Ultimate Mindfulness Activity Book: 150 Playful Mindfulness Activities for Kids and Teens (and Grown-Ups too!)
T**Y
Very Accessible for Beginners and Practioners Alike
Wow! I’ve followed blissfulkids.com for some time and I’m still wowed by this book! What I love most about it is its accessibility. Even if you’ve never practiced mindfulness yourself before or with your children, you can use this book. Chapters 2 and 3 are a great introduction to mindfulness and it’s broken down into an easy-to-read format. There is Chapter 2 - FAAQs (Frequently Asked Awesome Questions) and Chapter 3 - 21 Best Practices for a Quick Start and Sustained Practice. If you are already a pro, you can skip right to the 150 mindfulness activities, which have been broken down into groups based on type of mindfulness: Activities for Sensory Awareness, Focus, and Calm; Activities for Joy, Gratitude, and Kindness; and Activities for Emotional Intelligence and Regulation. Each group of activities is further broken down by age groups: 3 and up, 7 and up, and 12 and up.Chris’s writing is so engaging and relatable. I love the stories he shares about how mindfulness has impacted his son and their family.Seriously, what a steal for 99 cents! You won’t be sorry.
D**A
Great Activities for Managing Anxiety in Children
I bought this book to find exercises for my 10-year-old son, who has trouble shutting his mind off to fall asleep. I thought the mindfulness activities might help him set aside his worries and relax. We have now done enough of the activities that my son can choose from a repertoire of strategies when he is having trouble relaxing or falling asleep. He is becoming more independent in guiding himself through mindful breathing and other exercises, which was the goal!The book is written for an adult audience, but it is conversational, so I have been able to read many of the explanations to my 10-year-old. The organizational structure of the book helps you choose activities based on age level or topic/type, and the descriptions make it easy to match the activity to the needs of the child (or adult!). I also appreciate that the book contextualizes the activities rather than just providing a list so that you can make better choices about which strategies to use. There are tips and suggestions for making mindfulness part of a routine and for navigating the options.The book presents a nice balance of activities you can do with or without materials, during different times of day, and in different settings. You can also apply mindfulness to routine tasks, such as making dinner. All in all, my family has been impressed with this book, and it has definitely served the purpose
A**R
Huge variety of helpful mindfulness practices for different ages and personalities
I have four kids ranging in age from 3 to 11. There are practices in the book that I can't wait to do with each of them and for different reasons. One child needs help navigating big emotions while another tends to get anxious. The book is organized so you can find what you're looking for easily and I definitely appreciate that. I am new to mindfulness and loved Christian's comprehensive Frequently Asked Awesome Questions at the beginning of the Book. I spent several years teaching kindergarten and wish I would have had this book back then!
H**R
Imagine you are an ape!
I work with children and teens at a local grief center. These activities are perfect for them to use when things feel overwhelming. Next week I want to teach them Squish and Let Go (body relaxation). This exercise is great because of the wonderful examples "Imagine you are an ape in a tree. Apes hold on to branches with their feet. Clench your toes. Curl them like grabbing a branch with them really hard. One. Two. Relax the toes. Let them go limp. Notice how nice it feels." and "Next, imagine someone throws a basketball at your stomach. So make your stomach hard. Tighten your stomach muscles. One. Two. And release."Bergstrom, Christian. Ultimate Mindfulness Activity Book: 150 Playful Mindfulness Activities for Kids and Teens (and Grown-Ups too!) . Kindle Edition.
E**A
Rambling on of the same ideas to a point of ridiculousness.
There is so much repetition in this book that it ought to have been a brochure. The repeating of the same ideas and the annoying wordiness made this a poor value. You’d get just as much reading online about mindfulness. This book is a sad example of what can get published. It’s a waste of money and time.
L**N
So many ideas in one place
I am trying to introduce mindfulness to my kiddos (and to learn it myself), and this collection is a gem. I love the variety of ideas for quick and easy mindfulness experiences. I also like the fun little names for the games. It makes them easy to explain and to recall. I would really like to have this book in print to thumb through (sensory, anyone?) and keep in my reference collection
M**E
Well Done!
This is not just a list of great activities, it is a practical, simple, thoughtful guide for how to use them with your kids. I love that the activities are broken out into categories - 1. sensory awareness, focus and calm 2. Joy, gratitude and kindness 3. Emotional intelligence and regulation. Awesome! I've already started using with my 9 year old boy - he loved the "school bus" visualization and understood the activity right away. Looking forward to using these activities with my 7 and 4 year old boys also, and putting the practice into our routine!
W**I
Great resource for learning mindfulness
I got this for my children to help them practice more mindfulness during the pandemic. I found the book to very helpful and it allowed me teach my kids in a very simple logical manner. I think the book is helpful for parents too. I know I need to practice mindfulness when I rushing to work in the morning or when I return home from work tried and hungry with two tired and hungry children.
D**
Full disclosure: I know the author and am posting this review having received a free copy.
That said - I'd be writing the same review even if the above wasn't true! I've known Chris, the author, for years and we've both trained and taught together in meditation techniques. The author is a really nice person, and fun to be with. When I'm reading the text I can hear his calm, good humoured voice and a cool Finnish lilt to it.As a mindfulness instructor myself, I know that not every technique will suit every person. It's a question of finding what works for your students, let them make it their own, and let the technique work for them. With the range of techniques on offer here, there's sure to be something for kid and adult alike. I know I've gained some good ideas!As I've gone through the activity book, I've really enjoyed the friendly language and approach (and not just because I can hear his voice!) It's been truly inspiring for me to hear about the stories and experiences he's had teaching mindfulness to his son, who in turn teaches his dad some really good stuff too! It makes the techniques come alive for me to see how his young son actually uses the techniques for himself after he's learnt them. That's just so cool! I also enjoy the authenticity and just how much Chris shares with us in his journey of teaching.I'm impressed by the wide variety of techniques to cater for the different learning styles and developmental stages. Each one is categorised by age, tools required and the type of focus of that particular meditation. It helps to give variety or to find similar groups of meditations if a student really gets on with that style.There are also a lot of good hints and tips, not just about mindfulness techniques but ways of teaching and reinforcing good practice.So, in summary, it's a great teaching tool, by a good person, and there's something for everyone, kid or adult alike. Enjoy!
T**S
Fun intro to Mindfulness for Kids
Overall this is a lovely resource and I especially like the relaxed and 'anyone can do it' invitation to join in the mindfulness revolution. I have only given this 4 out 5 because I feel that it really needs illustrations to break the swathes of text. I have introduced some of the more fun practices to a few of the more 'fidgety' kids I work with, and it has really helped me to be more relaxed in my approach which helps them be more willing to engage.
B**K
Friendly, accessible tone.
Such a lovely book. Written in a friendly and accessible tone with realistic activities to practice. I have begun to implement some of the activities into the mindfulness and yoga classes I teach to children and will use some with my own children, too.I did receive a free copy before the release date, which was lovely, but that has not influenced my review.
S**N
Real life examples from Christian gives a personable touch, anyone can practise mindfulness!
An easy to access book divided into three main age related areas. You can dive straight in if you've practised mindfulness before or not and if not it can be followed and used well, with very simple explanations of what mindfulness is. A great book to be used with your own children in every day life or as a class resource, be this in school or within yoga or mindfulness sessions.
M**N
Full of practical ideas!
I really enjoyed the wide range of activities in the book. I am using some of the breathing activities with my mindfulness after school club. I love the range of Gratitude activities, lots to try out! This is a really useful book for parents, teachers or practitioners. I would love to see some graphics added if a future edition is planned.
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