It could be challenging to keep a class of students calm, especially when they are restless. However, introducing mindfulness exercises for kids in the classroom can assist instructors in doing this. Mindful practices in the classroom are becoming increasingly widespread among instructors.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the mental state of being aware and present in the current moment. It entails paying attention to the present moment and being conscious of what one is doing and where one is without being distracted or agitated. This mental state is devoid of judgment and distraction.
Did you know?
Adding just 5–10 minutes of mindfulness activities for students in the classroom is a perfect way of achieving mindfulness.
Benefits of mindfulness for students
Here are the benefits of cultivating mindfulness in the classroom:
- A sense of calmness
- Better understanding of their thoughts and emotions
- Improves concentration and boosts memory
- Less emotional reactions and more logical ones
- Improves functioning of the immune system
- Develops empathy and compassion
- Reduces stress levels and anxiety
- Improves well-being
- Greater speed of information processing
- Improves attention and focus
- Improves cognitive performance
- Better social interactions
For students, mindfulness has physical, mental, and social benefits. As a result, schools and educational institutions must prioritize mindfulness activities for students.
Schools may teach mindfulness education to students by incorporating enjoyable mindful activities into the curriculum.
Here are the top 10 mindfulness activities for students that will help create a mindful classroom.
Beginning of the day
Silent 60
- This activity involves having all students in the classroom sit quietly for 60 seconds and prepare themselves for learning.
- Teachers can direct their attention to a specific sound in the room, an image, or even their breathing.
- For early elementary kids, commence with 15 seconds and gradually increase.
- For upper elementary students, begin with 20–30 seconds.
Mindful listening exercise
- Listening is a conscious strategy for analyzing the stimulus. Thus, one of the main causes of learning problems in children is a lack of listening skills.
- This is an activity that will help students improve their listening skills.
- It encourages children to pay close attention to what they hear and to begin actively listening to it.
- In this mindful activity, teachers can make use of any object that emits a prolonged, trailing sound.
- Students should listen and lift their hands when they are no longer able to hear the sound.
- When everyone agrees that the sound has stopped, teachers must set a timer for one minute, instructing the students to sit silently, and then ask them what they heard during that moment.
Morning conversation
Begin the day with a quote or phrase that can spark brief discussions to help middle school and high school kids begin to engage with classmates in positive ways.
Three deep breaths
Students need to take three deep breaths at scheduled intervals, especially before class changes or if they feel anxious or stressed. Teachers should teach students how to use this breathing method on their own by creating visual cues and prompting indicators to get them started. This activity will teach kids a lot about controlling their emotions.
The body scan exercise
This is a great mindfulness activity for students, which they can learn in the classroom and take home with them. It may be extremely helpful for students to perform a body scan before bedtime at home. This exercise assists children to relax, concentrate on bodily sensations, and keep their minds cool and calm.
- Students should lie down on the floor with their hands and arms somewhat apart from their bodies. It is preferable if they close their eyes, but it’s fine if they want to gaze at the ceiling.
- Encourage children to focus their attention for 5 to 10 seconds on their feet.
- Tell them to concentrate on their toes, then their ankles, then their calves, and finally their knees.
- Continue concentrating on each body part (hands, arms, fingers, eyes, nose, etc.) till the head is reached.
- In order to focus the student’s attention on their bodies at the present moment, ask them how each area of their body feels.
- If they sense any tightness or stress, advise them to visualize exhaling the stress from that portion of their body.
The body scan enables children to unwind, become aware of their various body parts, and connect with their bodies. It boosts focus and is an excellent technique to release suppressed emotions. Instructors can also participate in this exercise with students to demonstrate how it is done.
Some of the questions that instructors can ask the children include:
- How did you feel after touching the hair?
- Did you notice any tension or stress while performing this exercise?
- Was the feeling in one part of the body different from the other?
- How did it feel on the forehead?
- Did you feel tight or relaxed?
Outdoor walk
- Now it is time to take mindfulness activities for students outside the classroom and into nature.
- The outdoor walk involves students walking in a garden or outdoors on grass, preferably barefoot to get a more enhanced experience.
- While soothing the mind, this great mindful activity assists children in sorting out their feelings and ideas. It also aids in the reduction of anxiety, stress, and nervousness.
- This activity is great to perform with elementary school kids.
- What matters in this activity is how the kids walk, in which direction they walk, their body posture while walking, the part of the foot that touches the ground first, etc.
- Mindfulness education is better learned outdoors in nature than in a confined classroom.
Concluding the day
Introspection
Many people have praised the importance of introspection. Introspection is an important component of self-awareness and may help students acquire insights into their own thoughts and actions. Some of the possible statements to conclude the day would be:
- Today, I have learned about…
- Tomorrow, I will be eager to learn about…
- A question that I continue to have is…
- Today I experienced the finest sensation when…
- I am thankful for…
Schools need to have a dedicated time for mindfulness practices
A recent study demonstrates how mindfulness instruction in the classroom may lower students’ stress and increase their concentration span.
Implementing mindfulness activities for students and teachers in the school is the need of the hour.
Here is what schools and other educational institutions need to focus on:
- Scheduling time for students and faculty to understand the idea and science of mindfulness so that students may discuss it and appreciate its usefulness.
- Having a dedicated time and space for cultivating mindfulness in the classroom.
- Allow instructors specific time and resources to engage in mindfulness practice.
The best part of mindfulness education is that it is not limited to kids but can be practiced by anybody, including teachers and support personnel. Mindfulness activities for students should begin at an early age. Mindfulness activities, whether for toddlers, teenagers, or adults, help them be in the present moment and reduce stress and anxiety.
