MindfulnessBeing here, one breath at a time

You need: A small, soft toy (stay close)

1. Lie down with your child, or sit with them on your lap.
2. Put the toy on your own tummy and let it rise and fall as you breathe slowly.
3. Say, “Up, up, up. Down, down, down.” in a soft voice.
4. If they want, let them put the toy on their tummy and rock gently.

“Up, up, up. Down, down, down. Teddy is rocking.”

You need: Nothing, just a quiet spot or a window

1. Sit with your child by an open window or outside.
2. Say, “Shh, listen.” Wait a few moments.
3. Name a sound you hear: a bird, a car, the wind, a voice.
4. Cup a hand to your ear and smile. Let them copy you.

“I hear a bird. Do you hear it?”

You need: Water, a cloth or towel

1. At bath or hand-washing time, slow everything down.
2. Say what you feel in two or three words: “Warm. Wet. Splash.”
3. Move your hands slowly over theirs and pause for a second after each touch.
4. Dry with a soft towel and finish with a quiet hug.

“Warm water. Soft towel. Nice and slow.”

You need: Nothing, or a pretend flower

1. Hold up a hand with the fingers spread, as if holding a flower.
2. Breathe in slowly through the nose and smell the flower.
3. Breathe out slowly through the mouth, blowing out a pretend candle.
4. Do it three times. Let your child choose a different flower each time.

“Smell the flower. Blow out the candle.”

You need: A small, soft snack your child already eats. Check for allergies first

1. Check for allergies and any food rules before you begin. Offer only soft food cut into small pieces, and sit with your child while they eat.
2. Put one piece in their hand. Look at it together: colour, shape, smell.
3. Take one small bite. Chew slowly and ask, “What does it taste like? Is it soft or crunchy?”
4. Swallow before the next bite. Stop whenever your child is full or done.

“Look at it. Smell it. Take a tiny bite. What do you notice?”

You need: Nothing, a bit of floor space

1. Show how a turtle walks slowly on all fours or in small steps.
2. At a signal, “Turtle, hide!”, curl up like a turtle in its shell and take three slow breaths.
3. Pop out slowly and walk again.
4. Swap turns. Let your child say when the turtle hides.

“Turtle is safe in its shell. Breathe. In... and out.”

You need: Nothing, any place indoors or outdoors

1. Look around and name five things you can see.
2. Name four things you can hear, three you can feel, two you can smell and one you can taste.
3. Say them quietly, or hold up fingers as you count.
4. Finish with one slow breath. Ask, “How do you feel now?”

“Five, four, three, two, one. What did you notice?”

You need: One hand

1. Hold one hand out with the fingers spread.
2. With a finger of the other hand, trace up the outside of your thumb slowly as you breathe in.
3. Trace down the other side as you breathe out.
4. Go on to each finger. Stop when you reach the end, or when you want to.

“Up the finger: in. Down the finger: out.”

You need: A safe place to walk

1. Walk slowly, a bit slower than usual, in a safe place.
2. Feel each foot touch the ground: heel, then toes.
3. Look for three things you have not seen before.
4. Stop for a moment. Listen. Say one thing you noticed.

“What did you notice that you usually walk past?”

You need: A friend or family member

1. Agree on a topic where you may disagree, such as a game, a film or a rule.
2. Before each reply, take one slow breath and feel your feet.
3. Notice what changes in how you answer.
4. Talk about what the pause did, and when you could use it.

“What happened in the gap before you spoke?”

You need: A quiet spot, sitting or lying

1. Close your eyes if you like, or look at a spot on the floor.
2. Notice your toes, feet, legs, tummy, hands, shoulders, face, one at a time.
3. For each, just notice: warm, cold, tight, relaxed, nothing.
4. End by opening your eyes and taking one slow breath.

“I am only noticing. I do not need to change anything.”

You need: A notebook or a phone note

1. Choose one time each day: after waking, before a lesson or at bedtime.
2. Take one minute to breathe and notice. Set a timer if it helps.
3. Write one line each day: what I noticed, how I felt before and after.
4. On day seven, read it back and decide whether to keep going.

“I am the one running this experiment. What do I find?”

You need: Nothing

1. Next time you feel a strong reaction, such as a message or a comment, stop for one breath before replying.
2. Feel the breath going in and out. Feel your feet on the floor.
3. Ask: what do I want to say, and what do I want to happen?
4. Afterwards, notice if the pause changed your reply.

“One breath. Then I decide.”

You need: A timer, and a place without a screen

1. Put your phone face down, or in another room, for five minutes.
2. Sit or stand at a window. Notice what you see, hear and feel.
3. When thoughts come, notice them and come back, as many times as you need.
4. At the end, notice how you feel. No marks, no goals.

“Five minutes with no input. What shows up?”

You need: A willing friend or family member

1. Ask them to talk about something for two minutes while you listen.
2. No phone, no interrupting, no planning your reply.
3. When your mind wanders, notice it and come back to their voice.
4. Say back what you heard. Swap places and compare how it felt.

“I was really listening. Did it feel different?”