Social and Emotional Resources
BIG LIFE JOURNAL- Growth Mindset Resource Blog https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog
Additional Articles:
- 7 Ways to Help Your Child with Perfectionism https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/help-child-with-perfectionism
- 30 Ways to Respond to Your Perfectionist Child https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/respond-perfectionist-child
- Stay at Home Printable Care Package https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/stay-at-home-printable-pack-families
Additional Articles:
- 10 Activities to Help Students Explore Emotions https://www.apperson.com/teach-talk/10-activities-to-help-students-explore-emotions
Mindfulness Minutes by, Misty Hernandez
PLAY
Play helps us grow cognitively, physically, emotionally, and socially. It is a great way for families to interact with each other and be fully engaged. Many games we play teach us important life skills. Through play, we learn how to read social cues, we learn how to develop trust, and it helps to increase personal awareness. Play also has the ability to develop a sense of community and it is great for team building. Play allows us to loosen up, be curious, and most important of all… have fun!
“Simon Says”
This is an old classic, that helps children practice mindful seeing, mindful listening, and greater awareness. It’s good for children and fun for adults. All you need is some space to move around.
***A Fun twist on this game is to play “Yogi Says” and incorporate some yoga poses into the game.
“Egg, Chicken, Dinosaur!”
This is a fun and interactive twist on “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. Children and adults of all ages can play this game. It is meant to be played in complete silence. All of the communication you do is nonverbal, so you have to pay attention to the people you are playing with and read their cues.
“Bubbles, Sidewalk Chalk, Glow Sticks, and Bouncy Balls, Oh My!”
If you have any of the above mentioned items at home, just pull them out and have fun! The important thing is to PLAY!!!! Here are some other great ideas for sensory activities that you can do to play and be mindful:
“15 Simple Sensory Activities that Teach Mindfulness” https://lemonlimeadventures.com/simple-sensory-act:ivities-that-teach-mindfulness/
Outdoor Games:
Tag, Hide and Seek, Capture the Flag, Frisbee, Hacky Sack, Slip and Slide, etc. are all ways that you can play all while enjoying the weather and getting some Vitamin D.
Card Games:
Speed, War, Concentration, Solitaire, Memory, etc. are all great games that you can play and all you need is a deck of cards!
Board Games:;
Now is the perfect time to be playing board games with your family. Here are a list of some all-time favorites:
Jenga Scrabble Scattegories Clue Chess Checkers
Monopoly Sorry Guesstures Charades Twister Apples to Apples
Win, Lose, or Draw Chutes and Ladders Candy Land The Game of Life
If you are in the market for some new games where the focus is on mindfulness, here are a couple of good places to start:
https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/mindfulness-games/
https://www.developgoodhabits.com/mindfulness_games_kids/
Play helps us grow cognitively, physically, emotionally, and socially. It is a great way for families to interact with each other and be fully engaged. Many games we play teach us important life skills. Through play, we learn how to read social cues, we learn how to develop trust, and it helps to increase personal awareness. Play also has the ability to develop a sense of community and it is great for team building. Play allows us to loosen up, be curious, and most important of all… have fun!
“Simon Says”
This is an old classic, that helps children practice mindful seeing, mindful listening, and greater awareness. It’s good for children and fun for adults. All you need is some space to move around.
- Designate a “Simon” to lead everyone (it might be best for an adult to play Simon first).
- Simon stands in front of the other players and instructs them to do physical movements (e.g., touch your nose, balance on one foot).
- The players should only do what Simon instructs them to do if he or she says “Simon says” at the beginning.
- If a player follows one of Simon’s instructions that is not prefaced by “Simon says,” he or she is eliminated from the game.
- The last player standing wins.
***A Fun twist on this game is to play “Yogi Says” and incorporate some yoga poses into the game.
“Egg, Chicken, Dinosaur!”
This is a fun and interactive twist on “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. Children and adults of all ages can play this game. It is meant to be played in complete silence. All of the communication you do is nonverbal, so you have to pay attention to the people you are playing with and read their cues.
- Everyone starts out as an “Egg”. Put your hands over your head and connect your fingertips together to look like an egg.
- Walk around the room and find a partner. You and the partner play “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. The person who wins, evolves into a chicken and begins walking around the room putting their hands under their armpits and flapping them like they have chicken wings. The person who lost, remains an egg.
- Continue walking around the room and finding someone who is at the same level in the game as you (eggs match up with eggs, chickens match up with chickens, etc.)
- If you are a chicken and you win the next round of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, then you evolve into a dinosaur. You get to move your hands in front of you like a T-Rex. The person who lost to you goes back to being an egg and continues through steps 1 - 4.
- Continue walking around the room and finding someone who is at the same level in the game as you (eggs match up with eggs, chickens match up with chickens, and dinosaurs match up with dinosaurs)
- If you are a dinosaur and you win the next round of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”, then you become a cheerleader. You get to stand on the sidelines and silently cheer for the remaining participants. The person who lost to you goes back to being an egg and continues steps 1 - 6 until they become a cheerleader or until everyone decides to stop the game.
“Bubbles, Sidewalk Chalk, Glow Sticks, and Bouncy Balls, Oh My!”
If you have any of the above mentioned items at home, just pull them out and have fun! The important thing is to PLAY!!!! Here are some other great ideas for sensory activities that you can do to play and be mindful:
“15 Simple Sensory Activities that Teach Mindfulness” https://lemonlimeadventures.com/simple-sensory-act:ivities-that-teach-mindfulness/
Outdoor Games:
Tag, Hide and Seek, Capture the Flag, Frisbee, Hacky Sack, Slip and Slide, etc. are all ways that you can play all while enjoying the weather and getting some Vitamin D.
Card Games:
Speed, War, Concentration, Solitaire, Memory, etc. are all great games that you can play and all you need is a deck of cards!
Board Games:;
Now is the perfect time to be playing board games with your family. Here are a list of some all-time favorites:
Jenga Scrabble Scattegories Clue Chess Checkers
Monopoly Sorry Guesstures Charades Twister Apples to Apples
Win, Lose, or Draw Chutes and Ladders Candy Land The Game of Life
If you are in the market for some new games where the focus is on mindfulness, here are a couple of good places to start:
https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/mindfulness-games/
https://www.developgoodhabits.com/mindfulness_games_kids/
BREATHING
In these unsettling times, practicing mindfulness with our children is one way that we can help alleviate the stress and anxiety that we are feeling. Mindfulness is good for all of us…even adults! It is important for us to be kind to ourselves and practicing mindfulness is one way that we can do this. Throughout the next few weeks, we will be providing you and your family with ways that you can practice mindfulness at home. These ideas come from the Mindful Minutes class that Mrs. Hernandez has been teaching for the past three years. The first one we are going to focus on is: Breathing.
It is important to teach kids that they have control over their breathing. Breathing is a great way to self-regulate. Through slow, deep breathing we can control our nervous system by reducing our heart rate. There is also a direct link between nasal breathing and our cognitive functions. Deep breathing helps us think clearly!
Ideas:
Hand Trace: Trace the outside of your fingers with your opposite hand. As you go up your finger, breathe in. As you go down your finger, breathe out.
Belly Breathing: Lay on the floor with your favorite stuffed animal or a small object on your belly (you can also place your hand on your belly). Take deep breaths in through your nose and out release out through your mouth. Feel the object or your hand move up as your lungs fill with air and then release as you breath out.
Candles and Flowers: As you breathe in through your nose, imagine that you are getting ready to make a wish on your birthday cake. Take a deep breath in and then as you breathe out through your mouth, imagine that you are blowing out candles on a cake. You can also imagine that you are smelling a beautiful flower and then blowing the petals.
Pulse Check: Put your pointer and middle fingers together, start at the corner of your mouth, and trace your fingers down below your chin on your neck to find your pulse. You can also find your pulse by putting your index and middle fingers on your wrist. Watching the clock for 15 to 20 seconds and counting your heartbeat is a great way for children to be more mindful of their bodies. It is fun for kids to do a pulse check after they have just woken up and compare it to a time when they were active.
Additional Resources:
http://www.yomind.com/justme
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RVA2N6tX2cg
https://www.parent.com/3-breathing-exercises-to-calm-kids-of-all-ages/
https://www.kidsyogastories.com/breathing-exercises-for-kids/
https://www.cosmickids.com/five-fun-breathing-practices-for-kids/
https://childhood101.com/fun-breathing-exercises-for-kids/
YOGA
Below are a few resources to help you incorporate yoga at home.
In these unsettling times, practicing mindfulness with our children is one way that we can help alleviate the stress and anxiety that we are feeling. Mindfulness is good for all of us…even adults! It is important for us to be kind to ourselves and practicing mindfulness is one way that we can do this. Throughout the next few weeks, we will be providing you and your family with ways that you can practice mindfulness at home. These ideas come from the Mindful Minutes class that Mrs. Hernandez has been teaching for the past three years. The first one we are going to focus on is: Breathing.
It is important to teach kids that they have control over their breathing. Breathing is a great way to self-regulate. Through slow, deep breathing we can control our nervous system by reducing our heart rate. There is also a direct link between nasal breathing and our cognitive functions. Deep breathing helps us think clearly!
Ideas:
Hand Trace: Trace the outside of your fingers with your opposite hand. As you go up your finger, breathe in. As you go down your finger, breathe out.
Belly Breathing: Lay on the floor with your favorite stuffed animal or a small object on your belly (you can also place your hand on your belly). Take deep breaths in through your nose and out release out through your mouth. Feel the object or your hand move up as your lungs fill with air and then release as you breath out.
Candles and Flowers: As you breathe in through your nose, imagine that you are getting ready to make a wish on your birthday cake. Take a deep breath in and then as you breathe out through your mouth, imagine that you are blowing out candles on a cake. You can also imagine that you are smelling a beautiful flower and then blowing the petals.
Pulse Check: Put your pointer and middle fingers together, start at the corner of your mouth, and trace your fingers down below your chin on your neck to find your pulse. You can also find your pulse by putting your index and middle fingers on your wrist. Watching the clock for 15 to 20 seconds and counting your heartbeat is a great way for children to be more mindful of their bodies. It is fun for kids to do a pulse check after they have just woken up and compare it to a time when they were active.
Additional Resources:
http://www.yomind.com/justme
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RVA2N6tX2cg
https://www.parent.com/3-breathing-exercises-to-calm-kids-of-all-ages/
https://www.kidsyogastories.com/breathing-exercises-for-kids/
https://www.cosmickids.com/five-fun-breathing-practices-for-kids/
https://childhood101.com/fun-breathing-exercises-for-kids/
YOGA
Below are a few resources to help you incorporate yoga at home.
- “Yoga for Kids with Adrienne” (32 minute video) https://yogawithadriene.com/yoga-for-kids/
- “Yoga for Kids!” (30 minute video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X655B4ISakg&app=desktop
- 5 Kid-Friendly Animal Poses to Introduce Children to Yoga” https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/5-kid-friendly-animal-poses-to-introduce-children-to-yoga
- “11 Poses to Help Kids Feel Brave” https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/kids-yoga-practice-poses-brave#gid=ci022d1bd5700025cd&pid=brave5