Toy on the Tummy

If you would like to start introducing a mindful activity during calm down time, including your child's favourite toy can make the process much more enjoyable. Give Toy on the Tummy a try.

How to Do It:

Ask the child to bring their favourite toy. Place a comfortable blanket or yoga mat on the ground and have both the child and parent or grandparent lie down with them. Placing the toy on the child’s tummy, tell the child “we are going to teach bear (or the toy’s name) how to become breathing buddies!” Make sure you also have a breathing buddy too!!

Instructions

1. To practice belly-breathing, ask your child to lie comfortably and place his or her hands on his belly (if he or she uses a stuffed animal, they can hold it on top of their belly if they are lying down).

2. As you count to three, ask them to inhale deeply through their nose. Tell them to fill their belly with air as they breath in; they should feel their tummy getting bigger and bigger as they count up to three. Help them watch their toy rise along with their tummy.

3. Gently have your child exhale to a slow count to four. Tell him or her they might see the toy fall as he or she feels their belly shrinking and shrinking throughout the count to four.

4. Complete a few rounds of belly-breathing to get started.

5. When ready, ask your child how it felt.

6. Is there a difference in how they feel now?

7. What did he notice about the stuffed animal as he or she was breathing in or out?

8. Repeat the process as many times as they would like to.

Benefits:

1. The child learns how to focus.

2. There is an inherent calming of the body and mind.

3. The child learns that paying attention to their bodies helps them relax.

4. Deep belly breathing has been shown to calm the nervous system, reduce the heart rate and blood pressure. This is especially useful for children who may be nervous or scared before school or other event.

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