Breathing exercise: Clouds: Imagine you are a cloud in the sky. What kind of cloud are you? Are a white fluffy cloud? Or a dark gray storm cloud? If you are, imagine your angry raindrops falling away. Maybe you’re a silly cloud, making shapes of jellybeans and polar bears. Or maybe you’re a sparkly cloud, full of snowflakes. You can be any kind of cloud you want. Take a long deep breath in, and let it all the way out.

Activity: Gratitude Bracelet: Focusing on the things in our life that we are deeply grateful for.

Getting Started: Get a pipe cleaner (or string) and some beads. String the beads on the pipe cleaner, making each bead represent something in your life that they are grateful for. It could be anything- a person, a favorite pet or toy, good health. You may want to start with 3 beads so that they are able to remember which is which, but we plan to add to the bracelet in the coming days/weeks! Their bracelet will act of a daily reminder of the things in their life that are most precious to them.

Breathing Exercise: Bubble Breathing: Imagine you are holding a bubble wand. Breathe in deeply ad then, as you breathe out slowly, imagine you are blowing the bubbles into the room.

Week 3: Gratitude Breath: As you breathe in, think of a person you’re grateful for. As you breathe out, send them a smile.

Activity: Gratitude Chain: This activity will help slow down and reflect on all the things in your students’ life that they are grateful for. The more they reflect on what we’re grateful for, the more positive emotions they experience. If your student is having trouble thinking of what they’re grateful for, ask them questions! For example: “what makes your heart happy?” Or “what things do you enjoy doing?”

Getting Started: Cut construction paper into strips (make sure they are wide enough to write on).Next, get your students to write things they are grateful for on each strip! Whenthey’re all done, use a glue stick or tape to attach them into a chain.

Breathing exercise: Cake Breath Ask students to hold out their hands in front of them. Guide them in imagining they are holding their own birthday cake (provide time for them to imagine their favorite cake/icing flavors). Say, “In a moment we are going to take a really big breath in through our nose to “smell” how yummy our birthday cake is. Then we are going to hold our breath for a moment to “make a wish,” and then as slowly as possible we are going to blow out all the candles.”

Activity: Gratitude Jar: Explain that students can draw or write things that they are grateful for and place it into the jar. Each month, we will review things that they expressed gratitude for. Keep the jar in the classroom.

Read Gratitude Jar By Kristin Wiens