Ultimate mindfulness activity book

by Christian Bergstrom

Kick-start and sustain a fun mindfulness practice with kids and teens.

“This book makes it easy and is a must have for every parent and teacher!”– Denise Besic, Mother and Teacher

Give kids lasting life skills to de-stress and calm down, navigate difficult emotions, control impulses, focus on what matters, and nurture empathy, kindness, and joy.

In Ultimate Mindfulness Activity Book you will

150+ playful mindfulness activitiesTools for calm, focus, joy, kindness, and emotional intelligence and regulationA 21-step guide to kick-start and sustain your practice togetherInspirational examples of how mindfulness makes positive changeEasy to understand explanations on how to explain mindfulness to kids and youthA FREE audio course for grown-ups and moreUMAB empowers readers to share mindfulness with kids and youth in a playful way.

UMAB equips readers with the keys to make practice simple, engaging, joyful, and sustainable.

UMAB turns aspiring practitioners into happy practitioners.

UMAB helps you nurture focus, calm, joy, and kindness through mindfulness.

Don’t wait.

Read this book and unlock the benefits of a playful mindfulness practice today!

Genres: Parenting

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 15, 2019

Reviews

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of mindfulness, it’s really helped me and this book is a great guide to get into it. It’s really well explained giving a good introduction, explaining the hows and whys of mindfulness. Sets up easy tasks and how to make it a daily or weekly routine. There are some greats methods in here that I’ll be taking away. Great for kids and teens, but just as good for adults.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Mrs N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think all schools could do with a copy of your book. It would be wonderful for the children.

I’ve downloaded your fantastic book today and in the new year will be using the techniques to introduce mindfulness to my children. It’s a fantastic book, thank you. We tried one activity briefly the other day whilst out walking, we stopped and used our senses to be present in the moment. Listening to the birds, smelling the fresh air etc. Was lovely! I'm going to read through the book and pick some out. My children's ages vary from 13, 4 and 1. So, I’m hoping to introduce them all to mindfulness. I think all schools could do with a copy of your book. It would be wonderful for the children. It really is brilliant!

[Tamarin Philpott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an incredible resource. The author doesn't only lay out a bunch of helpful activities but has an incredible personal introduction that makes you see the importance of mindfulness, not only for children but for everyone. He has divided the activities not only in age groups (these are flexible) but also into three very helpful categories which help to develop a child holistically.

[Mummy Cat Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this title and the idea behind this book. "This book is filled with tried and true activities for both kids and teens...not therapy."

The first couple paragraphs to the book could come off a bit condescending to some readers but just skip over it and keep going. The idea of this book is to help families and groups of children to experience "more joy and kindness and less stress and negativity...life skills to de-stress and calm down, navigate difficult emotions, control impulses, focus on what matters, and nurture empathy, kindness and positivity."

That sounds like a lot! How can one small activity do all that? The activities are not meant for just children. Grown-ups, teens and whole families can be impacted. The author talks about positive changes with "tiny little steps." Could seem far fetched.

But, he's right! Reading through the book, I noticed that the activities have zero prep time. This is always a bonus for me. There are a few activities that require items to use but the items are just things anyone would have around the house. I liked how the author took the simplest things into account because having to go out and buy items, make things to be super Pinterst like would never happen in my house.

All the activities can be easily modified to fit your needs, family dynamic or whatever. He encourages people to focus on what they can do and not to let the age classification to dissuade them from trying an activity. The book is cut into categories to help the reader choose.

The author includes personal experiences and examples, there is a while chapter dedicated to questions. The 3rd and 4th chapters are full of activities. Here is one example:

The Star aka tracing five fingers

Purpose: Body awareness, Mindfulness of breath, focus, Calm
Best for: Ages 4+ groups or one-on-one
What you need: Nothing
After a few ties, your child can use this calming strategy independently. Here's how it works:
Tell your child to an out his hand "like a star," (open his palm and spread his finger) and place it on a table , a knew or some other surface.

The book goes on to explain further steps to this activity. That seems do-able and super easy. I also liked the activity of making emotion masks. This one requires a bit more prep, but the book lays out alternates and such. The items listed were all things I have in my house. If you don't have an item, leave it out and move on. No need to worry about having to include everything.

I found it harder to follow the activities and sort through the activities on kindle. I can make notes and bookmark areas easily on kindle but I think it would be easier to do these things in a hard copy.

Overall, this is a fun book to have in your home. Sometimes it's nice to have someone lay things out for you. It's a great place to start and it helps me when someone takes the time to tell me what to do. I need this to get started until the activities become familiar and I'm comfortable with what I'm doing. There's a troubleshooting page for additional help, if needed. Book isn't' super long. Activities are simple. I would recommend this book for FHE, some old fashioned family time and families with special needs children.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ultimate Mindfulness Activity Book is a fantastic book to learn about mindfulness and how it can help you and children who may benefit from it (with that being any child, or adult!)

For the first three chapters of the book you are introduced to what mindfulness is, how it can help, why and the best way to practice it along with someone FAQ. I found these to be quite long chapters and a very lengthy introduction as I just wanted to get the the activities however they are well worth reading and I can see the benefit of reading those chapters beforehand even if I was feeling impatient!

The activities themselves are split into three chapters:
Sensory Awareness, Focus and Calm,
Joy, Gratitude and Kindness,
Emotional Intelligence and Regulation.
I really liked how they were split into these as well as by age group as it makes it easy to find something relevant easily if you are aiming for a certain outcome with the mindfulness practice. The way each activity is explained makes it really easy to understand and the guided scripts are good way to reassure adults as it's easy to follow so what could go wrong.

There are a lot more activities for three years plus which I like as I'd be using it mostly with that age range but it also means you could adapt it or use it as it is for older children or adults which is nice. At times the activities do seem a bit repetitive but it gives lots of ideas of what you could do and how you could change it to suit you.

I like how the book I see so easy to read and the parts mentioning the authors son are sweet and show just how effective mindfulness can be if you put it into practice and the benefits you can get from starting young. I think this is a book that would benefit anyone, whether you have children or not, as we all need to practice being more mindful in our busy lives. I look forward to being able to try some of these with the children in hopes that it'll help them and teach them to be more mindful. I'd highly recommend this book.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives some good ideas for ways you can start to introduce mindfulness to children. I loved the wide range of activities, suitable for anyone aged 3+, and the way the author had developed them to cater for all personalities and circumstances. The only negatives I have about the book is that the first two chapters seemed to say the same things and were very wordy, so could be condensed into one shorter chapter, and the layout of the exercises is very text-dense, and that's not attractive to a younger audience. However, in terms of content, this is a great book that provides excellent inspiration for people of all ages (not just kids!) to start using mindfulness in their lives.
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions

[Tracey Bienek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following Chris for some time now, using his tools and tips for building my own awareness of mindfulness and meditation, but also for bringing simple, easy tools for calming the mind and body into the lives of children through my kids yoga classes.

This book, compendium, encyclopedia of activities is full. In my experience the kids love the activities and I have seen time and again the benefits of teaching kids about mindfulness.

Best of all, these simple tools are transportable...the kids take them out of their 'toolbox', when ever they need them, where ever they are, when they start to notice when they need to feel better physically, emotionally and mentally.

Love your work Chris

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mindfulness is a practice of thinking through problems and tasks. By using this book you can give your students and children lasting life skills to de-stress and calm down, navigate difficult emotions, control impulses, focus on what matters, and nurture empathy, kindness, and joy. Great for teachers, counselors, church studies and more. For any age of children, teens and even grownups can gain insight into their own actions. The book includes 150 activities. Even if you use only a few it could make a difference in your relationship with others. Organized by content with age group listed. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Leta-Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book and resource for parents, educators, and anyone who works and cares about children, teens,or adults. Chris has written a book that explains mindfulness and how it can positively affect the brain and the development of emotional regulation.

There is a great variety of activities that help incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities. A fantastic well organized, easy to use book and resource for daily mindfulness..

[Giuliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in just few days and it made me smile and feel joyful. I also felt my inner child awakening. I am definitely going to do many of the mindfulness activities you shared in the book with my 3 year old daughter. Thanks so much for the loving way you have written it. All parents and educators should read and practise these mindful activities.
Giuliana - full time working mum inspired by yoga and mindfulness

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great resource for parents or teachers to engage children in some mindful play. Although this book is written with children in mind there are activities that everyone even adult can use. The book even has tips that can be helpful with ADHD and anxieties. The book is broken up into age categories as well as activities that target certain issues or emotions.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

[Carolyn Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this books has some great tools and tricks to help parents teach their kids mindfulness (and give themselves some practice).

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instructional, meaningful, purposive and engaging book

This book, very well complemented with its website, is a great tool to put into practice in a playful way in family and in the classroom as educators. Christian Bergstrom is a true teacher of this subject, he even shares his experience warmly in implementing these activities with his young son, which results in excellent practical explanations landed in real life, very clear and congruent.

The author considers that each child is unique and offers us a variety of activities, in this way we can adapt them better to the character of children and teens. Therefore, he organizes them into 3 categories to choose the one that best helps us in a specific situation or to develop a specific area: activities on focus and calm; for emotional intelligence and regulation; and for joy, gratitude and kindness.

I believe without a doubt that these practices are one of the best gifts we can give us as a family, for our children and educators with a genuine interest in the overall development of children to be able to reach their full potential and happiness. I sincerely hope that this book will be translated into other languages for the benefit of more children in the world.

My sincere appreciation to the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review the book

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

I like the breadth of exercises. The games and activities that fit easily in daily life make application much more likely and easier for a busy parent to mindfully incorporate.

This quote really stood out for why this book is valuable: "We often focus on teaching children how to not make others feel bad, but how often do we spend time teaching them about spreading joy and gratitude to each other..."

The text could do with another round or two of edits. I personally don't like the Emojis interspersed in the text. The activity order mentioned in the book specifically could use a critical eye. He references exercises in earlier activities that come later so the reader isn't clear what is being referenced (I.e. mindful arms and flappy bird).

In the gratitude section, the "thank your child" exercise stood out. Of course, parents should model the behaviors and values they want to instill in their children, but I had previously treated gratitude reflections as primarily personal and singular rather than interactive and from the mindset of a value to model.

[Amber Christiansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a wealth of information and it takes into account that all children are different. The author even specifically mentions that the age references are mere guidelines not meant to limit your child and that you should go outside of that when appropriate.
There are tons of activities to work with children on mindfulness. Only time will tell for sure, but I think this will greatly benefit my whole family.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read through this book, I realized that much of what was suggested would be great for me to use with children who have ADHD and anxieties (and adults too) in order to help them to calm themselves. I found that it was helpful to relieve my own stress and to work through difficult situations. Too bad I didn't have this book when my kids were little but it is not too late. I now am incorporating some of these activities in my classroom and am finding it extremely helpful. Wonderful suggestions!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[April Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good resource for anyone dealing with children- parents, teachers, daycare providers, etc. The activities range in age,from toddler to teen (adults can do them too!), and a variety of goals- focus, calm, gratitude, to name a few. The book begins with tips on how to get started, how often and how long to practice, all the things you need to know. I'm doing some of the activities myself :)

#UltimateMindfulnessActivityBook #NetGalley

[MoonGarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

We haven't worked through the whole book, but so far it is excellent. Everything from temper, to impulsiveness, to frustrating emotions, there are activities and games to help build skills.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca (bookishbex) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is chock full of ideas and activities that are useful for ALL ages, not just children! I especially love the idea for the calming jar. I will be putting these ideas to good use in my home, and feel they will be so beneficial for our whole family!

[RedRobinXXX · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reviewing this book for Christian Bergstrom and NetGalley who gave me a copy of their book for an honest review.
Although aimed at parents I would use this in the classroom and a few of the ideas with the children / young people at the clubs I run. Very useful for all ages …. Including me!

[Teri Ruscak · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome resource for mindfulness. I've been doing some of the activities with my young grandson, and we both love it! Received this ARC and am leaving an honest review.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic, practical approach to mindfulness. Although it was tailored to children the author makes it clear all ages can benefit from the exercises. (Which is absolutely true)

[Kelly McCool · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this book. I am a kindergarten classroom teacher and a children's yoga instructor. I came across this book in my search for ways to include mindfulness into our lessons. I was amazed from the moment I opened the book. First of all, it's super easy to read and is laid out in an easy to read format. I love the examples Chris uses of how these techniques have worked with his son. I liked the suggestions of how to use this book. He suggested making a list of ideas you may want to try weekly or those to try every now and then. I have read through many of the activities and will be using them in my classes this week. The chapter on how to get started with mindfulness is very helpful if you've never practiced mindfulness with children. Each activity has a purpose, age it is best for and materials needed list. There is even a troubleshooting section for when kids give responses like, "I am bored" or "This is stupid." You know how kids can be, but you got to love them! Check this book out!