Mindfulness may be described as being fully present in the moment. Mindfulness activities and strategies have been shown to help students develop skills that will aid in self-regulation, stress management and learning.

Shelley Murphy, PhD has been a mindfulness practitioner and educator for 20 years. Dr. Murphy is a faculty member at OISE/University of Toronto. She is a former elementary teacher and currently teaches graduate courses in the Theory and Practice of Mindfulness in Education, Mental Health & Wellbeing, Special Education, and Literacy in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning.

Her book on mindfulness for children in classroom settings and beyond, Fostering Mindfulness, was published in 2019. She has kindly given permission to use the resources in her book and on her website.

https://fosteringmindfulness.com/

This activity is meant to engage your senses and increase your awareness of the world around you. All you will need is a pencil and a sheet of paper that is blank on both sides. You will be creating a map using drawings and symbols to represent your observations. Along the way you will be moving while taking butterfly counts. A butterfly count is a way of counting time by saying “1 butterfly, 2 butterfly, 3 butterfly”...and so on. This sensory map is a great way to focus on what is happening around you. Take your time - slow down and make careful observations at each stop. Stay at each spot until you feel you have recorded everything you can.

Instructions:

• Choose a starting point, look around you and choose something in the distance that you are going to head towards (for example a tree, a bench, a fence)

• Begin by drawing a straight line and marking your starting point and end point on the map. What do you see from where you are?

• Next, take 10 slow butterfly counts towards the object in the distance and stop. Now record what you hear from this spot.

• Now take 15 slow butterfly counts towards the object, stop and record what you can smell.

• Next, take 20 slow butterfly counts and stop. What is around you that you can touch and feel? (for example you may be feeling a gentle breeze or the sun) Record your observations on your sensory map.

• Have you arrived at the spot that you were headed towards? If not, count how many more butterfly counts you must take to get there.

• Now, at your spot, look at your sensory map and add any last details.

• Turn and look back at the starting point.

• Turn your page over and repeat the activity back to your starting point.

Once you have finished, compare the 2 maps.

• Did you notice anything different from each perspective? If so, what was it?

• Did anything change the second time around?

Reflect on how changing your perspective allows you to notice things you might not have noticed before.

Extensions: This activity can be done in various ways, such as extending the distance between starting point and end point, not walking in a straight line, or walking without an end point in view. (for example, a sidewalk, a winding trail, or a wooded area).

Writing your thoughts and feelings down can be a great way to relax and calm your thoughts. When you feel anxious or nervous or even happy, writing your thoughts down can help clear your mind and reflect on your emotions.

If you have a notebook or journal, great, if not a paper and pencil will work just fine. Start by writing out how you are feeling today. Whatever your thoughts, concerns, goals, ideas are, write it out. Being honest with yourself will always workout best!

Keep in mind that this is private and nobody else should be reading this unless you would like to share it.

Once you have finished that, feel free to close your eyes and relax your mind for a moment.

Do this as often as you wish. Perhaps doing this once a week or once a month, whatever works for you or... DRAW IT OUT if you choose! Drawing is also a great way to express your mind.