Mindful Kids

‘Tis the season for giving thanks and practicing gratitude. The word gratitude can be such a big concept for children, so I’m here to simplify it for you to make it fun and kid-friendly. Here are four simple activities to practice gratitude with your little ones this holiday season (or any time of year)!

4 Ways to Teach Gratitude to Children

1. 5 Finger Maple Breathing
2. Grateful Maple Exercise
3. Gratitude Bell Pass
4. Gratitude Jar

5 Finger Maple Breathing:

Hold up your hands like two maple leaves! Using your opposite pointer finger, trace up each finger as you breathe in, and breathe out as your trace down. Think about what you’re grateful for/what makes you happy as you breathe together.

Grateful Maple Exercise:

This one comes straight from my “Mindful & Magical Me” Kids Inspiration Deck. Trace your hand on a piece of paper to create your own maple leaf! On each of the five lobes (your fingers), write down something or someone you’re grateful for. You can write for them if need be, or even have them draw pictures instead!

Gratitude Bell Pass:

This one is great for a group of kids such as in school … Read More!

We take turns putting the kids to bed, and even on the nights my husband puts our daughter to bed she 99% of the time calls me back up for one more snuggle.

I cuddle up with her, and we usually do some simple repeat-after-me bedtime affirmations to help calm her body and busy mind. After we finished them last night, my little one told me she came up with some of her own.

“Do you want to hear?” she enthusiastically asked. And then she proudly exclaimed:

“I am love-full.”

“I am sweet”

“I am beautiful.”

“I am Isabella.”

“Were those good affirmations, mommy?” she asked. Yes, yes they were sweetie.

Hearing this made my mama heart so full. And if you have little ones, you can practice simple bedtime affirmations too!

In fact, my new Mindfulness Deck for Kids, coming out this spring, includes several affirmation exercises I use with my own kiddos and in my kids yoga classes — including a go-to bedtime affirmation.

Get on the wait list for my Kids Mindfulness Deck here!

P.S. Here are some other ways to bring more mindfulness into your kids bedtime routine!… Read More!

I’m beaming as I just taught a “Gingerbread Man” themed yoga class to 13 preschoolers this afternoon. And let me tell you — it was quite the adventure!

• We practiced belly breathing while sipping “hot chocolate” followed by a “Hot Chocolate” Polar Express dance party to explore Mountain
• We warmed up by sneaking past the gingerbread animals to escape the house!
• Then we ventured off for a magical sleigh ride adventure through the park at night (where we spotted some horse, a tree with twinkly lights, stars in the sky, and more)
• To end the class, we shook our worries out then rocked our beanie animal friends to sleep once we got back to the gingerbread house (for the sweetest savasana).

That moment witnessing 13 little ones laying still cuddled up with their animal friends made my heart so very full.

Here’s your reminder to embrace your inner child this weekend, BREATHE and have fun! … Read More!

Kids thrive on routines. From breakfast to bedtime, children like to know what’s going on. That’s why you’ll notice they even ask for the same shows over and over again. (Right now in our house it’s Curious George Christmas.)

Among all the routines, the bedtime routine is probably the most talked about in the parenting world. It’s a way for children to “wind down” before bed, and typically includes a mix of tubby time, lullabies/songs, books and good night kisses.

The other night, my 4-year-old daughter was a little worked up before bed — moody, whiny way overtired and on the verge of a meltdown, and all of our usual bedtime tricks simply weren’t cutting it.

Here are 3 simple steps we took to help calm her body and mind — infusing more mindfulness to her bedtime routine.

3 Mindful Bedtime Tips for Children

Breathing: As Danielle Tiger always says, “When you feel so mad that you want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four.” Deep breathing is a wonderful way to help regulate our emotions.

However, sometimes when I encourage my kids to take a deep breath I am met with resistance. Before bed … Read More!

Having a morning or evening ritual can be a wonderful way to incorporate feel-good habits into your day — and over the years I’ve changed up my routine based on my current lifestyle. While evening rituals are popular among adults, kids thrive on them even more so.

Creating a bedtime routine for your littles is a great way to wind down after a busy day and give them a sense of stability. Ever since Bella was a baby, we’ve adapted a bedtime ritual that works for our family and she’s been a dream sleeper ever since. I have to admit: we got super lucky with her as our little Ollie is still getting there (baby steps)!

Lately, we’re loving our Pact Dream Big Pajamas to add to the mix! Note: I received this product for free from Moms Meet to review but all opinions are my own and I only recommend products I love.

P.S. Be sure to read on for a special offer just for you below! 😉

Here’s a Peek into Bella’s Bedtime Routine

• Tubby time with some gentle tunes (lately we’ve been loving Beatles lullabies and my calming birth playlist)
• Brush our teeth + rub a

Note: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to review and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

Fun Fact: I’ve been reading to our sweet daughter Isabella Rose since before she was born. I have found memories snuggling up, placing one hand on my pregnant belly, and reading her stories as a way to connect and bond with her.

It’s hard to believe she turns two this week, and while life sure looks a lot different these days, one thing has remained constant: our love for reading together.

We have dozens and dozens of books, and Isabella loves sorting them and independently picking out the book she wants mommy or daddy to read in that moment. Whether it be a way to wind down before her nap, afternoon giggles or bedtime stories, we’re a huge fan of reading in this household.

Our Love for Priddy Books

We’ve loved Priddy Books since the early days, as First 100 Words and First 100 Animals are staples in our house — introducing our little one to some of her first words through pictures.

I love that the … Read More!