Mindfulness in Kids with StoryMoment

Living in the moment is a skill that rewards us with a calm mind. How do we accomplish this state of mindfulness and, more importantly, how do we teach it to our children? I’m going to share some of my favorite ways to promote mindfulness in kids as well as exploring the benefits for children and families alike.
This post is sponsored by StoryMoment app but all opinions are my own. You can read more on my disclaimer page.

What is Mindfulness?

“Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present,” according to Psychology Today. It means taking control of your attention to regulate your focus toward curiosity, openness, and acceptance. This means being present in the moment and actively working to live in the moment.

How is Mindfulness in kids beneficial?

Promoting mindfulness in kids helps them to learn to be conscious of their actions, words, and feelings.

Promote Mindfulness in Kids with StoryMoment

StoryMoment is a great way for parents to start to promote the practice of mindfulness in children by listening to stories, breathing practices, Mini-Meditation practices, and open-ended questions to contemplate together. Listening to this app helps us to slow down and unwind after busy days. The stories in StoryMoment are inimitable and touch on issues like negative emotions and difficult circumstances while nurturing creativity, compassion, and appreciation of the beauty and diversity of our world.

Download the StoryMoment app and use code “califf10” to get 7 extra FREE stories and start your child’s journey toward mindfulness.

More Activities to Promote Mindfulness in Kids

Yoga

This is a practice that has immense benefits for both kids and adults. It teaches you to be aware of your body and your breathing. Yoga calms the mind, the body, and the spirit, opening you up to the state of mindfulness that we are striving for. It works the same way in kids. Practice yoga together to establish healthy habits and mindfulness in kids and yourself.

Play Movement Games of Intention

These types of games focuses a child’s attention on their movements. Kids become very aware of how their body is moving in each moment, teaching them to be intentional with their actions.

Games of intention that teach mindfulness in kids include:

Walk like you are on thin ice, slowly and carefully.
Pretend to be a radio announcer, announcing each small movement your child makes to bring their attention to it.
Turn a balloon into a fragile egg and try not to drop it.
Balance on one foot
Simon Says (yes that classic game that teaches listening skills as well as mindfulness in kids)

Sensory Exploration

Mindfulness includes opening all of your senses and getting in touch with each one. Exploring sensory play is a great way to help kids explore and get in touch with all 5 senses. Here are some ideas to use sensory exploration to practice mindfulness in kids.

Listen to the sounds a leaf makes as you crumble it in your hand, feel the way it snaps under the slightest pressure, and see the little pieces fall to the ground.
Create sensory bins with different textures to explore and some scoops to practice pouring. (Try this snow sensory bin)
Do a blind taste test to see if kids can use their senses of smell and taste to determine what they are tasting.
Smell some flowers to explore your sense of smell.

Breathing and Meditation

Learning to meditate and practicing controlled breathing are very difficult skills but are essential in a journey to mindful living. StoryMoment app guides kids (and parents) in breathing exercises and Mini-Meditation sessions that are specially designed for them. They are short enough that kids don’t lose interest and long enough to get the benefits.

Mindfulness for kids with StoryMoment

A new story every day helps children learn to be more aware, peaceful, focused, and have a deeper understanding of their emotions. There are four sections to each story that help achieve this goal. It is easy to navigate for both parents and kids.

Download the StoryMoment app and use code “califf10” to get 7 extra FREE stories and start your child’s journey toward mindfulness.

Breathing Practice

This is designed to help kids slow down and relax while increasing awareness of their bodies and breathing. Kids learn to get in touch with themselves in the moment by practicing breathing and ready their minds to concentrate on the story.

Storytelling

While I personally like to read stories to my kids, it can be really nice to lay with them and just listen. StoryMoment has an audio option to allow you to be as relaxed as possible while listening to the story.

Contemplation

Each story is designed to be open-ended to encourage discussion. There is no clear good or bad. In this section of the StoryMoment app, a few open-ended questions are listed to help spark conversation related to the story you just heard. There are no right or wrong answers. It is meant to be an accepting space for thoughts and feelings so that kids get the chance to contemplate these ideas for themselves.

Mini-Meditation

This is a short practice meant to help introduce kids (who can’t sit still) to the idea of meditation. By relating the practice to the story, it becomes more relatable and therefore easier for kids to create awareness and calm through mini-meditation.

Mindfulness in kids doesn’t happen overnight. It is a state of mind that we are constantly working toward. Starting to teach this skill to children is so important to help them grow up and learn to live up to complete human beings. StoryMoment is a great tool to have as a parent as it is designed to help us on this crazy journey. I’ll admit to needing all the help I can get, especially when teaching such an intricate subject as mindfulness to kids.

How do you practice mindfulness in your own life and as a parent?

If you have no idea where to start, download the StoryMoment app and use code “califf10” to get 7 extra FREE stories and start your child’s journey toward mindfulness.