“My Happy Place” Art Activity

Visualizing your happy place is a powerful tool for students and youth. When we are stuck in an uncomfortable situation or longing for class to end, this visualization helps to bring in positive feelings. This is an activity I have recently modified to incorporate mindfulness and our five senses and my students have been enjoying

Mindful Coloring for Teens

Some teens have told me they really struggle with mindfulness, sitting still and trying to “turn my mind off.” I have found activity-based mindfulness to be more helpful for my teens and mindful coloring is one of them! Developmental age: 11+ Goals/Objectives: Reduce anxiety, Stop negative thinking, Build coping strategies & mindfulness Materials: Adult Coloring

What’s On Your Mind? Art Therapy Activity for Teens

Do you ever struggle with the question “How are you doing?” and you do not know how to verbalize the jumble of things running through your mind? Often we can think adolescents are not willing to engage in talking about their thoughts & feelings but it could be they are wrestling with a lot and

Mindfulness Art Exercise for Teens

If your adolescent has grown out of the Mindfulness Scavenger Hunt and is not interested in taking the Mindful Walk, I have discovered this great art activity of pattern doodling that does not require a high level of art skill to create. Developmental Age: 10+ Materials: Paper, pen, pencil, coloring supplies if wanted, pattern starter

Stuffed Animal Breathing

Breathe in, Breathe out. It’s amazing how one deep breath can already help our little ones feel that much more calm. Read on to learn a fun way to teach your young one to calmly breathe! Literacy Level: 3+ Goal/Objectives: Learn relaxation/coping skills, help return to baseline functioning, reduce symptomatology Materials Needed: Stuffed animal or

Yoga

I truly believe movement-based tools are essential to incorporate into children’s routines. Yoga has so many benefits such as increasing body awareness, mindfulness along with enhancing children’s attention and memory! Developmental Age: 4+ Goals/Objectives: incorporate mindfulness, reduce symptomatology, build coping skills The following are helpful resources I use with children: Bee Still: Book teaching simple

Mindfulness Scavenger Hunt

Here is a great tool to teach mindfulness to our wiggly ones! With telehealth I often struggle with how to get my little ones to engage and focus on a tiny screen. Movement-based activities are so useful to help our kids incorporate motor, cognitive and socio-emotional learning. Literacy Level: 3+ Goals/Objectives: Practice mindfulness, building body