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Mindfulness Activities for Kids

Use these simple, connection-based mindfulness activities to help your child calm down and regulate their emotions.

Dr Becky Kennedy

Dr Becky Kennedy, Clinical Psychologist

7 min read

Mindfulness Activities for Kids

Introduction

It’s bedtime. The lights are dim, the day is finally quiet, and suddenly, your kid is wide awake - worrying. About a test. About a mistake. About something that might happen. Or maybe your child melts down over a small frustration, spirals after getting something “wrong,” or seems constantly on edge, no matter how much reassurance you offer.

We all want our kids to feel more present and less stressed. And when worry or overwhelm keeps showing up, it can start to feel heavy - especially with packed schedules, overstimulating tech, and ever-growing demands.

You’re not alone. And while mindfulness isn’t about eliminating stress, it can be one steady way to support a child whose system feels overwhelmed.

By now, many of us may have dabbled with - or at least heard of - mindfulness. But the practice is not just for adults. Simple child mindfulness activities can help kids calm their minds or bodies, regulate after a tantrum, and feel more present - without asking them to “fix” their feelings.

Think of mindfulness as one way to dim down distress. It’s not about eliminating hard feelings - it’s about helping kids move through them with support.

Whether it’s a quick check-in with their bodies, concentrated breathing, or a more involved activity, mindfulness is for all kids. And from breathing exercises to “I spy” games, you’re probably doing a lot of this on some level already!

Below, we’ll go over what mindfulness is, why it’s important, and share parent and child mindfulness activities you can do together - especially during hard moments.

What is mindfulness for kids?

Mindfulness, a practice of being more aware in the present moment, asks kids to focus on breath, feelings, and the world around them. It can involve playful child mindfulness games or simple activities where kids practice noticing their breath, bodies, or surroundings to help them slow down and feel calmer. To keep it simpler and accessible for kids, you might try using a word like “noticing” instead of “mindfulness.” 

Signs a child might benefit from mindfulness support:

  • Your child can have a tendency to act impulsively at home or in school.
  • After a bout of big feelings, your child might struggle to come back to center.
  • Your child can experience heightened stress.
  • Bedtime hits, and your child can sometimes feel a sense of worry and anxiety. 
  • At times, your child can struggle with executive functioning.
  • Your child might have ADHD, depression, anxiety, or autism.
  • Many kids can benefit in different ways - and what helps one child might look different for another.

Why is mindfulness important for kids?

At Good Inside, we start with this idea: we have to understand before we intervene. When kids are overwhelmed, they will experience a wave of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This rush can lead to behaviors like hitting or screaming as a child’s nervous system tries to regulate itself. 

For kids who experience frequent worry or overwhelm, mindfulness can become one of many kids' anxiety coping skills - supporting regulation without asking kids to suppress their feelings.

This process can then impact things like attention and sleep. But the good news is that if a caring adult helps bring the child’s levels down with calming strategies like mindfulness, children develop a more regulated stress response.

5 benefits of mindfulness for kids

Regulate big feelings

Mindfulness can increase connections between the amygdala, which processes fear and anxiety, and parts of the brain that regulate emotion. This can improve impulse control and self-soothing.

Build attention and focus

By practicing nothing and returning to the present moment, kids strengthen their ability to concentrate and tune out distractions.

Strengthen memory

Mindfulness can support kids' executive functioning and mental flexibility by helping them notice when their minds wander and gently redirect themselves.

Reduce stress in the body

Breathing exercises can lower heart rate, cortisol, and the fight-or-flight response. Teach your child to associate deep breathing with big emotions.

Cultivate gratitude and awareness

When kids slow down to notice small details, they build appreciation and perspective - skills that support emotional resilience.

Mindfulness and calming activities for kids

These activities don’t require special equipment or planning. What matters most is staying present with your child and letting emotions exist without rushing to fix them. 

Five-finger mountain breathing

This exercise can be done during a meltdown or as a daily practice to help regulate the nervous system. A child holds up one hand and spreads fingers to create individual “mountains.” Using a finger from the other hand, trace up each finger mountain and down the other side. The child breathes in slowly and exhales as they go up and down the fingers. Complete the mountain range, focusing on breathing.

X-ray body scan

This exercise will help kids become more aware of how their bodies feel and help them to express it. It can be done in a moment of stress or pain or as a general daily check-in with themselves. Tell the child to visualize how they feel from head to toe. Start at the feet. Do they feel tingly, warm, or cold? Are the legs heavy or light? Is the tummy full or hungry? Is the heart rate racing, medium, or slow? Is their head full of thoughts or calm?

Layered listening

This can be done as a calming exercise in a moment of chaos or as a general daily practice to help promote active listening in kids. In a quiet room, listening will start wide and then zoom in. Kids will listen for noises like traffic, trains, planes, wind, or birds. Then move closer to sounds inside, like appliances, pets, family members, or classmates. Then move to themselves, listening to breath, tummy sounds, and more.

Hobbies and projects 

For school-age kids, mindfulness can be implemented in daily life in a more seamless way. Encourage mindful hobbies like painting, working with clay, swimming, and yoga. Another idea: actively practice graciousness with a gratitude journal where they jot down notes of appreciation.

Hot Cocoa Breathing

Deep breathing helps kids feel more grounded when big feelings show up. Hot cocoa breathing is a simple way to practice.

Ask your child to sit with their feet on the floor. If they’d like, they can place one hand on their heart and one on their belly.

Imagine a mug of hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows. Breathe in slowly through your nose to smell the cocoa. Then breathe out slowly, like you’re blowing through a straw so the marshmallows don’t fly away.

“Perfect Voice”/“Worry Voice”

Ask your child to sit comfortably and take a few slow breaths.

Explain that sometimes our minds have different “voices.” One is Worry Voice, which focuses on what might go wrong. Another is Perfect Voice, which tells us everything has to be done exactly right.

Invite your child to sit quietly for a moment and notice what thoughts show up. When they notice one, they can simply name it: “That’s my Worry Voice,” or “There’s my Perfect Voice.”

Then take another slow breath together and return attention to breathing. The goal isn’t to stop the thoughts. It’s to practice noticing them and letting them pass.

Connect on their level

For teens, mindfulness might be most effective when it meets them where they are. Have them take 10 photos on their phone of the same object and try to notice something different in each photo. In between studying and screen time, encourage them to do short walks, meditation, breathing exercises, or quick sun salutations.

3 key takeaways for practicing mindfulness

Mindfulness can support many challenges kids face, from anxiety to executive functioning to problem-solving.

  • Mindfulness can be done in the moment of a tantrum or as a general daily practice. Each time you work with them on mindfulness, new circuits are being built within your child’s brain, allowing for greater emotional regulation.
  • Mindfulness doesn’t need to be complex - the practice can be as simple as taking a few steps each day. 
  • Mindfulness helps kids slow down and notice what they’re feeling, rather than feeling overwhelmed by big emotions. Over time, this builds their ability to pause and respond more calmly.

Ready for more support? Good Inside is here to help.

Want support putting this approach into practice in real life? Looking for more mindfulness activities, scripts, and strategies to improve non-judgmental awareness in your child? That’s exactly why we created Good Inside. 

As a Good Inside member, you’ll get exclusive access to:

  • Parenting Kids With Anxiety workshop
  • On-demand support for emotional regulation
  • Daily, personalized scripts and strategies focused on your kid’s age and stage.
  • GiGi, the Good Inside chatbot, for 24/7 answers on whatever is going on in your home.
  • A private online community to connect with parents who get it in rooms dedicated to Neurodivergent Kids, School, and more.
  • Parent support sessions led by trained Good Inside Coaches.
  • A library of scripts, strategies, and videos on all kinds of school challenges.
  • Plus so much more!

Frequently asked questions

What age can kids start mindfulness activities?

Kids can start simple mindfulness activities as early as preschool. For little ones, it might look like playful breathing or noticing games. As kids grow, the practices can grow with them - but the goal stays the same: helping them feel steadier in their bodies.

What if my child refuses to do mindfulness exercises?

That’s okay. Mindfulness works best when it doesn’t feel forced. Try modeling it yourself or weaving it into everyday moments. You might say, “Let’s pause and notice three sounds we hear.” Keep it light and connection-based.

Can mindfulness really help with anxiety?

Yes. Breathing exercises have been proven to have calming effects on your brain and the rest of your nervous system. Mindfulness has even been proven to be as effective as Lexapro for adults. 

How often should we practice mindfulness?

Start small. Even a few minutes a day can help build the skill. Older kids and teens can do longer intervals around 10-15 minutes. What matters more than length is consistency - and staying connected while you practice. 

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