Breathing exercises involve taking slow, steady breaths on purpose. Fortunately, there are easy breathing exercises tailored just for them, so they have a simple way to manage difficult feelings.
The Breathing Exercises for Kids handout helps kids adopt breathing patterns to calm their mood in moments of stress or anxiety. It features ten simple exercises, which include smelling flowers, blowing a candle, and sipping hot chocolate. Each exercise involves only two to three steps for kids to easily follow.
Using this handout helps kids feel less tense, which can lower their stress levels and detach from distracting thoughts and sensations. They can practice hot air balloon breathing before a stressful event, such as an exam or going to the dentist.
To make a breathing technique fun and easier to recall, parents and teachers can use creative visuals or props! For example, when showing the bunny breathing exercise, they can pretend to hop like a bunny while taking slow breaths.
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Want more resources like this? Check out our full catalog of coping skills worksheets and handouts.
References:
- Biegel, G. M., Chang, K., Garrett, A., & Edwards, M. (2014). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for teens. Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches, 189-212. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-416031-6.00009-8
- Buchler, R. K. (2013). Anxiety-reducing strategies in the classroom (Order No. 3575956). ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
- Jyskä, I., Turunen, M., Chaychi Maleki, A., Karppa, E., Palmu, S., Viik, J., Mäkelä, J., & Puura, K. (2023). Effects of using guided deep breathing exercises in a virtual natural environment to reduce stress during pediatric treatment. Healthcare, 11(24), 3140. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11243140
