Creative Mindfulness for Children (EYFS)
Lesson Three – The Monkey Mind
Aim – To increase children’s awareness of their emotions
Set the scene – see Lesson One
Make sure everyone is sat comfortably, including yourself.
The session should start with a signifier. I choose to use a sound (chimes or singing bowl) as it gets their attention and signifies it’s time for something new or different. Invite the children to close their eyes but they don’t have to if they don’t want to (be trauma aware). Instead they could lower their gaze. Ask them to listen to the sound and when it stops open their eyes/raise their gaze.
- Practice mindful breathing. You could use a breathing ball (see video) or simply use a feather to blow on or just by placing your hands on your tummy.
- Recap on Lesson One and Two – The Mind Jar/Bottle and Breathing Buddy.
At this point you may wish to stop the video and talk to the children about their busy minds. Help them reflect on their environment - Where were you? What was happening? What thoughts/feelings were you having? What were you feeling in your body? They may need a lot of modelling or prompting at this stage so pictures/props are good to use (see video).
Share your own experiences since last time before inviting them to share theirs. This is authentic modelling. Share what you did about it.
Don’t be afraid of repetition, this is the key to establishing a daily mindful practice. We may know of ways to be more present but due to the business of life we don’t always put it into practice – me included!
It is helpful to have many mini mindfulness practices throughout the day. This will help children to increase their ability to pay attention and to calm both the mind and body.
Introduce the Monkey Mind (using a toy monkey)
- Explain that our many thoughts are like having a monkey in our mind that likes to jump around to lots of different thoughts.
- It may like to jump around to thoughts about the future, to what might happen tomorrow or your birthday or Christmas.
- Sometimes it likes to jump to thoughts about the past like what happened yesterday or last summer.
- Sometimes it likes to jump to thoughts about your friends or maybe things like eating ice-cream or watching television.
Remember – give your own example before inviting children to talk about their own and that they never have to share, it is always optional.
One thing we can do to keep our monkey mind calm is to give it a job to do. Today, that job is to notice our breathing.
Make sure the environment is ready. This could include dimming the lights and use battery powered candles, providing a cushion and blanket for each child, using essential oils in a vaporiser (lavender is best but remember to check allergies).
(During Covid-19 you could have a basket for each child for their mindfulness sessions rather than an area of your room. This could include a blanket, eye mask, mind bottle, breathing buddy etc).
Repeat the Stretching and Balloon Breathing Exercises from last week.
Read out the Monkey Mind mediation or use the video.
Ask how they feel in their mind, heart and body. Remember to start with your own experience as an example and use pictures/props.
Activity – Monkey Mind Picture
Depending on the age of the children you are working with you could use the printed sheet or make a picture of their own. Invite children to draw, write or you scribe, use stickers, cut outs from magazines, print off pictures from the internet whatever works best for you.
It would be useful if you had made one first to share with them. The pictures could then be used as a display or go in individual mindfulness books or folders.
Breathing
Repeat another mindful breathing exercise, the children could choose which one.
Finish with a sound to signify the end of the session.
Discuss with the children how they feel in their mind, heart and body
Created by Louise Shanagher
(Children’s therapist, mindfulness teacher and Psychology lecturer)
Accredited by the International Mindfulness and Meditation Alliance (IMMA)
Alison Scott
Early Years Standards and Improvement Officer
Hull City Council
Tel: (01482) 613598