12 Best Calming Activities and Breathing Exercises for Kids
/Whether to prepare for test taking, ease anxiety, or wind down after an active day, there are many ways breathing exercises and calming activities for kids are beneficial.
They foster self-regulation, social-emotional learning (SEL) and mindfulness in early child development, and can help refocus the classroom or group in a multitude of environments.
After teaching mindful breathing exercises and calming strategies to hundreds of preschool and elementary students (as well as teachers and administrators) we’ve found these music and yoga activities offer some of the best calming techniques for children. Here are 12 calming yoga poses and breathing practices you can use right away.
1. Affirmation Relaxation
Relaxation is a calming activity that’s seemly simple to implement and participate in - but transitioning children to relaxation isn’t always easy. That’s why, at the end of our Yo Re Mi classes, we use this Affirmation Relaxation to help students find grounding and refocus while observing five minutes of mindful, confidence-boosting quiet.
Say to yourself, “I am still. I am strong.”
Pair this with a guided body scan for ultimate relaxation results (perfect for children and adults!)
2. Sleepy Lion
Child’s Pose is one of our favorite kids yoga poses for calming and grounding. Sleepy Lion in Child’s Pose promotes regulation in our nervous system while a big RAWR! in Upward Facing Dog helps stretch, strengthen, and re-energize our bodies.
We love to guide youngsters into this pose when a distracted classroom needs help refocusing!
3. Imaginary Train Ride
This kids yoga pose, Seated Forward Fold, creates calm and focus by allowing our bodies to “rest and digest”.
Have fidgeting students after an active lunch and recess break? Hop on an imaginary train and practice these forward fold variations to relax the central nervous system. For a full travel-themed class, check out our transportation yoga poses for kids.
All aboard!
4. Feather Blowing
Encourage a yogic breathing practice in the classroom (or even at home) by helping kids self-regulate through feather blowing.
This simple, yet effective breathing exercise for kids is both entertaining and calming. It also teaches children how to listen and tune into their body, as well as tangibly visualize the effects of their own deep breathing.
5. Pumpkin Patch
Like Sleepy Lion pose, Pumpkin Patch is a wonderful seasonal activity that promotes calm and regulation of our central nervous system with Child’s Pose.
During the autumn season, help children adjust to new school schedules, new classmates and changing weather by pretending to be pumpkins (great for harvest-themed classroom activities too; or a relaxing guided “Falling Leaf” visualization).
What type of pumpkin will you choose to be?
Did you know that pumpkins are connected by a vine? Maybe we can connect our pumpkins together too, as a class.
6. Blue-Footed Booby
Who knew a Blue-Footed Booby from the Galapagos could help your kids find calm and relaxation? This fun musical yoga pose combines Fish Pose and Candle Pose (shoulder stand) to reduce stress and fatigue.
If you love this animal pose, work up to Blue-Footed Booby with these super fun animal yoga poses for children.
7. Breathing Ball
We regularly use the Hoberman Sphere (aka “Breathing Ball”) in our classes to help kids focus on their breath, learn to work through big emotions and self-regulate.
Great for test taking, stress and anxiety, and integrating with sensory activities for autism, regular breathing practices help us inhale relaxing energy and exhale overwhelm and frustration. It is useful for both students and teachers, and one of the best breathing exercises for kids and whole family!
8. Peace Like a River
Sometimes singing is the best way to release stress. When we hold notes, we get better at controlling and regulating our breathing. The rhythmic patterns of music, at mindful volumes and dynamics, can also be comforting.
Try sitting when you sing “Peace Like a River” to calm. Don’t be afraid to incorporate creative hand and body motions to pair with the song.
9. Dragon Breathing
Dragon Breathing is one of our most popular breathing exercises in our classroom resources collection. I mean, who doesn’t love dragons!?
This conscious breathing exercise helps us self-regulate and reduce stress by noticing our breath and releasing tension and negative energy. It is great for mindfully working through “tantrums” and frustration, calming anxiety in children, and helping increase our positive energy.
10. Walking on the Moon
What’s more calming than imagining you’re walking along the moon, with very little gravity? Relaxing and using our imagination are some of our favorite things to do!
Use the soothing song “Walking On The Moon” to explore how gravity works, try gentle yoga twists, and visualize what our bodies look and feel like when take take things a little slower.
11. Ukulele Relaxation
At Yo Re Mi, we love using ukuleles to accompany mindful music and yoga practice for children. When we teach musical concepts and mindful breathing, we help support social-emotional learning (SEL) and self-regulation in children — resultantly bringing them calm and refocusing.
12. Home Song
Sometimes it is difficult to stop having fun. Even more difficult to leave your best of friends… even if you are excited to go home to your family.
We love practicing this goodbye song called “Home” because it helps children transition from energetic classroom activities to a calming wind down at the end of the day. The Home Song supports early child development by helping little ones develop deeper social-emotional learning (SEL).
Will you sing with us? We’ll see you again soon!
Aren’t these breathing exercises and calming activities and strategies for kids awesome? They are some of our favorites, and some of the best calming techniques for helping young ones refocus, reduce anxiety and stress, and develop social-emotional learning (SEL).
Let us know how these strategies and activities help your students, and join us at our annual teacher training to learn more about guiding your students to calm and integrating movement, music and mindfulness into your curriculum to improve school performance and promote student success.
