Well-Being Activities for Children: Part 2

Part 1 of this blog post outlined the essential elements of children's well-being. Make sure to read it here: "Well-Being Activities for Kids: Part 1, Fundamentals."

In this second part, we will dive into extra activities that can empower your child to manage their emotions and easily adjust to challenging situations. This way, your child can experience immediate comfort and contentment. In this article, you'll find helpful advice on how to feel better instantly, an effective first aid solution when they're going through emotionally challenging times. Pick the most appropriate well-being activities that fit your children and help them develop effective strategies for managing their emotions and feelings in times of distress or anxiety.

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Well-being activity #1: Control breathing

Encourage your children to practice breathing techniques. They can help them relax, take control of their emotions, reduce stress and anxiety levels, improve concentration, and boost their self-confidence. It's never too early to start learning how to wind down.

Deep Breathing For Preschoolers

You can use this technique with children three and up to help them calm down. Ask them to pretend they are smelling their favorite flower or food and take a deep breath with their nose to take in as much smell as possible with their nose. Then ask them to pretend they blow a candle (or light up one to make the exercise more exciting). Repeat this exercise at least ten times or as much as possible.

Additional props that encourage deep breathing in little kids are pipe ball toys, a train whistle, a toy flute  or harmonica, bubbles, or simple balloons.

Another option to demonstrate deep breathing to kids is a breathing ball. They inhale while expanding the ball and exhale, simultaneously collapsing it. You can add counting to four to help your child find the breathing rhythm.

Belly Breathing For Little Kids

This technique is suitable for 4-5-year-olds: have your child lie on their back and put a toy on their stomach. Ask them to focus on it as it goes up and down with the waves of breath.

Four Square Breathing For Kids 6 and Up

A very efficient technique to calm down and concentrate is four-square breathing. Have your child inhale - hold for 4 seconds - exhale - hold for 4 seconds. Repeat this several times until they feel calmer.

To help with this breathing technique, you can draw a square, each side of which your child would trace. 

1. Ask them to trace one side while breathing in and counting to four.
2. Then trace another side while holding a breath and counting to four.
3. After that, trace the third side of the square, breathing out and counting to four.
4. And finally, ask a child to hold their breath and trace the last side of the square, counting to four. Tracing all four sides of the square is considered a complete breath cycle.

Breathing boards

These fantastic breathing boards are useful for kids six and up to calm down if their anxiety is taking over. The boards teach kids to regulate their breath and offer six different breathing techniques for various situations.

Well-being activity #2: Practice mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditations teach children two essential skills:

1. accept all their thoughts and emotions
2. understand that they can have thoughts but don't have to be ruled by them

Other benefits of meditation for kids include:

• improved positive thinking, happiness, empathy,
• pain relief,
• better self-esteem,
• quality sleep,
• decreased stress levels,
• better attention span, focus, and concentration,
• improved creativity and imagination,
• higher empathy and compassion
• active listening skills

How to practice mindfulness meditations with kids

Mindfulness meditations teach children to pay attention to their present-moment experiences with curiosity and kindness and help them take control of their emotions and responses in difficult situations. These meditations can be practiced by children of all ages, with activities such as deep breathing exercises or simply paying attention to the sensations in their bodies. Parents can help guide their kids through these mindfulness practices to foster self-awareness and emotional regulation for a healthier outlook. Check out this short Udemy course that teaches parents to guide mindful meditations of 5-12-year-old children.

Meditation apps

Meditation apps for kids are a great way to introduce them to mindfulness practice and help build their emotional intelligence. Here are just a few meditation apps; some are free, and some of them are suitable even for 3-year-olds, and some are targeted at older kids so that you can find the one that suits your family: HeadSpace, Piku Calm Kids, Mindful Powers, Meditation for Kids, Moshi, Smiling Mind.

Meditation cards

These fantastic meditation cards will help you introduce meditation practice to your children. These oversized cards have beautiful pictures on one side and scripts for guided meditations for kids on another side. Reading these meditation scripts to your kids can help them relax, unwind and connect to their inner feelings. Reading meditation cards to children is a great bonding activity you can incorporate into your kids' bedtime routine. Also, this is an opportunity for busy parents to spend quality time with their children. 

Mindfulness meditation is a gentle yet effective way of helping children grow balanced, resilient, and easily navigate through turbulent teenage years to become healthy and happy adults.

Well-being activity #3: Connect with nature

Connecting with nature has profound and long-lasting benefits for children's mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Studies have shown that time spent in nature can lead to significant improvements in cognitive and motor skills, as well as reduced stress and anxiety levels.

Connecting with the natural environment can help children feel more grounded and provide a sense of awe and wonder. It can also give them a greater appreciation for the environment, encouraging respect and responsibility for their surroundings. The combination of fresh air, physical activity, and positive emotions children experience when engaging in activities such as hiking, gardening, or fishing contribute to their overall mental health. Connecting with nature is an easy way for children to unwind and relax, as it has been proven beneficial for all children's mental health. Growing plants inside can also be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling when nature walking is unavailable for adults and kids alike.

Well-being activity #4: Dance

Dancing is an easy way to boost the production of happy hormones in our brains. Studies have shown that dancing positively affects heart health, stress levels, mood, coordination, and cognitive function. Dancing also helps to deal with social anxiety, fear of public speaking, and depression. 

Encourage your children to dance whenever they feel blue. Invite your kids to express themselves through dance and explore the creative side of their personalities. Moreover, dancing is a fun way to relax and get physically active. Dancing helps children practice coordination, balance, flexibility, and body awareness.

Also, you can create a playlist of your favorites for you and your child to enjoy together. Dancing can be an excellent way to bond with your children and create lasting memories.

Well-being activity #5: Stretch your body 

Stretching is an instant mood booster because when muscles expand, they send a signal to your brain that induces the release of endorphins - also known as "happy hormones." These not only help reduce physical pain but can also assist with conquering depression and reducing stress levels. Teach your child this trick: when feeling down or anxious, they should try stretching for an immediate lift in spirits!

Well-being activity #6: Get a massage

Vast research data demonstrated that massage stimulates the production of oxytocin, another happy hormone. During the massage, oxytocin release contributes to social bonding, relaxation, and stress relief and improves well-being. 

Well-being activity #7: Laugh

Laughter reduces stress, encourages relaxation, boosts the immune system, and improves mental health. Laughter can also improve communication, creativity, and concentration. It helps children understand that it is ok to make mistakes, encourages them to develop their sense of humor, and has the power to uplift their spirits when feeling down.

Encourage children to read funny books and stories, choose light-hearted movies for them, and do not forget about fun family nights. Simple board games like Activity, Alias, or Charades can make memories and create an atmosphere of positivity in your family.

Well-being activity #8: Make a playlist of your favorite music and sing songs

Music can make us feel so much better. Take some time to make a playlist of your kid's favorite songs and sing along. This can be incredibly helpful in improving mood, reducing stress, and relieving anxiety. Music can take us away from our worries and inspire us to reach greater heights. Singing their favorite songs can help children instantly feel better and more motivated! The great idea is to make several playlists for different moods/vibes (e.g., rainy day, feeling happy, etc.). This will allow kids to regulate their moods easily and feel in control of their emotions.

Well-being activity #9: Connect with people

It's essential to stay connected with people and build relationships, so children should find time to talk with family and friends and spend time together. Evenings of family fun or eating a meal together create a strong sense of belonging and safety in kids, reinforcing their feeling of well-being.

You can also organize playdates for your kids to let them connect with their school friends in more informal situations. We have a series of fantastic blog posts to help you arrange a perfect playdate for your children.

Furthermore, help your child to maintain connections with friends who moved or went to another school. They can call, text, or write an email to their distant friends, or you can help them organize a playdate if they live close by. By doing so, your children will learn to remember, value, and cherish the people they liked and spent time with in the past.

Well-being activity #10: Make memories of daily life

Encourage your children to take photos, write journal entries and make scrapbooks of their everyday experiences. Memory journal helps them to remember all the good moments they lived and appreciate the little things that often go unnoticed in our lives. You can also ask a few questions about their day during bedtime or help them remember important events that happened in the past. Children's memories are not always happy. However, remembering how they felt in various situations will help them understand why they act or feel this way in similar situations today. Remembering their past will help children be mindful, connect their reactions today with their previous experiences, and have better self-control in similar situations.

Well-being activity #11: Practice SIFT

The SIFT method was proposed by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson in their book "The Whole-Brain Child" to help children process their emotions and thoughts. It is an acronym for S - sensations, I - images, F- feelings, and T - thoughts.

SIFT is a fundamental method for teaching emotional intelligence. Once mastered, your children will be able to choose their thoughts and desires, be conscious of their emotions and lead a happy and fulfilling life.

S – Physical sensations.

You can help your child regulate their emotions by paying attention to the physical sensations they experience in their body. For example, when your child feels anxious, they might feel butterflies in their stomach, or when they are sad, their shoulders might be tense and rounded. When your child can relate their physical sensations to their emotions, they can begin to control their emotions by regulating their body. For example, taking deep breaths and relaxing muscle tension will help them calm down. Therefore, we encourage you to include this powerful exercise in your child's daily mindfulness practice when they observe their body sensations and notice how they feel at the moment.

I – Images.

Understanding mental images can be baffling, as not everyone - even grown-ups - recognize the mental image that shapes how they interact with the world. In the book, dr. Siegel and dr. Bryson give a very nice example of such imagery: a child afraid to be left out of play at recess can imagine themselves "on a lonely swing by themselves." Or when a child is scared of publicly answering questions during the lesson, they can imagine their classmates laughing and pointing at them. Therefore, you can help your child identify and manage those mental images. Such awareness will diminish the influence of such imagery on the child's emotions and fears.

F – Feelings.

Parents should teach their kids the correct language to describe their emotions. Children who only know basic emotions like happiness or sadness cannot understand their feelings because they tend to feel mixed emotions. Therefore, we encourage you to explain and practice a range of emotions with your child, such as jealousy, joy, hostility, appreciation, etc. By understanding the complexities of emotions they experience, children will be less likely to see everything as simply good or bad.

Here is a great book to introduce several feelings and sensations to your child: "Listening to My Body" by Gabi Garcia.

T – Thoughts.

Identifying thoughts is the most important part of this exercise, where children pay attention to what they think and how they talk to themselves. Being mindful of self-talk can help children understand that their thoughts are not always true or that they are being mean to themselves without reason. Moreover, one of the first lessons business and life coaches teach their adult clients is about thought awareness. After all, it's a well-known fact that thoughts influence actions, which then create habits. And once established, these habits shape our lives. Therefore, thought awareness can help children switch their attention away from destructive and unproductive self-talk towards a more positive and growth perspective.

You might think, "How on Earth can I teach my 5-year-old such complicated concepts?"

Well, you don't need to give formal lessons to your kids for them to practice SIFT. The SIFTing process comes through everyday casual communication with your child. Authors of "The Whole-Brain Child" suggest playing a short SIFT game next time you are in a car with your kids.

Here are a few ideas for practicing SIFT with your children.

• Ask your kids age-appropriate questions about the sensations in their bodies they feel at the moment. (S)
• Ask them about the first image that comes to their mind or what they often imagine. (I)
• Ask what they are excited about, or the last time they felt delighted. (F)
• Ask your child about the most often thought that came to mind today. Also, they can tell you what they are thinking now / before they got in the car/ during a math lesson. (T)

While playing this game, remember to keep the conversation casual while playing this game and use examples of your emotions and thoughts to ensure that children don't feel like they're under a microscope.

As the authors of "The Whole-Brain Child" emphasize, "just by talking about the mind, you help develop it."

Well-being activity #12: Clean up your space

A messy home or room can significantly impact people's mental well-being. For example, in one study, researchers found that messy homes led to higher cortisol levels in women. Another research found a correlation between cluttered space and procrastination.  Moreover, studies demonstrated that clutter impacts our ability to focus and complete the project.

The cleaning process can be a great mindfulness practice. A 2015 study showed that students who concentrated on cleaning dishes, their soapy smell, and sensory sensations felt heightened inspiration and decreased nervousness after mindfully doing the dishes. 

In addition to feeling happier, decluttering can help people increase productivity and focus, reduce cortisol levels and stress, boost energy, etc.

Therefore, having a clean and tidy space is crucial for the mental well-being of all family members, including kids.

In a child's room, every toy must have its place (like in the Montessori approach), and every piece of clothing must have its hanger or a place on a shelf. If your child asks for another new toy, ask them to determine a place for it and which other toy they will take away if the space is limited.

Another way to declutter a kid's room is to get rid of old toys/clothing/books regularly. Children can donate their belongings to a charity or library or sell them through garage sales/ Facebook marketplace. The number of things in the kid's room should be a bare minimum; then, it will be easier for them to clean up independently.

A final thought to remember: clean space significantly impacts children's overall well-being.

Well-being activity #13: Practice guided imagery 

Guided imagery or visualization is also a form of meditation. With guided imagery, children create mental pictures to cope with stress and anxiety. Also, such imagery can reduce pain and nausea, relax, help kids sleep better, control a situation, and improve overall well-being.

Because guided imagery is a relaxation technique that requires laying still, most young kids won't be able to immerse themselves in guided imagery fully. With smaller kids, therapeutic storytelling will be more efficient. School-aged children, however, have enough self-control to benefit from guided visualization practice.

Guided imagery is a beneficial resource that can fuel a child's body with positivity. Children tap into their creative imagination by paying attention to their senses and drifting off into a peaceful daydream-like state. Kids may choose thoughts and images to think about and instantly feel better.

Here you can find several free recordings of pediatric psychologists that will help you and your child start with guided imagery. https://www.choc.org/programs-services/integrative-health/guided-imagery/

Several guided visualizations you can also find in the Headspace app.

If you would like to practice guided imagery with your child together, here are great books with scripts for many occasions that you can read to them:

1. "Imaginations" by Carolyn Clarke;

2. "Guided Imagery Work with Kids" by Melissa Dormoy.

Well-being activity #14: Keep learning 

Learning new skills helps your children to stay motivated and responsible, sparks creativity, and builds a growth mindset. Learning also makes them more determined and willing to achieve success. You can help your children learn by guiding them through challenging tasks, helping them choose activities that they like, or taking courses with them. Reading books, exploring topics on the Internet, trying new food, and visiting museums or workshops are also excellent ways to promote their interests and the production of happy hormones.

Well-being activity #15: Develop a hobby or interest

Encourage your children to find activities that bring them joy and a sense of satisfaction. It can be anything from reading books, drawing, painting, playing instruments/ music, practicing sports, or gardening. Help your children find a special activity that makes them feel comfortable to grow their self-reflection and relaxation skills.

Well-being activity #16: Plan your day

Studies have shown that having a plan makes it easier to deal with negative things and leads to better health and well-being. 

Planning:

• makes us feel less overwhelmed by the task, 
• gives us more confidence to achieve our goals,
• helps us feel more in control, 
• reduces anxiety, 
• improves sleep.

Planning skill helps us reach goals we have in the future. Even daily things, like brushing our teeth or tying our shoes, require us to think ahead. Therefore, planning is an essential part of everyday living. However, planning is a complex skill that involves three other skills: working memory, cognitive flexibility, and self-control. It can be challenging for children who have trouble with planning, knowing where to start or what steps to take.

Planning difficulties may affect children's school performance (for example, trouble with writing an essay or doing a math problem). But if they are good at planning, they will be more likely to succeed when they grow up and get a job.

As a result, it is essential to support your child in learning how to plan their schedule and extracurricular activities so that they can experience greater confidence and joy.

You can help your child learn how to plan early by encouraging them to get dressed without help. Dressing up activity utilizes the same thinking skills they will need for more complex planning later.

Also, playing board games can tremendously impact your child's executive function skills and even school readiness. You can read more here:

"Brain Games for Kids: Boost Your 5-7-Year-Old’s Cognitive Skills In Play!"

"Kindergarten Readiness: Check & Prep At Home"

Several great planners can help school-aged kids organize their time and achieve their goals. You should definitely try them out! But be ready to help your kids with planning for quite some time.

• "Daily Planner & Checklist for Kids"
• "Undated To Do List"
• "Too Cool for School"
• "Elementary Student Planner for Academic Year 2022-2023"
• "Weird But True Daily Planner"

Well-being activity #17: Color a picture

Coloring is an incredibly therapeutic exercise that can help adults with various emotional and mental issues and improve overall well-being. The same is valid for kids: coloring can be an excellent way of assisting children in feeling physically and psychologically healthy. Coloring is an enjoyable and inspiring way to express oneself. Still, coloring can also significantly reduce stress, anger, and anxiety, promoting healthier well-being. Children can feel more calm and happy when they color mindfully by focusing on finishing their picture and not worrying about other things. Mindful coloring is the perfect way for children to process feelings and shift their focus away from difficult circumstances. With coloring, kids can physically release some of their emotions by applying crayons to paper.

Here are fun coloring books for various ages:

• "Jumbo Kids' Coloring Pads Set"
• "Coloring Books For Kids Awesome Animals"
• "Mandala Coloring Book for Kids"
• "I Am Confident, Brave & Beautiful: A Coloring Book for Girls"

Well-being activity #18: Create a vision board

All children have dreams and wishes. But by creating their vision board, children learn to structure, organize, and think carefully about things they want to have and the person they want to become one day. A vision board is a powerful tool that allows children to express themselves, inspires, adds confidence and focus, plants a growth mindset, and encourages children to dream big.

Even 5-year-olds can handle the vision board creation with parents' help. School-aged kids should be fine creating their vision boards with minimal help by searching for resonating pictures on the Internet and in magazines. Children can either print the images and glue them on their board or create the board in PowerPoint or Canva and print it all together.

However, kids will need your help with goal setting. However, children's big dreams differ from yours, so you shouldn't give them suggestions but rather guide them toward finding the goal that motivates and drives them. They might find it helpful to write a letter to their future self and imagine what they want to become or have by the time they read this letter.

Many other blog articles suggest helping a child choose realistic goals they could achieve with some effort. Setting achievable goals is excellent advice for smaller aims (e.g., reading "Harry Potter" independently by age 7). However, realistic goals limit kids' imagination when they dream big. 

How to create a vision board with kids

We suggest you refrain from discussing with kids the realness of their goals. Instead, help them balance their big dreams with smaller goals they will be able to achieve by working toward them.

1. For example, your child wishes to live in a mansion with a pool, basketball court, and a car workshop. This mansion is a big dream, which you should only encourage. Ask them to find the exact home they like; think of how many rooms they want, the type of pool, where the house is located, what kind of cars they will have in their car workshop, etc. Teach your kids to create detailed wishes and organize them on their vision board. They must feel motivated when they observe their big dream.
2. Next, you should explain to your children how they can achieve such big goals. For example, they will have to learn unique skills for which they will be paid enough money to afford such a home. And from this point, you could discuss smaller goals like learning to read fluently so that they could earn valuable knowledge on high-profit topics. Or, for example, master a skill of agility and high reaction speed by regularly participating in sports like basketball, tennis, etc. Teach your kids to think big but split one big dream into many small goals. By reaching such small goals, your child's skills will grow and accumulate like a snowball, so they will become the person they want.
3. Every small goal also should find its place on a child's vision board. Children could change them regularly once they achieve it and stick the picture into their achievements journal, for example, to track their success.
4. Ask your child to put their vision board into a spot visible to them every day; even better if they can see and observe their board whenever they go to sleep and wake up to boost their day.

While this technique will work for most kids, we offer a more comprehensive method of goal-setting for teens (and adults), which you can check out here: "The Life of a Teenager: The Ultimate Guide to Success."

Well-being activity #19: Play with pets

Spending time with animals has been found to reduce stress levels and blood pressure and release happy hormones like serotonin and dopamine. Petting, hugging, or cuddling with an animal can quickly soothe and calm stressed and anxious kids. Moreover, pets help to deal with feelings of loneliness. On top of that, dogs motivate kids to spend time outdoors, significantly boosting their mood and energy levels!

Well-being activity #20: Contribute to the world

Try to find meaningful ways in which children can contribute to society, which could be anything from writing a letter of appreciation to their teacher or starting a drive for charity. When children perform acts of help, they will experience a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose. Making the world better is significant for teens that crave self-actualization and find life purpose. Contribution to the world creates a strong sense of reward, purpose, and self-worth in kids and teens. Moreover, the world needs our help now more than ever, so let's all do our part!

Healthy habits also include abilities to fight stress. We have an entire blog post about helping kids with stress, which we advise you to check out!