Upstate New Yorkers know how much fun winter can be. We are in no shortage of the perfect weather for snowman making, winter sports playing, and cozy nights in. But wintertime also means shorter days and longer nights. For many people, wintertime can be a struggle. At the Children’s Museum, it’s our goal to give children and their families the tools they need to contend with dark winter days.
Mindfulness practices are a huge help when facing wintertime blues. For kids especially, they give them a way to identify their emotions and regulate them. Read on to learn about the easy ways to start practicing mindfulness, as well as a fun art activity that families can do together.
Easy Ways to Practice Mindfulness
The best part about mindfulness is that you can practice it anywhere without any special materials. All you need are some mental tools, like breathing and grounding exercises. Sometimes it takes trying out different strategies to find the thing that best works for you. If these practices don’t help you, don’t give up! There are plenty of different strategies you can try.
Let’s start with a breathing exercise, Starfish Breathing. Hold out one hand and spread your fingers so your hand looks like a starfish. With your other hand’s pointer finger, trace the outside of your hand. Start below your thumb and breathe in as you trace upward. Breathe out as you trace downward. Focus on your breathing as you go. You can repeat these steps as many times as you need to.
Breathing exercises help slow your breathing to bring you to a calm state. While grounding exercises can serve the same purpose, they also help to keep you in the present moment. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 practice. When you’re feeling panicked or overwhelmed, name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This exercise brings you out of your anxious thoughts and into the present moment.
At the end of the day, mindfulness for you may mean going for a walk to reflect on how you’re feeling or listening to your favorite music. The important part is giving yourself the time and space to identify your feelings and ground yourself in the current moment.
Children are still learning what it means to feel angry, sad, and other emotions. By starting these mindful habits early with them, you’re giving them the tools to succeed in the future.
Art and Mindfulness
Another great way to engage in mindfulness is through art. Your favorite creative hobby can form healthy habits that regulate stress and give your mind some much needed quiet reflection time. Whether it is painting, knitting, or coloring, each activity gives you a chance to slow down. Stuck on where to start? Try out scribble art first!
Here are the materials you’ll need:
- Paper
- Tape – preferably painters tape or washi tape
- Coloring materials – choose your favorite or whatever you have in the house. For example, markers, crayons, colored pencils, or paint.
There’s no right or wrong way to go about this. Scribble art is meditative. As you work on the project, let yourself focus on the rhythm of your drawing and let other thoughts fade away. This helps you slow down any anxious thoughts you may have.
Families can collaborate on one piece of scribble art, or each family member can make their own, so you can see how everyone’s art is different.
If you’re looking for guidance, follow these instructions.
- Tape shapes across the paper. They can look however you’d like, but just know at the end of this activity, you’ll lift the tape to reveal the final product.
2. Start scribbling! Follow your creative instincts and use your coloring materials to color in the empty space. To make everything look smooth and cohesive, try scribbling over the tape.
3. Fill up the paper as much or as little as you like. For the full effect, you’ll want to mix colors and scribble patterns as much as possible.
4. Once you’re done coloring, carefully take off the tape to reveal your masterpiece!
Museum Tip: While you’re working on your work of art, focus on how it feels to scribble. Do different kinds of scribbles feel the same or different? Do any feelings come up as you create?
Share your art with the Museum by tagging us or sending us a message on Facebook and Instagram. We can’t wait to see what you create!
For more resources on mindfulness, check out our mindfulness guide and keep an eye out for mindfulness programs we offer at the Museum, like Mindful Moments.