15 relaxation exercises for children

  • Apr 02, 2023
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Relaxation exercises for children

Childhood is one of the periods of life in which it is possible to acquire habits that leave a constructive mark in adulthood. Although we often think that only adults suffer from stress and anxiety, these also occur with a lot of frequently in children when they have to face situations that are new to them, that are challenging or they scare

So that the boy or girl learns to live in a way healthy and happy, it is important that they learn different relaxation exercises since that helps children reduce their stress level, both mentally and and also helps to reduce the shyness of the child, as well as to control tics and other symptoms that are related to anxiety.

To help them manage that anxiety and to feel calmer, we can teach them some very simple relaxation techniques through these 15 relaxation exercises for children that we offer you in Psychology-Online.

You may also like: Mindfulness for children: exercises and activities

Index

  1. Music as a child relaxation technique
  2. Relaxation techniques through mindful eating
  3. hug a tree
  4. Recover the art of storytelling
  5. Emotional photography as a relaxation exercise
  6. mindfulness books for kids
  7. Sensory exercises for children
  8. gratitude ritual
  9. Relaxation games: paint mandalas
  10. Reading poems for children and young people
  11. yoga for kids
  12. Introduce Mindfulness to Yoga
  13. Meditation as a relaxation exercise for children
  14. The turtle
  15. Relaxation game: like a balloon

Music as a child relaxation technique.

Music is part of human life since childhood. There are different types of melodies that can influence child development. Those that have a musicality and rhythm that promotes relaxation feed this calm state of mind. This music can serve as an environmental base to carry out a relaxation exercise focused on conscious breathing.

Relaxation exercises for children - Music as a relaxation technique for children

Relaxation techniques through mindful eating.

In a daily environment such as the weekend meal, it is possible to create an environment of enjoyment around this routine to value not only the menu on the table, but also, sensations, emotions and flavors. That is, conscious eating. For this, it is advisable to live this moment without haste. It is also convenient to turn off the mobile phone and television.

Hug a tree.

The conscious power of contact with the present can be seen through the visual metaphor of the embrace. The hug is a gesture that can not only occur between two people. A relaxation exercise that can be practiced as a family is to hug a tree at enjoy a ride for a green area.

Relaxation exercises for children - Hug a tree

Recover the art of storytelling.

Learn to Live the present It is one of the symptoms of vital wisdom that reinforces happiness. AND mindfulness It provides a methodology focused on conscious attention that can define a viable path to connect with the moment.

oral narrative feed the imagination childish. In this case, you can create stories described in natural environments so that the very context of the plot carried out by the characters leads the child to the heart of the scents, sounds and typical characteristics of this wellness environment.

Emotional photography as a relaxation exercise.

The art of capture images It has a high emotional value for families since, through this photo album, it is possible to observe some of the moments carried out by loved ones. Photography also becomes a form of mindfulness when the goal is to capture images with heart through pausing and observing. Therefore, it is possible to motivate the child to practice the art of photography through images that contain her own gaze.

Relaxation exercises for children - Emotional photography as a relaxation exercise

Mindfulness books for children.

Books are an educational stimulus for children. Literary works on mindfulness attempt to bring this methodology of Conscious attention to the little ones from the house The benefits of mindfulness in education They are many and we must take advantage of them. In the catalog of bookstores and libraries you can buy titles on the subject of mindfulness in a close language such as the following:

  • Calm and attentive as a frog: This book offers short, simple stories and exercises that children can practice on a daily basis. It is aimed at boys and girls from 5 to 12 years old and their parents, who can accompany them in their practice.
  • mindfulness games: They are a wonderful way to encourage children's ability to concentrate while teaches them to regulate their emotions and to respond to any situation with serenity, kindness and compassion. The book includes 60 easy and accessible games that help integrate mindfulness into daily life.
  • Mother! Do we meditate?: a practical guide for every mother who does not need to know how to meditate and wants to let this ancient practice so powerful into her life to help her children in a different way.

Sensory exercises for children.

The human being connects with the present through the information that he receives from the senses.

  • Based on this observation, you can suggest to the child that they focus her attention on an item you can see right around you.
  • Another exercise linked to sensations is walk barefoot on the carpet of a home stay.
  • In relation to sounds, the child can focus attention on nature soundsFor example, the wind that moves the trees.
Relaxation exercises for children - Sensory exercises for children

Gratitude ritual.

This relaxation exercise can be done with a weekly frequency and it can be a simple family act through which to reinforce this feeling towards life. Create a habit of gratitude It is constructive to reinforce optimism, happiness and appreciation of reality, beyond the dissatisfaction that produces putting the point of attention in the deficiencies instead of in what is has. Each family can customize their gesture of gratitude individually.

Relaxation exercises for children - Gratitude ritual

Relaxation games: paint mandalas.

Through this exercise color a mandala, children can not only put conscious attention into practice, but also their own creativity through a game of colors, shapes and symmetry. This is an exercise in creativity that can easily be integrated into free time.

Reading poems for children and youth.

Poetry has its own musicality through the rhythm and meter of the verses. By reading this type of work, children discover the beauty of words from a performance that has a marked time signature. This is an exercise that also stimulates the sense of hearing through reading aloud. And through this auditory information, the child connects with the present.

Relaxation exercises for children - Reading poems for children and young people

Yoga for children.

One of the best relaxation exercises for children and adolescents is yoga. since it is positive to promote the integral well-being of children. The yoga groups are guided by expert monitors who offer specially recommended dynamics. Yoga combines two very important ingredients: control of breathing and awareness of body posture. In this way, it is a discipline that involves the body and the mind.

Relaxation techniques associated with yoga are especially positive for prevent possible states of anxiety linked to hyperactivity impulsivity. In addition, through the performance of some yoga dynamics, he internalizes these dynamics that he will repeat sequentially at different times. The effect of repetition is very therapeutic.

Relaxation exercises for children - Yoga for children

Introduce Mindfulness to yoga.

A study published by the Canadian magazine Cadth carried out by specialists in Mindfulness and Yoga concludes that yoga is a discipline that can be applied as a complementary treatment due to its different benefits: increases the child's self-esteem who becomes more self-aware. By improving the relationship that the child has with himself, this well-being also increases in the links with the environment as if it were a mirror law, in addition, the child also acquires better concentration by reducing impulsivity.

The benefits of yoga they are not visible from one day to the next, however, when this discipline is cultivated, it becomes a philosophy of life. The benefits of yoga do not produce the same results in all people either.

Another of the benefits of yoga and mindfulness is that they are disciplines that can be enjoyed as a family. In this case, they are the starting point for sharing time together and strengthening affective ties to starting from dynamics that promote optimism, stress control and comprehensive well-being (body and mind). Mindfulness includes a combination of exercises relaxation and meditation. They are exercises that raise the level of interiority, in this way, the person focuses on himself, beyond the external noise.

Meditation as a relaxation exercise for children.

Another discipline that is also therapeutic for children is meditation, which is based on an important premise: mental attention span it also requires training, that is, it is a skill that is nourished by one's own practical experience. Meditation increases the level of resilience and Improves mood Furthermore, mantras can also produce an effect of security and calm. "I'm fine" is a simple mantra exercise that brings constructive energy.

Before making any decision in this regard, it is essential that you consult all doubts with the professional who follows the child's case to decide which discipline is the most appropriate for him. In this way, you can know if in your case there is no contraindication in the practice of yoga, mindfulness or meditation.

The turtle.

"The turtle" is another of the most frequent relaxation games for children. In this exercise the child will pretend that he is a turtle that is hiding in its shell because the sun is setting.

For this, the child will be in the floor lying face down, with his arms and legs stretched out and, little by little, he will shrink, sitting on his legs and hiding his arms, so that he remains as shrunken as possible. He will hold that position for a few seconds and then, with the sunrise, he will stretch again, always slowly. Thus, will relax your muscles and your mind at the same time.

Relaxation game: like a balloon.

Among the relaxation games for children, one of the best known and used is "Like a balloon". To carry it out, we will indicate to the child that he must act like a balloon, that is, filling up with air and then letting it out.

To do this, you must breathe in very slowly until he feels his lungs fill with air and he feels his abdomen fill with air as well, just like a balloon. Afterwards, the child will slowly expel the air, slowly, like a balloon that gradually deflates.

This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Relaxation exercises for children, we recommend that you enter our category of meditation and relaxation.

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