Mindful Games: Sharing Mindfulness and Meditation with Children, Teens, and FamiliesA practical and playful guide for cultivating mindfulness in kids, with 50 simple games to develop attention and focus, and to identify and regulate emotions Playing games is a great way for kids to improve their focus and become more mindful. In this book, The Mindful Child author Susan Kaiser Greenland shares how parents, caregivers, and teachers can bring mindfulness into the classroom or home. She provides 50 entertaining games that develop what she calls the new “A, B, C’s”—Attention, Balance, and Compassion—for your child’s learning, happiness, and success, offering context and guidance throughout. She introduces: • Anchor games that develop concentration • Visualization games that encourage kindness and focus • Analytical games that cultivate clear thinking • Awareness games for sensory awareness, self-regulating emotions, and gaining insight into ourselves, others, and relationships Even though the games are designed for kids, they can be just as fun and transformative for adults. Greenland encourages parents and caregivers to develop their own Attention, Balance, and Compassion and to explore the universal concepts that she presents. Our own mindfulness has a powerful effect on everyone in our lives—especially our children. “A wonderful, fun, and engaging way to bring mindfulness into a child’s life.” —Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Appreciation | 43 |
Whats Happening | 57 |
Mindful Breathing | 69 |
Choose Your Breathing Anchor | 82 |
Mindful Breathing | 83 |
A Peaceful Heart | 92 |
Friendly Wishes | 96 |
115 | 133 |
Stargazing | 138 |
To Be Not to Seem | 145 |
Hello Game | 151 |
Freedom | 162 |
Freedom | 164 |
Parting Thoughts | 176 |
Acknowledgments | 183 |
Out of Our Heads | 106 |
Special Star | 109 |
Is It Helpful? | 118 |
Mindful Prompts | 125 |
191 | |
198 | |
About the Author | 201 |
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Common terms and phrases
AGES All Ages Ages LEADING AGES Older Children AGES Young Children anchor games Annaka ask children attunement awareness games Awareness Meter back straight ball Balloon Arms bobblehead doll body relaxed body scan bubble child children and teens Children LEADING close your eyes compassion Connecting TARGET AGES David Foster Wallace develop distracted experiences fingers floodlight of attention focus Focusing TARGET AGES going happy help children hummingbird imagine Inner Kids Jon Kabat-Zinn Joseph Goldstein keep LEADING THE GAME Listen to children's look Mindful Games mindfulness and meditation move notice open mind parents pay attention Pema Chödrön person Pinky Pointing play practice questions Quieting resting your hands Ring the bell Ryan Redman self-compassion send friendly wishes sensations Sharon Salzberg silently say sitting SKILLS Focusing TARGET slowly someone sounds Talking points TARGET AGES Older TARGET AGES Young tea master themes things tion TIPS walking what's happening wise and compassionate Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche