Dear First Grade Families,

 

I will be kicking off our school year with a few Mindfulness activities that you too can do at home with your children.  What is Mindfulness you ask?  Mindfulness is simply…noticing what is happening right now.  There are many ways to integrate more mindfulness into our daily activities.  By taking a few moments each day to tune in to our bodies, breath, and mind, we are learning to stay present in the moment and de-stress.  When children are focused, they are able to achieve at higher levels in sports, school, art, and music.  It will help children score higher on tests, too.  There are different techniques that are incredibly simple and proven to enhance learning!  

 

1)  Gratitude Basket ~ Gratitude is a feeling of happiness that comes from appreciating the wonderful things in your life.  For children, that means even the little things, such as, someone sitting with your child at lunch, a simple smile, a quick hello, or someone playing with your child at recess.  On small pieces of paper, your child will draw a picture or write about something or someone that they are grateful for.  When we focus on the positive things in our life, it helps us be more mindful. 

2)  D.E.A.B. ~ Drop Everything and Breathe is another activity that only takes a couple of minutes. Children will listen to the sound of a chime and practice taking deep breaths in and out until they no longer hear the sound of the chime.  This is a great way to get children to re-focus when they are feeling worried, sad, or needing to calm down.

3) Mindful Coloring ~ Mindful Coloring helps us to let go of any thoughts about tomorrow or yesterday.  When you are being mindful, you are not worrying about whether the coloring is good or bad, amazing or terrible.  Children will be provided with Mindful Coloring pages.  Free Mindful coloring pages can be found online.

 

Thank you in advance for all you do to support your child’s school experience!

 

Mindfully Yours,

 

Mrs. O'Hare