We are officially in November and focusing on Relationships/Connections and Mindfulness! The last two months of the year are ALWAYS so BUSY!!! So, let’s get right into it….
Relationships and Connections are a great topic, especially during the upcoming holidays. Staying connected and building relationships with the ones you love and care for are so important. Here are some fun and effective activities that you can do at home to help build on those relationships.
- Turn off all devices and play a game
- Take a walk
- Make dinner and/or have dinner
- Try new experiences
- Take turns reading your favorite book
- Try a new workout/sport
- Try new hobbies
- Bake festive cookies
- Watch a movie
- Talk to each other (Try fishbowl questions)
Another activity that you can do at home with your family each day is the Month of Mindfulness Challenge!
The definition of Mindfulness is 1. The quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. 2. A mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
BE IN THE MOMENT…whether you are listening to music, reading a book, going for a walk, or spending time with a family member or friend. Give your time and attention to the moment!
The benefits of Mindfulness practice are reducing stress, enhance performance, gain insight and awareness through observing our own minds, and increase our attention to others’ well-being.
Lastly, here are some Mindfulness Games for children.
- Blowing bubbles- have your child focus on taking in a deep, slow breath, and exhaling steadily to fill the bubble. Encourage them to pay close attention to the bubbles as they form, detach, and pop or float away.
- Pinwheels- Use the same tactics from blowing bubbles to encourage mindful attention on the pinwheels.
- Playing with balloons- Tell your children that the aim of this game is to keep the balloon off the ground, but have them move slowly and gently. You can tell them to pretend the balloon is very fragile if that helps.
- Texture bag- Place several small, interestingly shaped or textured objects in a bag. Have each child reach in and touch an object, one at a time, and describe what they are touching. Make sure they don’t take the object out of the bag, forcing them to use only their sense of touch to explore the object.
- Blindfolded Taste Tests- Use a blindfold for each child and have them experience eating a small food, like a raisin or a cranberry, as if it was their first time eating it.
Be sure to come back next week as we dive more into Relationships/Connections and Mindfulness!
