Use

your

mind Try it together Take a small food item (like a raisin or cracker) and examine it closely (look at it, smell it, see what it feels like in your mouth, taste it and listen carefully to the sound it makes) as though you’ve never eaten one before. How it works Mindfulness is about being ‘in the moment’ and focusing completely on what you’re currently doing - using all your senses to really experience it. That might sound challenging for little ones, but simple mindfulness exercises can be a great way to help you learn to pause and think before reacting.

Have a giggle

Try it together Watching a show your child loves, telling jokes or taking turns to pull funny faces at each other can be a great way to relax and handle nervousness. How it works Laughter or feeling stimulated helps decrease stress hormones, and relaxes muscles.

Breathe deep Try it together Take your time to breathe in, hold it and breathe out. You could use a visual guide (Google - calmzone child line, or see the wellbeing section on the De Hav website). Find a rate that feels comfortable for you. Keep going until you feel calmer. How it works Simply taking a series of deep breaths will slow down your heart rate, and help you feel more in control.

Stretch it out

Try it together Stretch your arms above your heads, stand on tiptoes and make yourselves as tall as possible then flop back down. Can you stretch like different animals? How can you stretch all parts of your body? How it works Encourage each other to stretch out your muscles to reduce tension. After stretching your body feels relaxed

Do some cloud spotting

Try it together Stay as still as you can and simply watch the clouds go by together. See if you can spot any shapes among the clouds. If it’s not safe to go out, can you watch from the window?

How it works This common technique encourages you to relax and take your mind off other things. You could do this alongside deep breathing to really help you chill out.

relaxing music

Listen to

Try it together Relax and listen to any music you find calming, some people enjoy listening to waves, birdsong, rain, car journey, spaceship, white noise, pink noise and brown noise. How it works Listening to relaxing music can help you and your child reset. Many people find these sounds relaxing and listening to them can help you feel calm enough to fall asleep.

Try it together Get busy with paper and crayons, make your own picture, abstract art or find a picture to colour. How it works Doodling can help relieve stress by giving your brain a rest, and it can also spark creativity. Many people find doodling and creating a great escape and lose themselves in their art.

Doodle

and

colour

Doodle

and

colour

Try it together Get busy with paper and crayons, make your own picture, abstract art or find a picture to colour. How it works Doodling can help relieve stress by giving your brain a rest, and it can also spark creativity. Many people find doodling and creating a great escape and lose themselves in their art.

When?

-In between learning activities to give you a break

-When you are feeling worried, cross or angry

-As part of your bed time routine

-When you want to escape

-When you want an activity for 5 minutes or longer

Take a line for a walk

1. Draw around an

object

2. Fill the outline with a

squiggly line

3. Fill each gap with a

pattern

4. Keep going until it’s full

Do a little bit each day

Try it together Take your time to breathe in, hold it and breathe out. You could use a visual guide (Google - calmzone child line, or see the wellbeing section on the De Hav website). Find a rate that feels comfortable for you. Keep going until you feel calmer. How it works Simply taking a series of deep breaths will slow down your heart rate, and help you feel more in control.

Breathe deep

When?

-When you are feeling worried, cross or angry

-Before you have to do something that you find tricky or that you are worried about

-When you have butterflies in your tummy

-As part of your bed time routine

Lie on the floor and place a stuffed animal on your tummy. Breathe in deeply through your nose and feel the stuffed animal rise, and then feel it lower as you slowly breathe out through your mouth. Rock the stuffed animal to sleep using the rise and fall of your tummy.

Stand with your feet wide apart and your arms dangling in front of your body like an elephant’s trunk. As you breathe in deeply through your nose, raise your arms up high above your head. Then slowly swing your arms down again as you breathe out through your mouth.

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed. Begin by imagining you are holding a bubble wand. Breathe in deeply and then, as you breathe out slowly and gently, imagine that you are blowing bubbles into the room. Imagine the bubbles are filled with peace or love or happiness and that you are filling the whole room with a peaceful, happy feeling. As you keep breathing slowly and blowing your imaginary bubbles, feel your body become calm and relaxed.

Bubble

breathing

Tummy

breathing

Elephant

breathing

Shoulder roll

breathing

Stand with your feet comfortably apart or choose a comfortable sitting position. As you take a slow breath in through your nose raise your shoulders towards your ears. Breathe slowly out through your mouth, lowering your shoulders as you exhale. Repeat slowly, rolling your shoulders up and down in time with your breath.

Stretch it out

Try it together Stretch your arms above your heads, stand on tiptoes and make yourselves as tall as possible then flop back down. Can you stretch like different animals? How can you stretch all parts of your body? How it works Encourage each other to stretch out your muscles to reduce tension. After stretching your body feels relaxed.

When?

-First thing in the morning to help wake your body up

-When you are feeling worried, cross or angry

-As part of your bed time routine

-When you want to escape

Elephant Hippo Crocodile Rabbit

Frog Moose Cobra Pig

Giraffe

Butterfly

Cow

Cat

Bear

Horse

Always move into the stretch slowly, hold for as long as comfortable

and slowly move out of the stretch. It is not a race or a competition.