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Introduction
Mindfulness is living in the present and savoring every moment fully. It makes one feel grateful for the blessings they have in life, like a healthy body, loving family, supportive friends, and favorite toys. Biologically, mindfulness also thickens the prefrontal cortex and improves blood supply to the frontal cortex.
These cognitive parts of the brain are in charge of various important functions, like decision-making, future planning, and problem-solving. Therefore, mindfulness is a highly useful trait. But its main benefit lies in lowering of stress levels by controlling the secretion of the stress hormone cortisol and lowering heart and respiratory rate during meditation.
This reduces tension and anxiety in kids, helping them think and focus better on the present. Mindfulness can become a boon for modern kids as their lives and schedules are too hectic for sufficient play and leisure. It can monitor their stress levels and improve the quality of sleep as well. So give these 10 fun mindfulness games a try with your kids and bond better with them.
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10 Mindfulness Games To Play With Your Kids
Blowing Bubbles
Blowing bubbles is a fun way to engage in mindfulness with younger kids. Take turns blowing bubbles and counting them all before they burst. The one who manages to count them all wins. This game increases your kid’s attention and focus by anchoring them in the present.
Blindfolded Taste Test
This game involves blindfolding your kids and then feeding them a piece or spoon of food. They need to identify it by focusing their senses of taste and smell, as well as feeling texture. This game is a hit among all kids and helps introduce them to new foods.
Kinetic Sand Art
Kinetic sand is an excellent way to inculcate mindfulness and play with your kids. Try competing and making sand figurines together. Whoever finishes first wins. Such games will keep your kids far away from digital distractions and engage in mindfulness.
Junglee Dance
Junglee dance is a fun way of engaging the entire family in a fun group activity for releasing stress. Imagine you all are in the jungle and are dancing like animals. Try to replicate their dance moves. Tell your kids to focus on moving like an animals and feel all worries leave their minds.
Guess The Message
This is a wonderful mindfulness exercise that helps kids focus and keep still. Ask your kid to sit still and look away or turn their backs. Either take their arm or trace a word on their back. Let them feel and identify the message.
Smell And Identify
Smell and Identify is a game similar to a blindfolded taste test, except, here, your kid’s sense of smell is tested and polished while they inculcate mindfulness and bond better with you. Try herbs, spices, fruits, and flowers to increase variety and make things more fun.
Texture Bag
This is a fun exercise for both parents and kids. Fill a bag each with some objects, like toys, oddly shaped vegetables, and so forth. Then, let the other person slip their hand into the bag and try to hold one object and identify it by its texture. Such activities, though easy and fun, promote mindfulness among all.
Which Creature Is It?
Which creature is it? is a fun game to play with younger kids. All you need to do is take turns pretending to make different animal noises, and your child has to identify each. For example, if you moo, then your child must identify it as a cow. You can further make things fun by letting them impersonate the movements of the animal or spelling its name with them.
Pose And Freeze
Pose and Freeze is an age-old game that promotes mindfulness in kids without them realizing it. All you need to do is close your eyes and count to ten before staring at them. In the meantime, your kid will have to come and touch you by making odd poses or fun movements before you turn around and see them. While you are looking at them, they cannot move or even sneeze, or else they lose. This fun game can be played for hours while inculcating mindfulness and balance in kids.
Memory Games
Memory games are a great way to make kids focus on the present and practice mindfulness. Choose an agreed-upon theme and begin naming accordingly. For example, if the theme is food, then you can start with pasta. Your kid will have to repeat what you said before adding, perhaps, pizza. When your turn comes, you will have to begin naming, in order, from pizza before adding your own. Anyone who misses a name or messes up the order gets eliminated. The last person standing wins.
Conclusion
Mindfulness is a trait that cannot be magically concocted. It is present in all in some amounts. To get better at being mindful, one has to engage in it and practice consciously on a daily basis. But these mindfulness games make it easier to teach kids its benefits and reap its rewards on correct application.
The views expressed are that of the expert alone.
