For some people, their role model is their mom or dad (or both!), or perhaps even their older sibling. For others, it is their favorite athlete or musician. Role models serve important roles because they help set examples for others, and they inspire others with their good values, attitudes, and behaviors. Watch the videos below to see others' opinions on role models! Click on COMMENTS to share your thoughts!
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4/28/2020 0 Comments How do I Relax....7 Mindfulness Exercises with Kids
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-18136/7-fun-ways-to-teach-your-kids-mindfulness.html 1. The Bell Listening Exercise Ring a bell and ask the kids to listen closely to the vibration of the ringing sound. Tell them to remain silent and raise their hands when they no longer hear the sound of the bell. Then tell them to remain silent for one minute and pay close attention to the other sounds they hear once the ringing has stopped. After, go around in a circle and ask the kids to tell you every sound they noticed during that minute. This exercise is not only fun and gets the kids excited about sharing their experiences with others, but really helps them connect to the present moment and the sensitivity of their perceptions. 2. Breathing Buddies Hand out a stuffed animal to each child (or another small object). If room allows, have the children lie down on the floor and place the stuffed animals on their bellies. Tell them to breathe in silence for one minute and notice how their Breathing Buddy moves up and down, and any other sensations that they notice. Tell them to imagine that the thoughts that come into their minds turn into bubbles and float away. The presence of the Breathing Buddy makes the meditation a little friendlier, and allows the kids to see how a playful activity doesn't necessarily have to be rowdy. 3. The Squish & Relax Meditation While the kids are lying down with their eyes closed, have them squish and squeeze every muscle in their bodies as tightly as they can. Tell them to squish their toes and feet, tighten the muscles in their legs all the way up to their hips, suck in their bellies, squeeze their hands into fists and raise their shoulders up to their heads. Have them hold themselves in their squished up positions for a few seconds, and then fully release and relax. This is a great, fun activity for "loosening up" the body and mind, and is a totally accessible way to get the kids to understand the art of "being present." 4. Smell & Tell Pass something fragrant out to each child, such as a piece of fresh orange peel, a sprig of lavender or a jasmine flower. Ask them to close their eyes and breathe in the scent, focusing all of their attention only on the smell of that object. Scent can really be a powerful tool for anxiety-relief (among other things!). 5. The Art Of Touch Give each child an object to touch, such as a ball, a feather, a soft toy, a stone, etc. Ask them to close their eyes and describe what the object feels like to a partner. Then have the partners trade places. Both this exercise and the previous one are simple, but compelling, ways to teach the kids the practice of isolating their senses from one another, and tuning into distinct experiences. 6. The Heartbeat Exercise Have the kids jump up and down in place for one minute. Then have them sit back down and place their hands on their hearts. Tell them to close their eyes and feel their heartbeats, their breath, and see what else they notice about their bodies. 7. Heart-To-Heart In this exercise, the meaning of "heart" is less literal. In other words, this activity could also simply be called "Let's talk about feelings." So sit down and casually, comfortably ask the children to tell you about their feelings. What feelings do they feel? How do they know they are feeling those feelings? Where do they feel them in their bodies? Ask them which feelings they like the best. Then ask them what they can do to feel better when they aren’t feeling the feelings they like best. Remind them that they can always practice turning their thoughts into bubbles if they are upset, they can do the Squish and Relax Meditation if they need to calm down, and they can take a few minutes to listen to their breath or feel their heartbeats if they want to relax. My hope for the mindfulness class was to give the kids some tools they can use anytime: tools to calm down, slow down and feel better when they are troubled. I sure wish I had these tools at my disposal when I was their age. Imagine if all the children around the Earth learned to use these tools during their childhoods. What a change our world would experience within just one generation! 4/27/2020 1 Comment What did you do this weekend to...have some fun or relax?
keep your body strong and healthy? keep your mind strong and healthy? Click the Comments to share with us one or more of your answers. Click HERE to go to the Activity of the Day to try a few ways to keep your mind strong and healthy. We all have different things that make us different and unique. We have various interests and qualities that make us special. Take time to watch the short video and click on Comments to share your answers. Remember you are perfectly perfect! 4/22/2020 0 Comments Happy Earth Day!Did you know that today is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day? Even though we can't celebrate at school or with our community, we can still do our part to help the Earth. Watch the videos below to find out about Earth Day and ways to help and connect with the earth and nature. - What can you do to help the Earth? - How can you connect with nature? Click on Comments to share your answer(s).
While we may not be able to see our friends in-person, it is important during this time to connect with others. There are many ways to virtually "connect" with friends. Once you Comment with your answers, check out the videos about being friends & making new friends. Looking for ways to connect with friends while keeping safe? Click here for ideas.
There is a lot going on in our world right now.
Click on Comments to share what you would change. 4/16/2020 1 Comment What are you enjoying lately? Or fill in the blank... I especially enjoy ____ lately.4/15/2020 0 Comments Random Acts of KindnessHave you been kind today? To yourself? To others? Being kind to yourself and others is a great mood booster. How can you be kind? What kindness acts can you engage in? Click Here for Ideas. Remember to practice social distancing when engaging in your acts of kindness! Click on Comments and share what you did to be kind! Continue to be kind as often as possible. 4/14/2020 0 Comments If you could go into the past, where would you go? Why? Would you take anyone with you? If yes, who?4/13/2020 1 Comment Welcome Back!We hope that your Spring Break was healthy and safe. As we continue to Stay Home and Stay Safe, it will be continue to be important to use coping strategies to help you manage your feelings & emotions.
How are you feeling? What coping strategies do you use to manage your feelings? If you need coping strategy ideas, click here to go to the Activity of the Day. *This is a repeat question. We will continue to post feeling check-ins as we continue to work through and cope with our current reality. Click on the Comments next to Share to submit your answers. |
Welcome to our Question of the Day! Every weekday, a question will post for you to answer! We encourage you to type your answer in the comments section. We would LOVE to read your answers. Questions will take on a variety of topics which we hope you will enjoy. If you don't want to share your answer, that's great too! Share your answer with a friend, parent, sibling, pet, or keep to yourself. The power to chose is up to you!
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
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