10 Fun Breathing Exercises for Kids
Have you been guilty of saying to a child, “You need to take a deep breath right now!”? Telling your child or student to breathe when they are angry, worried or stressed, doesn’t always work in the moment and isn’t as easy as it may seem. There are a few ways you can make this easier when in a situation where breathing may help. These 10 fun breathing breathing exercises can help calm your kids down.
Why Deep Breathing Matters:
Deep breathing exercises are designed to support self-regulation, mindfulness and brain break needs. Children who practice mindfulness will find it much easier to focus and actively engage in the classroom and in life in general. Practicing mindfulness and breathing can be very powerful for kids as they grow and navigate the world we live in. Students in the classroom who use mindfulness bring a sense of collective calm to the space as well making the learning environment more favorable for everyone. Incorporating mindfulness can be fun!
Making deep breathing fun and combining it with play can help kids practice their breath and use breathing as a way to cope or calm down.
Here are some ways to make deep breathing more effective for you kids:
Pick a Technique that resonates with them
Each child is different, and what they prefer will differ between each of them. Trying a variety of mindfulness techniques like breathwork, guided imagery, body scans, or progressive muscle relaxation, can help you figure out what the child likes best. Maybe they like to buzz like a bee, or pretend they’re a snake, or maybe they prefer lying quietly and breathing. Practicing different techniques and then using them often will help kids feel comfortable, remember them and use them when needed. Practicing these different techniques and fun breathing exercises can also help you as a parent or therapist figure out what you prefer to use and help you “find your voice.” It takes practice to find out what you are good at teaching too!
Teach Breathwork before they will actually need it
Practice different breaths or relaxation strategies when kids are calm and ready to listen and learn. Have fun and practice often so they get used to breathing to calm themselves. You can have printouts with the breath on it for a visual, or a picture of an animal or technique for them. A simple breath practice, body scan or guided imagery is a quick and easy way to start or end your day, or even your therapy session helps kids regulate and calm down before working.
10 Fun Breathing Exercises for Kids
1. Staircase Breath
- Imagine you’re climbing up a staircase as you breathe, in in in, and then HA out as you ride the bannister down.
- Feel your body Relax on the Exhale
2. Freeze, Breathe, Melt
- Incorporate breathing into a game. Walk around the room and then have the students Freeze!
- Breathe in
- Melt down to the ground as you breathe out
3. Warming Hands Self-Regulating Breath
- Rub your hands together getting them nice and warm
- Place them over your eyes as you take a deep breath in and out
4. Self-Hug Mindful Practice
- Wrap your arms around you and give yourself a tight squeeze
- Take a deep breath in and out
- Hold for as long as you need
- Repeat
5. Crocodile Breathing
- Lie on your tummy
- Fold your arms and rest your head on them
- Breathe in and out
6. Lion’s Breath
- Sit up Tall
- Open your hands next to your face as if they were claw
- Take a deep breath through your nose
- Open your mouth as big as you can
- Use your
- Stick your tongue out
- Eyes wide opened
- And, ROAR!
7. Bumble Bee Breath
- Breathe in
- Breathe out with your mouth closed, while you hum like a bee
- Repeat this breathing sequence for a few minutes
8. Hot Soup/Hot Cocoa/Pizza Breath
- Imagine you’re holding a hot bowl of soup/cup of hot cocoa/ hot pizza slice
- Take a deep breath as you smell the soup/cocoa/pizza
- Breathe out to cool it down
9. Candle Breath
- Imagine you have a candle in front of you (or cake with candles)
- Breathe in
- Breathe out to gently blow out the candle
10. Turtle Shell Breath
- Have the kids take shell pose (child’s pose) either on the floor (forehead resting on floor, arms down by their sides) or on their desk (with their arms covering their heads).
- Breathe in and out.
These 10 fun breathing exercises for kids are great breaths to practice at any time. Practice them during the day as a fun activity, or before bed to help calm the body down and get ready to sleep. It’s always good to have a large bag of breathwork to pull from and use with kids.
Let me know if you tried them and how they went.
Try some of my other simple breaths you can practice and incorporate with your kids:
