Calming Hands: A Mindfulness Practice for Kids to Ease Difficult Emotions

Designed to help reduce difficult emotions and handle stress, try this creative, quiet mindset for children and families.

Key points:

• When children are upset or overwhelmed, brain breathing and counting can help make them feel safe and calm.
• Engagement in mind -blowing activities strengthens contacts and promotes emotional flexibility.
• Try this calm hands activity to help your child relieve strong emotions by creating breathing, counting, and hand -print art.

The mentality can be fun, easy and handy. Ivy Child International introduces the practice of calm hands created and shared by Rose Felix Cratesley, the introduction of mental breathing to young children through art and counting. This activity is best for caregivers and teachers who want to help children calm down and focus with the game.

The search for this exercise helps to connect the quiet energy of our bodies, our breaths and our hands. When we feel upset, stressed, upset or overwhelmed, our hands can be a means of bringing peace and comfort. This exercise can help you feel safe and calm, regardless of what you are going through.

Scroll down to follow this exercise guidance audio as well!

How to shield for children with sensory requirements

Children are encouraged to find various textures such as soft fabric, smooth stones, etc., while practicing the techniques of calm hands, allowing them to engage with their senses.

The parent’s hack

This exercise is the most effective when practicing with children, reinforcing the idea that mentality is a family activity and ritual. This can help simultaneously to bond both children and parents while building their emotional flexibility and their psychological strength.

Highlights and benefits:

• Introduction: Guides children to see feelings in their hands and introduces the concept of hands as calm tools.
• Breathing exercise: During the count of 1 to 10, children use their finger breathing, teaches children breathing and deep breath.
• Reflection: Encouices children to observe how their hands and body feel after exercise, reinforces self -awareness and gentleness.

Calm and Creative: Make Art from your Hand Print

Calm hands practice are paired with an interesting art activity where children detect their quiet hands or have hand marks, decorate and personalize them. By connecting creativity with this simple and interesting mentality practice, this activity becomes a sustainable source for emotional regulation and comfort.

What do you need:

• Paper (large enough for hand -prints)
• Non -toxic markers, crews, or paints

How to practice on calm hands:

1. Make Hand Print: Invite your child to raise his hand on the paper or make a paint hand print. Let them have fun in choosing colors or decorating the outline of your hand – this is part of the creative mentality process!
2. Number of fingers: Together, start with the thumb and move out, write the numbers from 1 to 10 on the fingers.
3. Mentitivity begin breathing:
   • Encourage the child to keep your real hand on your hands print.
   • Start with the thumb (1) and breathe deeply, then when you count in a loud voice, breathe.
   • Move the next finger (2), breathing inside and out.
   • Continue until all 10 fingers are complete.
4. Repeat if needed: If the child enjoys exercise, they can withdraw or resume through numbers.

Children and families can turn this mind -making process into a creative quality by tracking their hands, putting their fingers in the number of fingers and decorating artwork. This activity teaches children to reduce difficult emotions by providing a visual and supersh reminder of breathing exercises, making it easier for them to return to the pressure moments. Calm hands can also be applied to the refrigerator or in the bedroom door or car as a tool to remind us of counting and breathing.

Audio Practice: Mentitivity Breathe Looking for your own hands

Felix Critersley on the day

Before starting the practice, find something to pull like an empty piece of paper and like a marker or a pencil.

1. Step 1: Be comfortable. On the floor or on the chair, find a comfortable seat, and sit like a strong tree. You can relax your hands slowly in your lap, or put them in front of you. Let your shoulders rest, and your body feels soft. You are in a safe place.
2. Step 2: See your hands. Take a moment to look at your hands. How do they feel like? Are they warm or cool? Do they feel heavy or light? If you are feeling nervous or anxious, it’s fine – just notice what is happening in your hands. If you feel stressful, stir your hands a little and let the stress go away.
3. Step 3: Find your hands. Now, we are going to track our hands to make a calm picture. Place your hand on a piece of paper and trace with a pencil or marker around it. When you track, feel your fingers, your hand’s palm and a place between your fingers. Let each marker’s shock be a reminder that you are safe and in control.

   When you track your hands, know that you are making something special. Your hands are your own calm tools, always available when you need to relax and feel ground.

4. Step 4: Breathe with your hands. Now that your hands are traced, we are using them to help us take deep breath. Every finger will guide us in one of our breaths. We will count from 1 to 10, a number for each finger. With each number, we will take a slow, deep breath in and out.

   Start with your pink and breathe as you “1.” Count your chest and stomach. Now, as you “2.” Count, let the breath come out slowly and make your body feel soft. Breathe slowly for each finger. When you breathe, feel your hands full of calmly. As you breathe, feel your hands and body even more comfortable.

5. Step 5: Pay attention to sensation. When you go through each number, pay close attention to how your hands feel. Do they feel warm, soft, or fast? Look at any changes with breath. Imagine that your breath flows with your hands, bringing comfort to every part of your body.

   As your brain wanders, bring your attention back to your hands and breaths. Take your time, enjoy every breath and find peace as a chance.

6. Step 6: Feel the ground and safe. Take a moment to consider how your body feels now. Does your body feel more comfortable? Do your hands feel more calm and stable? Remember, this exercise helps us feel ground – as our feet are firmly applied to the ground, and we are in control of our breath and emotions. Your hands can always be a source of comfort. If you ever feel upset or upset, you can come back to this exercise, take a deep breath, and find comfort with your hands.
7. When you feel ready, come back your days. Take another deep breath, and breathe gently. Slowly bring your awareness back to your place. You are calm, focused, and ready to face whatever comes. Whenever you need it, you can always be back in your calm hands.