4 steps to practicing mindfulness with kids

What is mindfulness?

According to the American Psychological Association, mindfulness is “awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings.” Put another way, mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the moment — paying attention to your thoughts, feelings and surroundings without judgment. It’s about slowing down and noticing what’s happening inside and around us, rather than rushing through life on “autopilot.”

For both adults and children, mindfulness can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths, noticing the sound of birds outside or feeling the warm water during a bath. Practicing mindfulness regularly can help build emotional awareness, focus and resilience.

What is mindfulness for kids?

Mindfulness for kids is the same basic idea as mindfulness for adults, but it’s adapted to a child’s developmental stage and learning style. Young minds are naturally curious, and mindfulness helps them channel that curiosity into present-moment awareness.

Instead of long meditation sessions, mindfulness practices for kids might include fun, short activities like blowing bubbles slowly, listening carefully to different sounds or using their senses to explore nature. These mindfulness exercises teach children how to notice their emotions, calm their minds and respond rather than react. Here are a few ideas on bringing mindfulness to into your kids’ daily lives.

The main difference between mindfulness for kids and adults is how it’s taught: for children, it works best when it’s playful, visual and interactive.

How to explain mindfulness to a child

Explaining mindfulness to kids doesn’t have to be complicated. Parents can use simple, relatable language and examples from everyday life. Some ideas to try include:

• Use a “mind jar”: Fill a clear jar with water and glitter. Shake it up and say, “This is what our thoughts look like when we’re upset or worried.” Then let the glitter settle and say, “When we sit still and breathe, our thoughts can settle, too — just like the glitter.”
• Connect it to their senses: Say, “Mindfulness means noticing what’s happening right now: what we see, hear, smell, taste and feel.”
• Make it fun and short: Try mindfulness activities like “teddy bear breathing,” where a stuffed animal rises and falls on their tummy as they breathe.

When parents offer a clear definition of mindfulness for kids and show that it’s about noticing and calming down, children are more likely to enjoy practicing it. Over time, these simple meditation moments for kids can become powerful tools for managing emotions and building lifelong well-being.

Why is mindfulness important?

Mindfulness is important because it helps children (and adults!) slow down in a busy world. It gives them tools to handle big feelings, manage stress and stay focused. By practicing mindfulness regularly, kids learn how to pause, breathe and respond thoughtfully instead of reacting automatically.

These skills are especially valuable during challenging moments — like taking a test, making new friends or coping with disappointments. When children build the habit of being present, they’re better able to navigate their emotions and experiences with confidence and calm.

What’s most beautiful about mindfulness is probably its simplicity. It involves targeting and driving focus through the mind to fully experience the present through all five senses, without letting attention wander to distraction. Mindfulness is almost like a muscle; the more you work it, the stronger it becomes.

Benefits of mindfulness for kids

Developing mindfulness can have lifelong benefits and help with your and your kids’ overall health and wellbeing:

• Improved focus and attention: Mindfulness strengthens concentration, helping kids stay on task at school or while doing homework.
• Better emotional regulation: It teaches children to notice their feelings without getting overwhelmed, which reduces anxiety, anger or sadness.
• Less stress and more calm: Breathing and relaxation techniques help lower stress hormones and promote a sense of safety and peace.
• Stronger relationships: Kids who practice mindfulness often become more empathetic, kind and patient with others.
• Increased resilience: Mindfulness builds coping skills that help kids bounce back from challenges.
• Improvement in chronic health conditions: Mindfulness can help conditions such as IBS, constipation, insomnia and more.

These benefits make mindfulness an invaluable lifelong skill. The earlier kids start learning, the more natural it becomes.

Mindfulness exercises and activities for kids

Mindfulness exercises for children work best when they are short, simple and engaging. Here are a few fun mindfulness activities you can try at home:

• Breathing buddies: One of the core parts of mindfulness is learning to breathe fully in a slow, relaxed manner. Have your child lie down with a small stuffed animal on their belly. Watch it rise and fall as they take slow, deep breaths. You can build their ability to do this kind of breathing for 1 to 3 minutes and possibly progress up to 5 minutes.
• Sound safari: Sit quietly for one minute and see how many different sounds they can hear, like birds, wind or footsteps.
• Five senses scavenger hunt: Ask them to name one thing they can see, hear, touch, smell and taste.
• Mindful coloring: Encourage coloring slowly and noticing the colors, shapes and movements of their crayons or markers.
• Gratitude gratefulness: In this practice, you can lead your child to pause and list three things they’re grateful for in that moment. If you’re working with a group, take turns listing your thoughts.
• Mindful eating: Start your child with one small piece of food and lead them into eating it mindfully. First, have them describe how the food looks and smells, and then how it tastes by taking a lick or tiny bite. Challenge them to chew the food slowly and describe the sensations in their mouth.

These easy mindfulness practices help children tune into their senses, quiet their minds and build emotional awareness, making mindfulness fun and approachable.

You can find examples of mindfulness and relaxation resources at Elise's Legacy Library to use at home.

Meditation and mindfulness

Meditation is a wonderful practice to help develop mindfulness and relax the mind and body. Meditation is for anyone but it may be easier to teach meditation to kids in preschool or older. It’s common for adults to practice meditation, especially if they do yoga or are interested in mindful topics, like self-awareness. Although teaching meditation and mindfulness to kids may be challenging to begin with, you may be surprised how much kids can enjoy meditation practices, even if it’s only for a few minutes.

You can find meditations for kids online that are guided or have music to make the activity more fun and interesting for them.