St George's News

We want our children to be open to all the learning experiences that are available to them. Mindfulness is a tool that can be used to help children to focus and concentrate on what is happening in the present, allowing them to focus. Studies show that practising mindfulness techniques helps children of all abilities to focus, promotes good mental well-being and can improve children’s social skills.

Here is an idea that may help to teach your child to be more mindful and calm.

The glitter jar

Ideas on how to make a glitter jar can be found at: https://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/family/things-to-do/glitter-jars-how-to-calm-down-jar-105300)

This is an approach to help a child to become aware of their feelings, especially when they feel angry or frustrated.

They focus on the flakes of glitter as they are swirling around the jar and see how they slowly settle down to the bottom. The flakes of glitter are like the feelings we have when we are upset or angry, they are hard to focus on and we often make bad decisions in situations when we are not quiet and calm. Therefore, it is better to make decisions when you are calm.

We can also help our children learn to calm down and settle their minds through breathing and listening exercises. This can help them to get to sleep or to focus on completing a difficult task. Some listening and breathing exercises can be found here.

https://annakaharris.com/mindfulness-for-children/

The following website also has lots of other practical ideas, as well as information about research on mindfulness.

https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mindfulness-for-children-kids-activities/#benefits-mindfulness-school