Mindfulness Activities & Stress Busters

🌈 What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness means noticing what’s happening right now, without judging it. It can help you calm down, focus better, and understand your feelings. It's like a "superpower" for your brain!

🧘‍♀️ Mindfulness Activities & Stress Busters

Take a moment, take a breath, and reset.

This is your space to explore calming, focus-building, and stress-reducing activities that help your brain and body feel better. Mindfulness isn’t about being perfect—it’s about paying attention to how you feel and choosing helpful ways to respond.

🎈 Simple Mindfulness Activities for Kids

These are short activities you can do in class, at home, or in a calm space when you need a break:

Balloon Breathing – Put your hands on your belly. Breathe in through your nose and feel your belly rise like a balloon. Breathe out slowly. Try 5 times.
5 Senses Check-In – Look around and notice:
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can touch
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
Mindful Listening – Close your eyes and listen to sounds around you for 30 seconds. Try to notice something new.
Mindful Walking – Walk slowly and quietly. Focus on how your feet feel when they touch the ground.
Gratitude Pause – Think of 3 things you're thankful for today.
Color Hunt – Pick a color and try to find 5 things around the room that match it.

🌟 Leader in Me Connections

You’re in charge of you! Mindfulness and stress-busters help us live out The 7 Habits:

Habit 1: Be Proactive – Take a deep breath before you react.
Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind – Visualize yourself feeling calm and focused.
Habit 3: Put First Things First – Use your calm-down tools before you feel overwhelmed.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win – Use calming strategies to solve problems peacefully.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw – Take care of your brain and body with rest, breathing, and mindfulness!

🎥 Mindfulness & Stress-Buster Videos

Here are some fun and calming videos that teach you how to slow down and reset:

🧠 Zones of Regulation Tools

The Zones of Regulation help you understand your feelings and what your body needs. It’s okay to be in any zone—it’s all about recognizing it and choosing a helpful tool!

Blue

😴 Tired, sad, bored

Deep breathing, stretching, talk to someone

Green

😀 Calm, focused, ready to learn

You're good to go! Keep using your strategies!

Yellow

😕 Worried, silly, frustrated

Movement break, breathing, squeeze putty

Red

😡 Angry, out of control, yelling

Ask for a break, cool-down corner, talk to adult

🎨 In-the-Moment Stress Busters (Quick Classroom Activities)

Play with a fidget or sensory toy
Stretch or do 10 jumping jacks
Color a mindfulness mandala
Squeeze and release fists 5 times
Trace your hand while breathing in and out
Use a calm-down bottle (glitter jar)
Do “Lazy 8” Breathing – Trace a sideways 8 with your finger, breathing in on one side and out on the other.

🧺 Build Your Mindfulness Toolbox

Create a personal set of tools that help you feel calm and focused. You might include:

Favorite breathing technique
Positive self-talk phrase
Comfort item (stuffie, stone, note)
Calming picture
Strategy cards or fidget
A short list of people to go to when you need help

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