Activity

Mindfulness: “Bee”-ing In the Present Moment

Grades 3-5, Grades K-2
Subjects: Explore Your World, Personal Wellness

Overview:

Students will learn the meaning of mindfulness and why it is useful to learn and practice. Students will learn how their senses help them be mindful by focusing on the present moment. Mindfulness breathing will be taught to students using “BEE Breath”.

NB Curricular Connections

Explore Your World

  • Strand: Well-Being – Big Idea: Physical Health and Active Participation – Skill Descriptor: Analyze personal safety and healthy practices.
  • Strand: Well-Being – Big Idea: Emotional Health and Positive Identities – Skill Descriptor:
    • Explore activities that foster enjoyment and well-being.
    • Recognize that feelings and emotions can impact well-being, relationships, and the way we engage with others.

Personal Wellness 3-5

    • Strand: Wellness – Big Idea: Healthy Lifestyle – Skill Descriptor:
      • Grade 3: Analyze personal safety and healthy practices.
      • Grade 4: Describe personal safety and healthy practices.
      • Grade 5: Assess personal safety and healthy practices.
    • Strand: Mental Fitness – Big Idea: Mental Health Strategies – Skill Descriptor:
      • Grade 3: Demonstrate self-calming strategies to regulate emotional reactions.
      • Grade 4: Identify strategies for regulating emotional reactions.
      • Grade 5: Identify strategies for seeking support for self and others.
    • Strand: Mental Fitness – Big Idea: Positive Mental Health – Skill Descriptor:
      • Grade 3: Explore the importance of talking about emotions and emotional responses.
      • Grade 4: Describe the seven primary emotions and their expression.
      • Grade 5: Identify ways to manage stress and regulate emotions.

What you’ll need:

Instructions:

Step 1: Teach and discuss what students know about Mindfulness. First, ask students what THEY think Mindfulness means. Explain that it is focusing on the present moment. It’s not what they did yesterday or will be doing tomorrow or after class. It focuses on and pays attention to what is happening at this moment, here and NOW!

Step 2: Share this video with students and discuss:   What is MINDFULNESS and how do you do it? (Zen Den) | Cosmic Kids

Step 3: Next, discuss and teach about practicing mindfulness with all our senses.

  • SIGHT: Have students (without talking) take 1 minute to look around the room and NOTICE what they SEE. Suggest they really pay attention and look carefully and slowly to see if they notice things they have never noticed before. Have them share their responses.
  • HEARING: Have students close their eyes and focus on what they can hear. (Birds singing outside, voices from another classroom, their own breathing, others moving in their chairs). Have students share their responses.
  • TOUCH/FEELING: Have students notice how their bodies are feeling. Ask them to notice how their bodies are touching different objects. (Pay attention to how the chair feels beneath them, how do their clothes feel against their bodies, maybe where the fabric wrinkles behind their bent knees, is there a breeze from a fan or an open window, can they feel their toes in their shoes, their socks, or shoes against their foot. Ask students to share their experiences.
  • SMELL: Have students notice if there is anything they can smell. (Smells from lunch or from the custodian cleaning their desks or hand sanitizer) Once again, sharing experiences without judgment.
  • Discuss that this is all being mindful. When we pay attention and notice without trying to make it one way or another, this is mindfulness.

Step 4: Next, tell students they will learn the BEE breath to help them concentrate on BEEING present.  Demonstrate the bee breath in this video: GONOODLE Bee Breath  When their thoughts go to something that already happened or to something in the future, remind them to come back and focus on their BEE Breath and how it feels and sounds.

Step 5: Watch the video and discuss being present. Ask students which way is their favourite?  Be Breathing and Mindfulness for Kids! ? Bee Present! Go with YoYo

Questions Related to The Labour Market And Employment Opportunities In NB:

  1. In which types of jobs is mindfulness helpful? (All jobs! Mindfulness helps us regulate our emotions, stay focused and work better with others, so it is an important skill to learn and practice no matter what career or industry you work in.)
  2. What types of jobs in New Brunswick teach mindfulness to others? (Teachers, counsellors, therapists, psychologists, social workers.)

Reflection Activity 

Please see the attached PDF for several choices on how you and your learners can reflect upon today’s activity.

Global Competencies:

  1. Communication
  2. Self Awareness
  3. Innovation
  4. Collaboration

Downloads 

You may also like