Meditation For Kids
May is National Meditation Month and a great time to introduce children to the practice of meditation. Let’s face it, life can be hectic. We all deal with crazy schedules and multiple activities. Children are just learning how to navigate these stressful situations. Teaching children meditation techniques can give them one more way to manage daily interactions.
Meditation is an ancient practice that has helped people slow down their racing thoughts and give their brains a rest. Studies have shown that meditation is helpful in reducing stress, calming anxiety and finding focus. Meditation can also bring other benefits such as better sleep, better behavior and more confidence.
There are several meditation techniques you can try with children. Some of the common approaches include mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation, guided meditation and movement-based meditation. No one approach is better than the other and it might be helpful to try different approaches to see what works with your child.
There are many great resources available at the library for children and families to begin a meditation practice together. If you and your children would like to join the more than 200 million people worldwide who practice meditation, this is the month to give it a try!
Virtual Resources
In addition to eBooks about meditation, hoopla has several eAudiobooks with guided meditations and meditation stories for children. These collections also offer child friendly stories that are another fun approach to meditation.
Headspace: Headspace makes meditation and mindfulness techniques available online so you can experience the benefits of meditation anytime, anywhere. Headspace offers expert guidance for parents to introduce meditation to children. Users can access numerous mindfulness and meditation exercises made just for children including the Monster Meditation video series from Sesame Street.
Books
Monster Meditation series by Random House
These board books are based on the Sesame Street Monster Meditation videos featured in the Headspace app. The library offers many of the books in the series including:
Being Patient with Cookie Monster
Getting Ready for Bed with Elmo
Meditation Station by Susan B. Katz
Your racing train of thoughts may try to take you down the railroad tracks, but you can stay in the Meditation Station, where children ages 4-8 learn how to calm their bodies and minds.
I am Peace by Susan Verde
A child starts to get carried away with worry and rushing thoughts before taking a breath, steadying, observing thoughts, feeling kindness, feeling thankful, and experiencing the world. Features an author's note about the importance of mindfulness and a guided meditation for children.
Bee Still: An Invitation to Meditation by Frank J. Sileo
Tells the story of Bentley, a bee from a busy, crowded, and noisy hive who teaches others to meditate in order to handle stress. Includes a note for parents and caregivers about what is meditation and how to teach children to meditate.
Already a Butterfly: A Meditation Story by Julia Alvarez
A too busy butterfly who spends her day hurrying and worrying finds her own "quiet place" after learning about meditation and mindfulness from a flower bud.
The Secret to Clara’s Calm by Tamara Levitt
Clara was a happy and popular girl. But when she lost her temper one too many times, she lost her friends with it. Clara was left all alone for summer vacation, until she received an unexpected visit from the coolest customer around: Brodhi the Bird. Over butter tarts, Brodhi teaches Clara to calm her temper through the art of meditation. Come September, Clara's ready to go back to school and win back her friends--but will her newfound sense of calm survive the first day?
Ziji: The Puppy Who Learned to Meditate by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Torey Hayden
Ziji is a noisy, bouncy puppy who lives with the Anderson family: Mom, Dad, Jenny, and Baby Jack. He loves to bark and play and--most of all--chase pigeons in the park. Then one day, Ziji sees a new boy from Jenny's school, Nico, sitting in the park. What is Nico doing? Why does he look so calm and happy? Ziji can't wait to find out.
This book, written by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, one of the new generation of Tibetan Buddhist masters, will teach your child the basics of meditation in a fun and engaging way. Included after the story is a guide for parents and teachers with more information on what meditation is and how it can be helpful as well as suggestions on how children can continue to practice meditation on their own.
Thank You, Miyuki by Roxane Marie Galliez
Miyuki and her grandfather return in an enchanting intergenerational story enhanced by Seng Soun Ratanavanh's gorgeous Japanese-inspired illustrations. Miyuki's curiosity is piqued by her grandfather's morning meditation routine, and she is eager to learn this new skill. Her wise and patient grandfather first takes her on a walk in the garden. "When do we start to meditate?" she asks repeatedly. Grandfather enjoys the warm sun and stops to smell a rose, inviting Miyuki to join him. Their walk in the garden, filled with many tender moments, heightens their gratitude for each other and for the world around them. Miyuki comes to understand that in the small acts of mindfulness throughout her day, she learned how to meditate.
Meditation Is an Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids by Whitney Stewart
Describes nine simple meditation exercises to help kids find focus, manage stress, and face challenges.
Feeling mindful is feeling good! You know when you're having a bad day, you have that wobbly feeling inside and nothing seems to go right? Find a quiet place, sit down, and meditate! In this daily companion, kids of any age will learn simple exercises to help manage stress and emotions, find focus, and face challenges. They'll discover how to feel safe when scared, relax when anxious, spread kindness, and calm anger when frustrated. Simple, secular, and mainstream, this mindfulness book is an excellent tool for helping kids deal with the stresses of everyday life.
Sit with Me: Meditation for Kids in Seven Easy Steps by Carolyn Kanjuro
You can squat like a frog or lounge like a cat-but if you want to sit like a Buddha easy and free, there are seven key steps for taking your seat. Sit with Me invites kids of all ages to learn meditation through lyrical verse and playful illustrations, showing how everyone is capable of sitting still, taking a breath, and letting their mind rest. The book includes step-by-step instructions to show kids the correct posture and state of mind to best utilize meditation in their daily lives.
Meditate with Me: A Step-by-Step Mindfulness Journey by Mariam Gates
This accessible and fun guide to meditation and mindfulness is the perfect introduction for young children. Meditation does a body good, and can even help kids as young as four or five. This practical guide is gentle, clear, and a pleasure to use. Kids will learn how to focus on their breath, on the sensations in their body, and on the sounds around them to help them relax, settle their busy minds, and understand their emotions. Illustrated with cheerful drawings of five animal friends, the book offers step-by-step directions and a repeating refrain: "Breathe in, and fill your whole body. Breathe out, and relax your whole body." It's an invigorating first experience of mindfulness that can be shared by parents and children at home, or by teachers and students in the classroom.
Good Night Body: Finding Calm from Head to Toe by Britney Winn Lee
Bedtime can be full of big emotions for kids! Calm anxious, busy thoughts with this body scan meditation designed to prepare kids for sleep. This mindfulness practice will help children let go of worries, stress, and excitement as they reach their arms like a telescope, let their mouths hang like a hammock, dance their fingers like wind chimes.
Healing Breath: A Guided Meditation through Nature for Kids by William Meyer
A gorgeously illustrated guided meditation to calm and soothe as well as inspire and empower us to act on behalf of the natural world
Join the award-winning team of writer and teacher Bill Meyer and illustrator Brittany R. Jacobs on a guided meditation journey through rich, colorful landscapes spanning the globe. Breathe into the experience of waves on the ocean, trees in a forest, and the warmth of a desert, and feel your connection to all of life, from barnacles to baboons to falcons to farmers. This magical meditation-in-a-book is ideal for anyone who wants to simultaneously calm down and rise up to the world in all its wonders.
Big Breath: A Guided Meditation for Kids by William Meyer
Calm your worries and build your bravery -- or just relax during a busy day or wind down before bed
All day long, you breathe -- in and out, in and out -- without even thinking about it. But did you know that you can play with your breath, use it to take you on an adventure? All you have to do is find a comfy spot and close your eyes.
Does your breath sound like ocean waves? Like the wind before a storm or a breeze at the start of spring? Can you feel it all the way down to the tips of your toes? By the time you open your eyes, you might just feel a little lighter, calmer, more relaxed.
In Big Breath, William Meyer's gentle prompts, alongside Brittany R. Jacobs's wonderful illustrations, make meditation as fun as a game, but with big results.
My Mindful Day series by Katie Marsico
Early readers are introduced to a foundation of daily mindfulness practices in the My Mindful Day series. This engaging early approach to mindfulness helps readers develop word recognition and reading skills. Each book in this series includes a table of contents, glossary, index, and an author biography.
Just Breathe series by Virginia Logh-Hagan
Books in the Just Breathe series provide readers with tools on how to practice mindfulness throughout their day. Readers are provided with helpful exercises, tips, and activities to better manage their thoughts and feelings. These books are written with a high-interest level to appeal to a more mature audience and with a lower level of complexity and considerate text to help struggling readers.
Mindful Me: Mindfulness and Meditation for Kids by Whitney Stewart
When difficult things happen, you can take a step back and become a Mindful Me!
Sometimes kids' lives can get busy and out of control, and worries can take over. When that happens, knowing how to pause and regain composure with mindfulness can help. This easily digestible guide introduces kids to mindfulness as a way to find clarity, manage stress, handle difficult emotions, and navigate personal challenges. With step-by-step instructions to over thirty breathing, relaxation, and guided meditation exercises, readers will have an entire toolkit at their disposal and writing prompts will help them process their discoveries. Clearly written and incredibly relatable, this invaluable resource provides a positive introduction to the world of self-care and mindfulness.
Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement and More by Mallika Chopra
For kids ages 8 to 12, this book is full of specific exercises to help deal with day-to-day challenges and tips to lead a healthier, happier, and more connected life. The book includes practical advice on breathing techniques and guided meditations for a number of topics and scenarios. Beginners will learn the basics of meditation and how to get started, and those more experienced will learn how to improve their practice. This book will also teach kids how to prepare their own meditation spaces. Just Breathe is the go-to book for kids who want to learn more about mindfulness and meditation.
Meditation for Kids: How to Clear Your Head and Calm Your Mind by Johanne Bernard and Laurent Dupeyrat
Start your kids off on a path to self-awareness through meditation! Written in easy-to-understand language, Meditation for Kids empowers kids to start learning about and practicing meditation as a way to stay calm, focused, and confident so they can work through daily stresses and manage tough emotions.
This extensive guide features options for both seated and walking meditation practices with over a dozen illustrated, step-by-step exercises like the tightrope walker and the flamingo. A short history of meditation, fun checklists, and a troubleshooting guide for frequently asked questions--including "What happens if you fall asleep?" and "Can I meditate with my pet?"--help lay the groundwork for a daily practice of stillness and inner reflection. The book even provides playful opportunities for kids to "teach" their parents the exercises so the whole family can participate.
by Briana, Hopewell Branch
Comments
Post a Comment