to families that can inspire calm. Sitting up nice and tall, as bunny does in the book, children are instructed to take three quick sniffs and then a long exhale. As bunny travels through the story looking for a carrot, sitting up tall and taking her quick nostril breaths, I will have the children do the same. It is an easy breathing technique parents can add to their repertoire. Also available in the Mindfulness Moments for Kids collection by Willey are ‘Breathe like a Bear’ and ‘Listen like an Elephant’.
Balancing Eagle – A Toy Available From Various Companies
Never has a toy I have brought to class elicited so much excitement, yet calm. I was given a balancing eagle during my Children’s Yoga Teacher Training, a prop we were encouraged to use to inspire stillness. The eagle has a weighted beak that finely balances the weight of the eagle’s wingspan and tail. The engineering of the toy allows the eagle to appear to float like magic.
In class, I invite the children to extend one finger as I place the tip of the eagle’s beak on the pad of that finger. Kids are reminded that it only works if they are still and standing strong and tall. The magic of the balancing eagle induces that mindfulness experience as they watch in awe. To extend the lesson, we will go into tree pose with the eagle, now encouraging not only mindfulness but balance. As we work with the eagle, we may try other body parts to see if we can get it to balance, such as a toe, a shoulder, or a nose. This is a super fun and effective resource to have in your toolkit.
Lindsay Braham – Website
Lindsay Braham is an illustrator and holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Her website is a treasure trove of mental health resources based on her artwork. She believes that we are all visual learners and that accessible mental health tools can help us take better care of ourselves. Braham creates visual resources for health care advocates, like me, as a certified yoga instructor. Visit her site to find artistic printables on emotions, trauma, and relationships.
I discovered this resource while searching for emotion worksheets for my tween and teenage children. I downloaded Kids Feeling Pizza Wheel for just $3.85. This mindful activity invites children to create a pizza of feelings using pepperoni. Each pepperoni slice is labelled with an emotion that can be colored and glued to the pizza. Kids can label their slices by more general emotions (i.e., mad, sad, calm) and then sort their pepperonis as to what emotional slice they think each feeling would fall under. The ‘mad’ slice may have pepperonis labelled ‘furious’ or ‘disgusted’. The pizza wheel is just one example of mental wellness and mindfulness printouts available on this resourceful site.
Curiously Calm With Curious George – Book By Dawn Huebner
“Mindfulness meets monkey business!” I love this catchphrase from the 2023 Curious George children’s book. Even silly George learns about mindfulness! The story is about comforting young readers that having big emotions is normal. George learns soothing and fun ways to cope and calm his emotions. When he makes a mistake, he can take special breaths or talk to someone he loves. When he is angry, he can go for a walk or play with a pet. All of these strategies are ideal for introducing children to simple mindfulness practices.
I just discovered this book at my library this month, so I have yet to actually put it into practice with children. I have read it myself and love that a notable book character like Curious George is telling a story about mindfulness. With a couple of kids’ yoga classes on the horizon and a story time planned at the library, I will bring this book out to read with the children.
Counselor Keri – Website
Keri Powers is a mental health counselor turned school counselor and curriculum writer. She is passionate about helping parents and educators to ignite social, emotional, and academic growth in children. Her website, Counselor Keri, is another amazing find, offering educational and socio-emotional resources to explore. When navigating her site, I discovered mindfulness tools when toggling over her ‘Blog’ tab. Some of the topics there include ‘how to set up a calm corner’, ‘making a mini zen garden’, ‘mindful morning routines and ‘worry distraction techniques’.
If you shop Counselor Keri’s e-resources, you can find so many lesson plans as a teacher and a parent. Downloads for stress management, ice-breakers, and resiliency skills are just a sampling. One of my favorite printables for kids’ yoga is called ‘The Tranquil Turtle‘. It tells the story of the calm sea turtle and how it carries its coping skills on its shell. I have the children color the turtle, and then write out their favorite calming tools on each section of its shell. The printable allows younger kids to also cut out the sections of the shell with pre-written calming strategies (ex., exercise, deep breathing, find a safe space) to paste on their turtle. The idea is that a child can return to their tranquil turtle to review their mindfulness tools whenever they need a refresh. I did this exercise with a group of young yogis just this month at summer camp.
Glow Kiddo Glow – Affirmation Card Deck
From a fellow Canadian girl and yoga teacher, Glow Kiddo Glow cards are one of my favorite affirmation decks to use for both kids and adults. Jillian Locke is a mother, kids yoga teacher, and creator of Glow Kiddo Glow. Locke’s mission through the Glow Kiddo Glow affirmation cards is to encourage, teach, and inspire children to ‘glow from within’ on their journey of self-discovery. She wants kids to celebrate their differences and fill each day with love and understanding.
I am partial to these cards, of course, because they are Canadian-made; however, I promise you the quality and artwork are outstanding. I have many kids’ affirmation decks in my collection, but I love how these are whimsical yet simplistic. I will often shuffle the deck for my wee yogis and let them choose a card at the end of each class. They can read aloud to the rest of the kids or keep to themselves. Each affirmation is clear, simple, and relatable to children of all ages, making it easy for them to express their feelings. The deck includes 29 lovely designs, including affirmations such as “I am Unique”, ” I am Talented”, “I am Courageous”, and ” I am Beautiful”. I think drawing affirmation cards is an easy, mindful routine for families to adopt.
Marvin the Mindful Marmot – Picture Book
Written by children’s yoga teacher, elementary school teacher, and founder of “Mindful Me,” Sherry-Lynne Kirschner, Marvin the Mindful Marmot is a story about identifying and managing feelings. Marvin struggles to control his emotions when he becomes upset. His explosive whistles send all his friends hiding for cover. His animal friends and family have some great ideas, such as creating a peace corner or lying quietly on a rock, but Marvin isn’t convinced. This sweet picture book offers a range of mindful exercises and techniques that families can explore alongside Marvin.
Kirschner lives in Canada and has been working for many years as a children’s mindfulness educator using her love and appreciation of animals. The British Columbia marmot is an endangered species, so she purposely used this character to bring mindful awareness to our threatened animals. I own this book and, since doing this article, have discovered there are two more books available in the ‘Mindful Mates’ series. Kirschner often brings children and animals together in her mindfulness programs. Time spent caring for and cuddling with our pets, or visiting a farm, is a fantastic way to inspire mindful moments.
Mindful Kids – Card Deck By Whitney Stewart
When I was a representative for Barefoot Books during the pandemic, the Mindful Kids activity card deck was published and was extremely popular. It was an incredible tool for calming worried minds as we were faced with the unknowns of COVID-19. I sold several copies of the 50-card deck to fellow parents and educators, all looking to bring mindful moments to their homes, online classrooms, or homeschooling groups. Whitney Stewart is a renowned writer, traveler, speaker, and mindfulness teacher for children.
Mindful Kids includes 50 activities to inspire calm, kindness, and mindfulness. Another resource that can easily be added to a child’s daily routine at home or in the classroom to incorporate mindful moments. I typically select a card from the deck before a class to discuss with the children. The cards comprise easy-to-follow games, meditations, yoga poses, and other mindful activities. I have used this card deck many times to try to inspire children to use these techniques at home. Some of my favorites in the deck include ‘Rooted like a Tree’, ‘ Love and Kindness Meditation’, ‘Bubble Breaths’, and ‘Joyful Jellyfish’. On the reverse side of each card are simple instructions on how to do the activity with your child. I should add that I love these cards because of the inclusiveness in the artwork. All kids will see themselves represented in the card deck.
4 In A Box Mindfulness Puzzle – Set By Mudpuppy
One of my mindful pleasures is doing puzzles. I am currently working on a 1000 summer beach scene. I find it very relaxing and will work on them 10 to 20 minutes at a time whenever I have a spare moment. As a child, my mother would often tell me to do puzzles over and over. I tended to be anxious, so I imagine even then, puzzling was my way to calm my brain and focus on one thing at a time. You can imagine how thrilled my nerdy yoga soul was when I came across Mudpuppy’s Mindfulness puzzle set.
The set includes four puzzles, suitable for ages two and up, that gradually become more challenging. The puzzles start with four pieces and then progress to 6, 9, and 12 pieces. I love the artwork…raccoons meditating, mice having tea, bunnies blowing bubbles, and crocodiles star gazing. All simple mindfulness practices that are discussed in the booklet, which is included in the set. In my kids’ yoga classes, I often bring mindful activities to do, in addition to the physical yoga poses. These include coloring, journaling, stacking toys, and even puzzles, thanks to this adorable set.
Goldminds – App
If it’s the bedtime routine you need to get on track, the Goldminds app may be the right mindfulness resource for you. The app delivers ‘mindfully-infused’ bedtime stories to help children relax into sleep. As a mother of four, I know how chaotic and exhausting bedtime can be with babies and toddlers. I would have loved this app when the kids were younger.
Although I have not used the Goldminds application, I did have the opportunity to meet the creator, Cynthia Arscott, during the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, Arscott was teaching virtual mindfulness classes for children through her Goldminds brand. I had registered my two middle girls for a journaling and drawing class while we were in complete lockdown. Arscott was lovely. She was amazing at connecting with the kids, even online. Her gentle spirit and knowledgeable mind are the perfect inspiration for welcoming mindfulness into your home.
There is still time this summer to start new routines before the back-to-school season arrives. I hope this list inspires you to make these new routines mindful. Drawing a positive affirmation card before bed from a deck you and your child pick out yourselves. Consider starting your day with some yoga stretches or purchasing a new journal for an older child that can serve as an outlet for their feelings. Simple actions and changes can help a child adopt mindfulness tools that resonate with them, and they will carry these into their teenage years and adulthood. I love introducing mindfulness to children of all ages. Even in my adult classes, I incorporate a nugget of mindfulness; it is never too late to start being more aware. If you are interested in some of my favorite family yoga resources, you can find them here. Good luck to all parents and kiddos as you navigate back-to-school!
