Last month we touched on the topic of mindfulness and more specifically how to help your child use mindfulness breathing activities to calm their bodies and minds.  This month we are highlighting some wonderful sensory activities that can allow you and your child to focus on the present moment, recognizing and appreciating the elements that are being explored, and how the experience makes you feel. 

A helpful practice is ‘mental noting”. Mental noting is labeling by naming the thoughts and feelings that come up as you engage in quiet time, a sensory-based activity, or during an intentional activity in which you choose to be more aware, more mindful, during that time period.

As you read through 4 suggested activities select one or two that you would like to try with your child.  Although mindfulness activities can be done with more than one child per adult, when first learning it is helpful to initially limit the experience to one child as it reduces the distractions. For many, distractions are the number one challenge reported when attempting to increase the practice of mindfulness.

Sensory Activity List

1. Music Listening – Find a piece of instrumental music that you typically find enjoyable to listen to when wanting to relax. Many choose a piece that is slower and more reflective, however never rule out music that has a strong grounding pulse or even a happy encouraging beat.  Play the music for your child and see if they have a similar appreciation of the selection.  Below is an example of a piece that you can try if you are having difficulty thinking of one on your own.  The next step is to place your body in a comfortable position and, if necessary to eliminate distractions, you can close your eyes as well.  As the music begins, take some slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.  As you hear the sounds, on occasion model for your child verbal statements such as, “This is pretty music”, “I hear a guitar”, “It makes me think of a waterfall”, “I feel relaxed”.   Listen to the comments your child has about the experience and acknowledge their thoughts and feelings.

2. Sensory Snacking – Create a visually appealing and tasty display of snack foods to experience with your child. Be thoughtful of foods that your child enjoys but may not generally think about the characteristics of that food.  Consider smell, color, texture, chewy versus crunchy, salty as opposed to sweet.  How does it feel in your mouth when you bite into it or suck on it?  Perhaps ask your child how many kinds of snacks they would like to use and if they have any special food they would like to include.  See below one example of how to prepare this mindfulness activity.

3. Nature Walks – Regardless of the season there is always a beautiful sensory experience waiting right outside your door. Move at your child’s speed, which, of course, can vary from sprinting like a cheetah to slugging along at a tortoise pace. Bring your sense of curiosity and adventure and allow your child to lead the way.  Create unique names for the colors you see similar to a Crayola crayon box, pick up gems you find and compare the textures, smell the flowers and grass, and listen to the sound of nature’s many voices.  Open your mouth and catch a raindrop or snowflake on your tongue or take a deep breath in and out while sitting or lying on the warm ground. Enjoy noting the many sensory moments and feelings they create along the way.

 4. Drumming – It is quite simple to make your own drum if you do not have one available. Wooden spoons on Tupperware containers or using your hands on a solid surface can work quite well. Tom Tom or Conga drums can be inexpensively purchased. Use this link to explore some options.  https://www.amazon.com/Remo-KD-5080-01-Kids-Percussion-Floor/dp/B0002F7KUG

A simple way to practice mindfulness with drums is to have the adult or child start a steady beat.  The other person can join in with the same beat or a different one.  As you play the rhythms and listen to the other person’s tempo and pulse, move your body in a way that reflects how it makes you feel, show animation if you feel happy, or close your eyes if it causes you to feel relaxed.  Key in on the non-verbal communication from your child. You can mention what you see and then ask them if you are right.  Example: “You are loving that beat.  I can tell by your smile. Am I right?”  Trade-off being the leader or the follower.  Notice the textures of the drums and how it makes your body feel when playing different ways with your full hands, fingers, palms, spoons, or sticks.

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