Inspire Mindfulness in your Children with These Holiday Gifts

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The holidays are right around the corner, and while we are focusing on our own mindfulness, mindsets and personal inspiration, it’s the perfect time to start to inspire mindfulness in your children as well.

Aside from it being a great season to talk about feelings and being present, (Halloween; scared, frightened. Day of the dead; love, respect. Thanksgiving; thankful. Hanukkah; hope, joy. Christmas; giving, joy. Being present with family and friends in the moment.) it is an opportunity to give gifts that help your children practice mindfulness. Without calling it a practice, and without specifically saying mindfulness… Two things that make my son’s eyes glaze over. Maybe if you’re a parent or work with children, you know the look? Of course you do.

Here, I have compiled a list of several gifts that can help inspire mindfulness in your children.

I have linked to specific items that really speak to me, but there are many options out there. Use this as a jumping off point in your holiday shopping, and let yourself be inspired.

1. A kite

A kite is a great gift to help with focus, patience and feelings of calm. It is a terrific way to help your children learn to be in the moment, and give you a chance to be there with them. There are plenty of different types and styles of kites but the basic, traditional diamond kite is my go-to starter kite.

2. Seeds and gardening tools

The repetition, focus and patience used in planting seeds is exceptionally calming for children. Gardening can be a very grounding and centering activity. Added bonuses include giving children something to care for and nourish, and the opportunity to discuss the concept of you get out of something what you put in. Really, gardening is full of lessons for any and all age groups.

                                       
These are two great options for kids gardening tools. Both the 3-piece set and the full gardener’s set have metal tools with handles that are easy to wipe off. (Bamboo/plastic handles respectively)

3. Coloring Books and Colored pencils

 

We have all certainly heard something or another about how coloring is super stress relieving for adults, well it can be that and more for kids too. Children have more going on than we give them credit for sometimes. Coloring gives them a chance to learn how to sit quietly, focused on something. Something that does not need to be perfect, that won’t be graded. To just relax and color. This kids coloring mandalas book is good for all elementary ages into middle school, and the twistable colored pencils keep you from having to sharpen for the younger kids.

 

4. Kinetic play sand

Mindfulness is not only about knowing your emotions and being present in the moment, it also includes tuning into your senses. These kinetic sand sandboxes are wonderful sensory toys, and a great way to tune into your child’s sense of touch. Guide them in taking some time to squeeze the sand through their fingers with their eyes closed so they can really tune into their touch before jumping into play.

CoolSand has several fun options including dinosaurs, safari, and sea creatures

5. Artificial mini aquarium

This one is a bit different, but great if you are looking for something to help your child practice the basics of meditation. This aquarium has artificial fish, so it’s good for many ages. The colors in the tank and movement of the fish is perfect to help soothe and calm. Being mindful includes being able to be still and present in the moment, and this gift will help your child learn to do just that.

6. Aromatherapy diffuser

Aromatherapy is beneficial for everybody, and this diffuser makes it fun for kids. Use it to diffuse blends for calming, grounding, clarifying, immune support or sleep support.  I really like this one because it comes with several different film designs, cycles through 7 colors and has a timer. (Which is great when using it to help sleep.)

 

7. Active Yoga Activity Mat

This yoga activity mat fits together like puzzle pieces, and has fun pictures of animals demonstrating various yoga poses. Yoga is a very mindful practice, as you focus on your breathing and holding your body in various positions. Which makes this a great gift for continuing your child on a path of mindfulness.

 

8. Gratitude Journal

Having a daily gratitude practice is something that I highly recommend everyone do, and I encourage starting a gratitude routine with your kids early as well. Practicing gratitude is not only a great way to be mindful, but it has numerous far reaching health benefits. Starting with a gratitude journal is helpful for children, as most give a daily prompt. This allows them to think a little deeper about what they are grateful for, while still being a personal experience that they can choose whether to share or not. These are a few different journals, focused on different age groups. The five minute journal is great for grades 1-5. The I am grateful for… journal is perfect for middle school ages. The Always something to be grateful for journal is actually good for most ages. (Its so cute, I kind of want one for myself!) There are blank boxes that can be used for drawing answers instead of writing, which makes it great for pre-school and kindergarten, but is road enough in the prompts that it can be used through middle and high school ages.

There are a ton of gratitude journals out there. Browse around to find something that will work for your child if these recommendations don’t fit what you are looking for!  Amazon has a great feature, that you can look inside many of the journals to see how they are set up image by page.

9. My moods flip book

This is one of my favorite things I have come across to help children with mindfulness. So much of being present in the moment is centered around emotion. Giving kids the tools to recognize their emotions and then help them learn that they can choose how they react, really sets them up for success in all areas of their life. This particular My Moods, My Choices flip book features adorable monsters illustrated so that even children who aren’t able to read yet can recognize their mood.

 

10. Hula Hoop

Just like with planting seeds, the repetition of hula hooping can allow children to let their minds be still. The added benefit of hula hooping is the focus on your body movement. This creates more focus in the moment for beginners and more feeling connected to your body for advanced hula hoopers. Both the focus and the connectedness allow for more mindfulness. Hula hoops range in price and quality. For a brand new hooper, I recommended just a basic hula hoop. This set of 3 is great because it comes with several sizes.

 

Which of these gifts leave you feeling inspired? Did you purchase anything from this list for your children? Let us know what you think in the comments!

And for help on your mindset and mindfulness journey, check out these articles:

Find Your Path to an Abundance Mindset by Helping Others

 

10 Things to do to Change Your Mindset and Improve Your Life

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