Mindfulness for Kids: 30 Fun Activities to Stay Calm, Happy, and In Control

by Carole P. Roman, J. Robin Albertson-Wren

Mindfulness for Kids offers fun activities for kids ages 6-12 to stay cool, happy, and present with mindfulness.

Homework horrors, chores, and not-so-friendly friends—that’s enough to make any kid’s brain hurt. The secret to staying cool is it’s called mindfulness—and this book gives kids fun activities to practice it on their own.

Mindfulness for Kids applies mindfulness exercises to stories and real-life scenarios that kids go through at home, school, and with friends. Shared through the voices of five Jasmine, Willow, Kayli, Colby, and Zeke, Mindfulness for Kids is an engaging, kid-friendly guide for handling tough situations and powerful emotions mindfully.

From using belly breathing to help with panic before a presentation to actively listening to siblings, Mindfulness for Kids addresses the everyday challenges that kids face

Mindfulness 101 that teaches kids what mindfulness is, and how they can be mindful of their emotions and senses.Relatable, real-life scenarios that kids encounter at home, school, and with friends. 30 Fun exercises that show kids how tricks like a gratitude list, “counting to calm”, and even yoga poses can help them relax and feel better from not-so-nice feelings. Mindfulness is a kind of superpower we all have but don’t know how to use. In this book, kids will learn how to use this power to feel good about themselves and the world around them through activities and stories told by kids, for kids.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

96 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 13, 2018

About the author

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children's books. Whether it's pirates, princesses, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children. She hosts a blog radio program called Indie Authors Roundtable and is one of the founders of the magazine, Indie Author's Monthly. She's been interviewed twice by Forbes Magazine. Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman. She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren and a new joke book called The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes!
She writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and is currently helping to create an anthology with her mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors. She lives on Long Island near her children and grandchildren.

Her series includes:
Captain No Beard
If You Were Me and Lived in- Cultural
If You Were Me and Lived in- Historical
Nursery series
Oh Susannah- Early Reader and coloring book
Mindfulness for Kids with co-author J. Robin Albertson-Wren
The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids; 800 plus Jokes!
Navigating Indieworld- with co-author Julie A. Gerber
Marketing Indieworld- with co-authors Angela Hausman and Julie A. Gerber
Adult Fiction under the pen name Brit Lunden
Bulwark
The Knowing- A Bulwark Anthology

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Welcome, friend! This book has been created just for you.

There's a LOT of stress that kids experience - even though adults don't always recognize it.

It's easy to get overwhlemed.

Jayden looked at the floor, then at the ceiling. He looked everywhere but at her face...The words were stuck in his throat.

Children have to constantly deal new situations and issues - and they often don't have the power to solve them on their own...but that doesn't mean they're helpless.

Their activities will hep you practice and exploring how you can be the "best you," even when things seem hard.

This helpful book shows lots of situations - from dealing with a mean older sibling to a parent getting frustrated with them - and explains what a kid can do.

Mindfulness can help us become aware of our feelings and experience them without letting them control us.

After each scenario, other "kids" from the story give advice on how to work through the situation - like taking a break to burn off the excess energy or slowly counting to ten to get a handle on themselves before continuing.

Overall, I really liked this book!

It's quick read but a valuable one.

I love the message of the book - that you can't always fix a problem, but you CAN handle how you react to it. (And honestly, with all the stress associated with grad school, I could use that!).

The variety on the situations and the solutions was really impressive - each one dealt with something completely different and the solutions were equally unique.

The strategies were simple, efficient and very doable for someone who is feeling overwhelmed.

The illustrations enhanced the book and gave it that extra oomph that really made it pop for me.

All in all, this is a fabulous how-to guide and really lives up to its title!

With thanks to the author for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Robert Yokoyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it is written at a level that kids can understand. This is also valuable information that will help a middle age man like me handle emotions in every day situations. To be mindful means to be aware of what kinds of emotions arise at the present moment. Being mindful also means dealing with anger, resentment, embarrassment, fear and sadness in a positive way. Making a gratitude list is an activity that is very helpful because it will make me appreciate what I have. I will be less likely to dwell on the things I don't have if I have a gratitude list. A gratitude list is something that will prevent me from becoming sad. I really like the idea of doing a tree pose. This is something that will keep me calm. Empathy is not a word found in this book, but the definition of it is found in this book. It means putting myself in someone's else's shoes. I am striving to do a better job of this and active listening because sharpening these skills will make me a better friend. I can prevent from being nervous by doing a mental body scan. A mental body scan will help all the parts of my body relax so that I can perform under pressure. Doing a mental body scan will help me perform on stage more effectively. Every subject and activity in this book is explained well. The colorful illustrations are enjoyable to look at too.

[Jessica Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes real life examples of emotional situations kids like mine typically face and shows kids great techniques to handle the stressful situations. My two daughters could definitely relate to many of the short stories, or situations, presented within the book. This was the perfect time for us to read this book because we currently go through many emotions in our house since my kids are entering the preteen/teen years. This book provides many different exercises to help kids become more mindful of their feelings and ways to deal with their emotions.
Since I am an Occupational Therapist, this book reminds me of the relaxation techniques I learned in OT school. It would be a very good tool for professionals to help kids better manage their emotions. I can see this book being useful for anyone working with preteens/teens such as therapists, teachers, as well as parents/guardians, etc.
My daughters and I will definitely keep this book handy to practice the tips and exercises during the emotional preteen and teenage years. We recommend this book to all preteens and teenagers around the ages 8-18.
Disclosure: We received a PDF copy of this book and we are voluntarily sharing our review.
Jessica D. Adams, children's book author

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Disclosure**This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the publisher. All opinions are my own.



About the Book:


Mindfulness for Kids offers fun activities for kids ages 6-12 to stay cool, happy, and present with mindfulness.

Homework horrors, chores, and not-so-friendly friends—that’s enough to make any kid’s brain hurt. The secret to staying cool is easy: it’s called mindfulness—and this book gives kids fun activities to practice it on their own.

Mindfulness for Kids applies mindfulness exercises to stories and real-life scenarios that kids go through at home, school, and with friends. Shared through the voices of five children: Jasmine, Willow, Kayli, Colby, and Zeke, Mindfulness for Kids is an engaging, kid-friendly guide for handling tough situations and powerful emotions mindfully.

From using belly breathing to help with panic before a presentation to actively listening to siblings, Mindfulness for Kids addresses the everyday challenges that kids face with:

Mindfulness 101 that teaches kids what mindfulness is, and how they can be mindful of their emotions and senses. Relatable, real-life scenarios that kids encounter at home, school, and with friends. 30 Fun exercises that show kids how tricks like a gratitude list, “counting to calm”, and even yoga poses can help them relax and feel better from not-so-nice feelings. Mindfulness is a kind of superpower we all have but don’t know how to use. In this book, kids will learn how to use this power to feel good about themselves and the world around them through activities and stories told by kids, for kids.



My Review:

If you have been a parent for even a minute you start to see the jealousy come out in your child like a massive tidal wave. Some of us rarely see but in the case of my children it never ends. I have four kiddos and it is a constant battle to get them to get along. You have all these different personalities living under one roof so I can understand why it would get out of hand. And out of hand it does and it escalates pretty quickly.



The authors of Mindfulness for Kids, know exactly where I'm coming from and together they have created this book in a way to help. They offer several different situations and scenarios to help moms like me to make it through the day without losing my mind.


Geared towards children that are ages 6-10. Each section is divided by emotions that are evoked during the crazy and helpful subtle advice is given along with different scenarios and situations.



A very helpful read!

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately, in today’s world, there are a lot of kids that feel anxiety or stress at school, at home, or with even the simplest of interactions. In my subbing, some of the elementary classrooms that I have been in have a set time for mindfulness activities like yoga or breathing exercises. I appreciate that time as much if not more than the kids do.

I appreciate the approach of this book, speaking from a child’s perspective and offering mindfulness as a type of superpower. The book explains it as something that a child can use when they are feeling overwhelmed or need to relax. It’s matter-of-fact with no shame or awkwardness.

Each chapter offers a child in a typical kid situation and how mindfulness can help in that setting. Examples including getting in trouble at home that results in frustration or anger, breaking something and feeling fear and guilt about the consequences, a doctor’s visit, having to present in class, facing a bully, or friendship issues. Feelings of shame, embarrassment, anxiety, fear, anger, resentment, or feeling overwhelmed are talked about freely.

I think that kids would be able to read these examples and identify with the kids in these scenarios very easily. The situations are common and the feelings mentioned are explained for kids to understand. A lot of the mindfulness activities include various breathing exercises but also offer a distraction. One example encourages kids to make a mind jar, a jar of water filled with glitter. I’ve actually done this and keep it on my desk. I like watching the glitter fall when I feel overwhelmed.

I think this is a great book for teachers or parents to share with kids. I could see this book used in the classroom, reading the examples and offering opportunities to try the breathing exercises. Parents could help their child walk through scenarios that are giving their child anxiety with the examples in the book.

Roman is an award-winning author of over 50 children’s books and seems to know how to reach kids either through fiction or non-fiction books by offering fun and imaginative stories or teaching them something. Albertson-Wren has been an elementary teacher for over 20 years and teaches mindfulness activities to executives, teachers, parents, and kids. These two authors have combined to create an important book for kids.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Mindfulness means paying attention to what’s happening right now.’

Carole P Roman is the ‘go-to’ person both for child readers and for authors of children’s books – knowledgeable, warm, sensitive, caring and always the champion for her audience, be they readers or writers! In this wise and sensitive book Cariole, in tandem with J. Robin Albertson-Wren, brings an adult concept of being in charge of your life through Mindfulness to the audience of children. Through simple stories the book presents entertaining and credible stories about how to be a mindful you at home (dealing with anxiety, fear, stress, anger, guilt), at school (anxiety, embarrassment, jealousy, loneliness, sadness), and with friends (frustration, grief, anger, sadness) and takes each feeling, transposes that into story form and in doing so demonstrates to children coping mechanisms that are centered on Mindfulness.

Keeping it personal with created characters who accompany the stories is another technique that makes the ‘teaching/coaching’ unique and successful. Or as stated in the book, ‘This book has been created just for you. It’s actually a storybook, with many tales about kids and the challenges they face. But it’s also full of ideas and activities that you can try at home, at school. And out in the world.’

FINALLY - an invaluable book addressed to kids about that all-important learned skill – MINDFULNESS! This little book should soar into the homes and schools as a thoughtful adjunct to coping and behavior challenges! Brilliant!

[Lilith Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always looking for new ideas when it comes to helping kids calm down. Sometimes I work with special needs children and with inclusion on the rise, helping them find alternative methods can be really helpful for them. This book offers great tools.

Each scenario starts off with a story. Depending on the situation, you can help your child find something they relate to. This can help lessen the stress with working with kids and teens. After the story is read, this book offers a few ways to help children learn to calm down. I find this really helpful as the children will use the techniques in front of the teacher and they can take it with them. Giving children tools to clam down and be successful is something very powerful for a child.

I liked this book as it offers 30 ideas for children to help themselves build a more calming toolbox. I find this book to be a great introduction. The story idea is very clever and one I have not seen in the past. A great book to have when kids need some help.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine and were in no way influenced by outside sources. I am a professional blogger at Little Lady Plays

[Andrex · Rating 4 out of 5]

15 different stories each with 2 fun activities. At the beginning of the book there are also two letters: one to parents/caregivers, the other to children. Meet five children: Jasmine, Willow, Kayli, Colby and Zeke. These children are the ones with suggestions on how to resolve the negative feelings experienced by those in the stories. The fifteen stories are ones that are relevant to most kids today. Some, as in all things, will mean more to some than others. Ever had one of your children lose their phone? An untidy mess whilst trying to search for it? How about one of them feeling resentful over chores? Did you know that mindfulness can actually strengthen areas in your brain? You can actually program your brain so as to make your reactions better. As a parent/caregiver do you ever have to put up with sibling rivalry? Story 4, Battle over the remote, has some great coping skills for the child that is constantly/regularly "beaten" (i.e the underdog) by a bigger/older sibling.

This book is split into three parts. The second part focuses on being mindful at school whilst the third section illustrates how to be mindful with friends. Yoga poses/positions do appear to be the basis of many of the suggested actions/coping strategies.

So what's not to like about this book? I truly wish that some of the stories had true "how to's" i.e showing the child how changing behavior can alter the outcome. The bullying story is a prime example. The bully got the best of Gabe in the story which was good to show but readers are left wanting more. It would have been helpful to have a few paragraphs turning it around. Parents/caregivers are going to have to do quite a lot of talking/discussion after this and other stories. Another issue I have is that seeing as this is targeted towards impressionable, young children I do not like the fact that the chapter titles and subtitles do not make use of uppercase letters in the proper places. How many times have I had to remind my children that "I" when by itself is ALWAYS capitalized and never "i". What do I see in this book but a lower case 'i' in "i spy my strong self". AAGH!

Saying all the above, this book definitely has some helpful coping techniques in it. I enjoyed reading it and am going to share some of the 'relevant to us' stories with our children. I have also left the book on the table for them to browse through it themselves. The stories are well-illustrated, the font is a good size and the pages are colorful drawing a person's eye.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by the publisher. That has not affected my review above which consists of my own thoughts and opinions. Thanks, Liz

[Barbara Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a digital world where kids text more than talk and move at a lightning fast pace, they often feel as if they are adrift at sea without a life preserver. These short stories told by five children illustrate problematic emotional issues like jealousy, loneliness, insecurity, bullying, and anxiety that pop up at home, in school, and with friends. The authors assist children in understanding how mindfulness exercises can grow their developing brain to train the mind and body to work in unison. Children learn how to control their feelings and to notice their surroundings without judging. The authors have produced an easy to read and well researched practical guide to enable grade and middle-school children to position themselves as happy and successful adults. Highly recommended for parents, teachers, counselors, and children ages six through ten.
I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher, which I voluntarily decided to read and review giving my honest opinions for no compensation.

-Barbara Ann Mojica, Retired Educator, Top Amazon reviewer of Children’s Books and Author of the award-winning, Little Miss HISTORY Travels to … children’s book series, http://bamauthor.me

[Elizabeth Madarang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was provided by Carole P. Roman to review for Multicultural Children's Book Day, January 25, 2019.
Carole Roman and J. Robin Albertson-Wren compiled a variety of vignettes to teach/reinforce mindfulness strategies for children so they may self monitor and bring calmness to stressful life situations. The book is well organized with both an introductory letter to the parent followed by one for the child. A detailed definition of mindfulness completes the introduction. After this, the book divides the vignettes into three categories: home, school, and with friends. Each situation is quite realistic and offers two mindful ways for the child to become calm and reflective. This is a fantastic book for K-6 guidance counselors, teachers K-6, homeschoolers, and parents of elementary school aged children.
#ReadYourWorld
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2019 (1/25/19) is in its 6th year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents, and educators.

[M.M. Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this book.
Terrific ideas for kids to learn how to control their emotions when they are having different kinds of emotions. eg. anxiety, anger, nervousness, embarrassment, and more.
Some yoga and meditation techniques are introduced by 5 kids throughout the book.

The book is extremely informative for both kids and adults. Further reading can be found in the back of the book.
5 stars

Disclosure: I was given a book from the authors. The views I have expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours.
Michelle

[Ben Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always refreshing to see an author per her heart and soul into every book she writes. Carole P. Roman has done this again with Mindfulness for Kids. As children head into their pre-teen years it's often an emotional and challenging time. As a very young parent, I wish I had this book 10 years ago when my son was younger. Some great lessons for kids and parents alike! I really enjoyed the message and the illustrations were fantastic!

[Sage Adderley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mindfulness for Kids is an incredible resource to help children understand mindfulness and explore ways to take ownership of their many emotions. With relatable stories and easy-to-follow activities, this book is a must-have for every child’s self-care toolbox. The best part is kids can carry these healthy skills into their teenage and young adult years. I wish I had this book as a kid!

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellently written book. It is full of easy and useful tips to help children learn about mindfulness to help them deal with all kinds of everyday problems that kids face. I am definitely going to have some of my students try these activities and see if it helps make their problems more manageable.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book definitely spoke to its target audience of children ages 6 to 10. As an adult reading it, I found it a little simplistic, but kids probably won't have the same issue, especially younger ones. There were many helpful coping mechanisms mentioned, but not any that seemed particularly "fun" as the title implied they would be. Still, I can see where it might be a helpful resource for youngsters trying to learn to self-regulate. The presentation of the coping mechanisms by one of five "kid" narrators seems like something that would help real kids connect with the concepts in the book.

I received a free copy of this book from the author as part of Multicultural Children's Book Day 2019! #ReadYourWorld

[Terry]

Readers of all ages will recognize themselves in these 15 stories about emotional challenges. They will also be able to think of a situation from their own life that matches the emotions that are expertly described. Read more of our review at the Reading Tub website.

[Peter Megyeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun and informative. I will definitely try some of these exercises with my students.

[Susan]

Meh, I thought the "stories" were awkward and they weren't really applicable to my kid. I was so bothered by the parents in the stories making things worse. I'm sure it's helpful for some people, I just didn't like the format.

[Allison Pickett · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a mom of four young kids, I am always always always on the lookout for tips to help them recognize their feelings and remain in control of them. I like teaching them mindfulness techniques and many of these I will put in my bank for occasions when they are feeling overwhelmed. Some of the techniques felt a little impractical for moments where emotions might be running high, but breathing and self talk seem practical for any time. The illustrations are precious and add some fun to the book. Mindfulness Kids is directed to children; a short, quick, and fairly simple read.

[LAWonder10 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a very helpful book for ages 6-10
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2020
As a Mindfulness instructor for many years, Carole P. Roman offers professional instruction and 30 uplifting activities in this very helpful book for children from age six to ten.

The introduction contains a message to parents/educators in how to best use this book, plus, a message to the children on how to best benefit from the ideas presented in stories and in doing the activities.

The book proceeds with many challenges the children in this age group face in a short story, then offers thought questions and an exercise in aiding the child to deal with it in a positive manner. As the author mentions, the brain is a muscle thata also can be exercised and trained.

This is a simple book to follow. It would be additionally helpful in this stressful time dealing with the pandemic.

*This book was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review.