At a young age, humans are naturally curious about their bodies’ strength and flexibility. It’s perfect age to introduce mindfulness activities and exercises as a helpful way to take care of themselves. Start with these simple ones to attune children with their bodies.

Mindful Posing

Body posing is one easy way for children to dip their toes into mindfulness. Tell your kids that doing fun poses can help them feel strong, brave, and happy to make them excited.

Have your kids go somewhere quiet and familiar and tell them to try one of the following poses:

• The Superman: Standing with the feet a little bit wider than the hips, arms reached out to the sky, fists clenched, and stretching the body as tall as possible.
• The Wonder Woman: Standing tall with legs wider than hip-width apart and fists or hands placed on the hips.

Spidey Senses

In terms of superheroes, they can be a related “next step” to teach your kids how to stay present.

Instruct them to turn-on their “Spidey senses,” or the focused senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste that Spiderman uses to keep tabs on the world around him. This encourages your children to pause and focus their attention on the present as well as open their awareness to the information their senses bring in.

The Mindful Jar

This exercise can teach your kids how strong emotions can take hold, and the way to find peace when their strong emotions feel overwhelming.

• First, get a clear jar and fill it almost with water.
• Next, add a big spoonful of glitter to the jar. Put the lid on the jar and shake it to make the glitter or glue swirl.
• Finally, take inspiration from it to teach your kids mini-lesson: Try having your kids focus on one emotion such as anger at a time, and discuss how the shaken verse settling glitter or glue is like that emotion.