11 Mindfulness Activities That Are Perfect for Kids

Simply put, mindfulness meditation is about slowing down and noticing what’s happening in your mind, body, and environment. It’s a practice that’s been shown to help people improve their well-being in a variety of settings. And research shows that children and teens can benefit from it as well. 

What are the best mindfulness activities for kids?

You might wonder how on earth you can encourage an active kid or teen to try mindfulness. But rest assured, there are some kid-friendly ways to introduce the practice. 

1. Hot chocolate breathing

Ask your child to imagine holding a warm mug full of yummy cocoa. Encourage them to tune into the sensory experience by asking them to:

• Imagine how their hands feel around that toasty mug.

• Picture themselves slowly inhaling the scent of the cocoa. What does it smell like? 

• Repeat the process by slowly inhaling, pausing, and breathing out together. 

This comforting activity can help kids slow down and feel grounded in their bodies. It can be especially useful if your child is feeling anxious or agitated.

2. Mindful eating

In light of today's busy schedules, we're often eating on the go as we rush from one activity to the next. But even busy families can practice mindfulness at mealtimes. Like the hot chocolate breathing activity, mindful eating can help kids tune out distractions and notice how they're feeling. 

Start with one food at a time and ask your child to slow down as they eat. Ask them to consider:

• What does the food smell like? 

• What does that food taste like? 

• What is its texture? 

• How does it feel as it makes its way to their belly? 

One important thing to note about mindful eating is that it's not designed to encourage restriction. Rather, it can help kids learn to tune into their natural hunger cues and feelings of fullness and can make meals more meaningful.

3. Mindful bedtimes

Most parents will experience the "battle of the bedtime" at some point. If you've ever struggled to maintain a consistent nighttime routine with your kids, mindfulness can help. 

A nightly mindfulness practice can help your family decompress from the stimulation of the day. Try to start your wind-down routine at around the same time each evening. This signals to little minds and bodies that the time for rest is approaching. 

Read more like this

Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.

What It’s Like to Raise an Anxious Child: ‘I Was Feeling Incredibly Defeated as a Parent’

The 4 Major Attachment Styles and What They Mean for Your Relationships

7 Effects of Divorce on Children — and How to Help Them Cope

View more

Limit screen time and stick to the same series of activities each night. You might start with bathtime, followed by reading a book, and then do a gratitude meditation together (see below) before turning out the lights.

4. Daily gratitude

Asking kids to reflect on the positives they noticed each day can help them be mindful of the good things that happen in their lives. And research shows that gratitude has a positive impact on our mental health. By making gratitude part of everyday conversation, we can encourage our minds to focus on the positives, no matter how small. 

When your child is in a calm and relaxed state, ask them to think about the good things that happened during their day and what they're thankful for. Let them know that being grateful doesn't mean that we overlook the things we're struggling with. Instead, it allows us to shift our focus to take into account the positive things in life, too.

5. Mindful walking

Gentle movement like walking is a great way to quiet negative thoughts and de-stress. So the next time you're out for a walk with your child, use it as an opportunity to encourage them to slow down and fully engage their senses:

• Ask them to see if they can detect how the ground feels underneath their feet.

• Are their shoes making any sounds as they walk? 

• What other noises can they pinpoint? 

• Can they smell anything?

• What do they see in the distance?  

• Can they spot their favorite color anywhere? 

Take some time to walk in silence together and notice what's happening around you. Then, share your experiences and appreciate the differences.

6. Mindful drawing or coloring

Tap into your child’s senses of sight and touch with a mindful drawing or coloring activity. You can use coloring pages if you have them. You can also give your child a prompt for drawing or allow them to choose a subject. 

To turn coloring or drawing into a mindfulness activity, ask your child to color slowly and to notice:

• What their crayon, marker, or pencil feels like in their hand

• How the paper feels and what its textures are 

• What each color looks like (whether they’re bright or dark, for example)

• How it feels to move their crayon or marker on the paper

• How the color fills in the white space on their paper

7. Saying a calming phrase

Focusing on and repeating a calming word or phrase can help settle a child’s mind. 

Set a timer for your child — 1 to 5 minutes is often a good starting point for kids. Then have them pick a phrase to focus on. You can offer suggestions or guide them to choose their own. 

Explain that they should repeat this phrase out loud or in their head until the timer goes off. 

Some example mantras you can use include:

• Calm

• Relaxed

• Focused

• I am calm

• I am peaceful

Afterward, ask your child about their experience. Help them process what it felt like to focus on their phrase and how they feel now.

8. Watching a flickering light

One way to help kids practice mindfulness is to have them focus on a visually interesting object. A flickering light — such as a candle or twinkling string lights — can be a good way to do this.

Ask your child to focus on the flickering light and notice how it changes second to second. Have them think about different aspects like:

• How the colors change

• How the brightness or darkness changes

• How the light moves and changes

You can get creative with this exercise and mix it up. Try new objects with a moving component, such as a:

• Snow globe or jar filled with water and glitter

• Lava lamp

• Pendulum toy

• Wind-up toy or top

9. Mindfulness apps

There are several mindfulness apps designed just for kids. These apps guide children through age-appropriate mindfulness activities and other emotional well-being exercises. 

If you want to give a mindfulness app a try, experts from the American Psychological Association recommend the following:

• Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame (Android app)

• Smiling Mind

• Mindful Powers

10. Nature collecting

What better way to practice mindfulness than outside? You can do this by asking your child to collect several nature objects, like rocks or leaves. This helps your little ones focus on their environment to find their designated objects. 

You can expand this mindfulness exercise by asking your child to explore the differences between the objects they’ve collected. How do the rock or leaf textures vary? What are the other color differences?

11. Mindful music

Listening to music is a great way to help kids practice mindfulness. Choose their favorite song or some calming music. Then ask them to listen carefully to identify a specific aspect of the song. 

For example, you can have your child focus on:

• A specific instrument, like drums or piano

• One word in the lyrics, like “row” in “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

• How many times the melody repeats

• Long or short notes

• Bouncy or fast rhythms

After the song stops playing, ask your child to describe their experience:

• Was it easy or hard to hear just one part of a song? 

• What did they like about what they heard?

• Did they hear anything surprising in the music?

How do you teach mindfulness to kids?

Mindfulness doesn't have to be complicated. You can explain it to your child as a way of slowing down and calming the mind and body. It's about noticing (without judging) what's happening in your mind and in the world around you. 

One of the most powerful ways to teach your children mindfulness is to model it for them. You can start by simply noticing your breath as it enters and leaves your body and asking your child to observe you. 

Let your kids know that mindfulness is something we continually practice, rather than a goal we try to achieve. And make sure they know it’s normal for mindfulness to be tough at times, because the world is a loud, distracting place. But that's what makes mindfulness so special. It's a tool anyone can use anytime, anywhere. We can use it to settle our minds and bodies and learn to be a little kinder to ourselves and each other.

What are the benefits of mindful awareness for kids? 

There are many benefits to teaching mindful awareness to kids. These techniques have been shown to improve academic performance, foster social connection, and improve mental, emotional, and physical health in a variety of ways. 

Research shows that kids and teens who practice mindfulness have:

• Greater capacity to learn because they're able to focus on the moment

• Better ability to regulate emotions

• Lower stress levels 

• Increased self-control and lower levels of impulsivity

• More resilience in the face of challenging situations

• Greater sense of calm and less anxiety

• Increased self-awareness and self-regulation skills

• Better working memory, planning, and problem-solving skills

• Fewer worries

• Better sleep habits

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Liz Talago, MEd

Liz Talago, MEd, is a mental health content writer and strategist whose work is infused with clinical expertise, behavioral science, and empathic storytelling. After spending years on the front lines of mental health care, Liz now partners with mission-driven organizations across the globe to create digital tools and experiences that enhance well-being.

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

India B. Gomez, PhD

India B. Gomez, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with a certificate in Latin American Family Therapy. She completed her doctoral education at the California School of Professional Psychology/Alliant International University.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts