Mindful practices can improve a child’s concentration levels, gain control over their feelings and cultivate a positive attitude towards life. Plenty of us has found ourselves living life under lockdown since the coronavirus began spreading across the world. There has not been a better time to start practising mindfulness with far more time spent in bed and all alone.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, with school closures in place across the world, and families permitted to leave home and self-isolate, it can be a challenging time for many parents.
It can lead to a child becoming bored, irritated, and anxious by altering routines and being trapped in tight proximity. Mindful activities educate kids to display concern for themselves rather than others. Learning these skills at a young age can help them value their mental wellbeing from a young age. Here are 12 mindful activities for children in lockdown.
1. Baking/cooking
Baking or cooking is a life skill that can keep your little ones occupied, stimulate their imagination. Encourage them to focus their attention on activities such as pouring, mixing and measuring while cooking. Allow them to note how the ingredients change their condition during the process. It is an effective and enjoyable way, while also slowing them down, to promote focus and keep their attention at the moment.
2. Make your kid write bits of opinion
After reading a book, or watching a film, ask your child to write an opinion piece about it. Ask them to write what they think, their views and whether the book/movie/resource was good. Not only will it help you keep a note of what they understood but also their way of thinking and inclination. It is an ideal skill every parent must make their child practice.
3. Doing a considerate taste-test
Tell your kid to shut their eyes and give them different food items to try. Ask them to note the various smells, textures, and tastes, and then encourage them to guess what their foods are. It will keep their mind engaged and busy, avoiding all negative thoughts.
4. Have breathing breaks
Taking breathing breaks during the day is one way to help children relax their thoughts and alleviate their mood. Take the kids through a quick 10-minute routine for breathing. Begin by encouraging them to take deep, full breaths and exhaling slowly from the mouth. Teach your kids to concentrate on counting the inhalations and exhalations as this will assist them to switch from quick breathing to slower breathing, stimulating relaxation. Mornings can be a good time for your kids to practise deep breathing, as it can help establish the day upon a brighter note and calm your minds for the day forward.
5. Train your pets, if you have any
Why not use this opportunity to encourage your little ones to teach their four-legged friend few tricks. Begin with the fundamentals and switch to more complex ones. It can make such a big difference, for an hour each day. This activity can help your children develop a sense of responsibility at a young age.
6. Set up a fun treasure hunt
Treasure hunts are simple and can last a while, based on how many things there are. Hide 10 to 20 things around the house or outdoors, anywhere, to keep children busy for a few hours. A neighbourhood easter egg hunt is a great way to keep the children occupied, particularly with Easter coming up.
7. Try making a cardboard fort
It is that easy, but the fun can last for hours. Make good use of some boxes that you have in the garage. If you don’t have boxes, it can be just as fun to make a sheet fort with chairs and bedsheets. It will keep you busy with your children, and it can be a learning day for all of you together.
8. Try gardening
Your kids will enjoy trying their hands at growing vegetables, tomatoes or flowers in small containers on the window ledge or balcony, even if you’re not using a greenhouse. Encourage your kids to engage in planting and participate in growing native plants. Ask them to cherish the gardening experience- how the dirt feels between their fingertips, the texture of the tangled roots, the softening of the flowers and the scent of nectar. Motivate them to observe plants go and look after them every day.
9. Stick to a timetable
All schools might be closed, but keeping to a plan is essential to manage things effectively at home. Not only will it help keep your home running smoothly but can also include things to look forward to for the kids throughout the week.
10. Have a picnic
Set up a picnic spot in your living room, backyard, balcony or terrace. Grab a sheet, cook some fresh food and enjoy yourselves a picnic party at home because as they say, there is no place like home! You can make your little innovations to the idea of a classic picnic depending on your family and can have an even better picnic than the cliché ones.
11. FaceTime your family members and friends
Another significant way to communicate with family and friends when practising “social distancing” is FaceTime. Use this to tune in and socialise with family and friends, even if it is over the mobile. It helps you and your child build a stronger relationship with everyone and not be isolated within four walls of the house.
12. Interview one another
A significant skill is interviewing. While asking each other questions and getting notes, you and your child will start to interview one another face-to-face. By contacting a grandparent or family member and questioning them over the mobile, if your child develops interest, they will take it to another stage. It is essential to know each other well.