Experience this imaginative and soothing mindfulness exercise geared towards children and families, aimed at alleviating challenging emotions and managing anxiety.
Main Takeaways:
- Mindful breathing and counting can create a sense of safety and calm for children dealing with anxiety or overwhelming feelings.
- Participating in mindfulness activities as a family enhances relationships and fortifies emotional strength.
- Explore the Calming Hands activity, which allows children to navigate intense feelings via breathing, counting, and creating handprint art.
Mindfulness can be engaging, straightforward, and tangible—quite literally! The Calming Hands technique, crafted by Rose Felix Cratsley at Ivy Child International, introduces young kids to mindful breathing through creative expression and counting. This activity is ideal for caregivers and educators looking to foster calmness and focus in a playful manner.
By engaging in this practice, we connect with our bodies, our breath, and the soothing power of our hands. When anxiety, stress, sadness, or overwhelm arise, our hands can serve as tools to promote tranquility. This practice assists in fostering a sense of safety and calm, regardless of the circumstances you may be facing.
Continue scrolling down to listen to the guided audio for this practice!
How to Modify for Children with Sensory Needs
Children should be encouraged to feel various textures, including soft fabrics or smooth stones, while practicing the Calming Hands method. This sensory exploration aids in engaging them fully.
Helpful Tip for Parents
This activity yields the best results when caregivers actively join in, demonstrating to children that mindfulness is a collective family experience or ritual. This shared time can strengthen connections while nurturing emotional resilience and a robust psychological foundation for everyone.
Key Points and Advantages:
- Introduction: Guides kids to pay attention to the sensations in their hands and introduces the concept of hands as tools for calmness.
- Breathing Exercise: Uses a finger-by-finger breathing approach, teaching kids to breathe in and out deeply while counting from 1 to 10.
- Reflection: Prompts kids to notice how their hands and bodies feel after the activity, reinforcing self-awareness and relaxation.
Calm and Creative: Craft Art with Your Handprint
The Calming Hands practice is even more enjoyable when paired with a hands-on art project where kids can trace or create handprints, embellish, and personalize their calming hands. Merging creativity with this easy mindfulness exercise transforms it into a valuable tool for regulating emotions and relaxing.
Supplies Needed:
- Paper (large enough for a handprint)
- Non-toxic markers, crayons, or paint
Steps for Practicing Calming Hands:
- Create the Handprint: Have your child trace their hand on the paper or make a painted handprint. Allow them to enjoy selecting colors or decorating their hand outline as part of the creative mindfulness journey!
- Label the Fingers: Together, write numbers from 1 to 10 on the fingers, starting with the thumb and extending outward.
- Start Mindful Breathing:
- Encourage the child to place their real hand atop their handprint.
- Start at the thumb (1), taking a deep breath in, and then exhale while counting aloud.
- Proceed to the next finger (2), breathing in and out again.
- Continue this process until all 10 fingers are counted.
- Repeat if Desired: If the child enjoys the activity, they can retrace the numbers or begin anew.
Families can turn this mindfulness exercise into a memorable keepsake by tracing their hands, numbering their fingers, and personalizing the artwork. This hands-on experience teaches children how to cope with challenging feelings by providing a visual and tactile reminder of the breathing method, making it easier for them to revisit in stressful situations. Calming Hands can be displayed on the fridge, bedroom door, or even in the car, serving as a prompt to help everyone remember to count and breathe.
Audio Guide: Utilizing Your Hands for Mindful Breathing
By Rose Felix Cratsley
Before beginning, gather a blank sheet of paper and something to write with, like a marker or pencil.
- Step 1: Get Settled. Sit comfortably, either on the floor or in a chair, sitting upright like a sturdy tree. Place your hands gently in your lap or in front of you. Relax your shoulders and let your body soften. You’re in a safe environment.
- Step 2: Observe Your Hands. Take a moment to pay attention to your hands. How do they feel? Are they warm or cool? Do they seem heavy or light? If you’re feeling nervous or uneasy, that’s okay—just acknowledge what’s happening in your hands without judgment. If you feel tense, shake your hands gently to release the tension.
- Step 3: Trace Your Hands. Next, we’ll trace our hands to create a calming picture. Place your hand on a sheet of paper and trace around it with a pencil or marker. As you trace, notice your fingers, the palm, and the spaces between your fingers. Let each marker stroke remind you that you are safe and in control.
As you trace your hands, recognize that you’re creating something unique. Your hands can be your own calming tool, always accessible when you need to unwind and feel stable.
- Step 4: Breathe with Your Hands. With your hands traced, we will use them for deep breathing. Each finger represents one breath. We will count from 1 to 10, assigning one number to each finger. With each number, we’ll take slow, deep breaths in and out.
Start with your pinky and breathe in as you count “1.” Feel your chest and stomach expand. Then, breathe out as you count “2.” Slowly let the air exit, allowing your body to relax more. Continue this slow breathing, one number for each finger. As you breathe in, let your hands fill with calm. As you exhale, allow your hands and body to relax even further.
- Step 5: Pay Attention to the Sensation. While counting, focus closely on how your hands feel. Are they warm, soft, or tingling? Observe any changes as you breathe. Visualize your breath flowing through your hands, bringing tranquility to every part of your being.
If your mind starts to wander, gently return your focus to your hands and breath. Savor each breath as a chance to decelerate and find peace.
- Step 6: Feel Grounded and Secure. Take a moment to assess how your body feels now. Is it more relaxed? Do your hands feel calmer and steadier? Keep in mind that this practice helps us feel anchored—like our feet are firmly on the ground and we are in control of our breath and emotions. Your hands can always provide comfort. If you experience anxiety or distress, you can revisit this practice, take a deep breath, and find tranquility through your hands.
- When ready, return to your daily activities. Take one last deep inhalation and gently exhale. Gradually bring your awareness back to your surroundings. You are calm, centered, and ready to tackle whatever lies ahead. You can always return to your calming hands whenever necessary.