5 Easy Mindfulness Exercises to Try With Your Child.

Helping children stay calm, focused and emotionally balanced can feel like a big job - but mindfulness makes it easier. Mindfulness isn’t just for adults; it’s a powerful tool that helps children manage stress, increase focus and build emotional awareness. The best part? You can start practicing mindfulness with your kids right at home and it only takes a few minutes a day.

Here are 5 simple mindfulness exercises you can try with your child today - no special equipment or experience required!

What You’ll Need: A small stuffed animal

Have your child lie down on their back and place the stuffed animal on their belly. Ask them to breathe in slowly through their nose, watching the animal rise. Then breathe out slowly through their mouth, watching it fall. Try this for 1–2 minutes.

Why It Works: This exercise makes deep breathing fun and visual. It teaches kids how to calm their body by focusing on their breath.

Wherever you are, pause and ask your child to notice:

• 5 things they can see

• 4 things they can touch

• 3 things they can hear

• 2 things they can smell

• 1 thing they can taste

Why It Works: This grounding exercise brings your child into the present moment and away from worries or overstimulation.

Pretend you’re blowing bubbles together. Ask your child to take a deep breath in, then blow out slowly and gently - as if blowing a big bubble. You can also use actual bubbles for added fun.

Why It Works: It teaches slow, controlled exhaling, which helps reduce anxiety and promotes calm.

What You’ll Need: Crayons or markers and printable mindfulness colouring pages (like the ones in our Happy Hearts Printables Activities Packs)

Encourage your child to color slowly, noticing how each color looks and feels. Ask them to focus only on the motion of coloring, not on “staying in the lines.”

Why It Works: Coloring allows children to slow down, focus, and enjoy the moment - while creating something calming and creative.

What You’ll Need: A jar filled with water, glitter glue and extra glitter

Shake the glitter jar and ask your child to watch the glitter settle. As the glitter falls, encourage them to take slow, deep breaths. Talk about how their thoughts and feelings settle just like the glitter.

Why It Works: The visual of settling glitter helps children understand the concept of calming their mind.

Mindfulness doesn’t need to be perfect or take up a lot of time. Try adding one of these exercises into your child’s daily routine - during transitions, before bedtime or when they feel overwhelmed. Over time, these small moments can create big shifts in your child’s emotional wellbeing.

Want to make mindfulness fun and easy for your child?

Check out our Mindfulness Activities for Kids with printable activities, breathing techniques and calming tools designed for ages 5–14.