Mindful Leaders

What you need:

• "Kids Explain Mindfulness" video (YouTube)
• Lead Others with Mindfulness worksheet
• Two clean same-sized plastic bottles (labels removed)
• Strong glue
• Screwdriver
• Dry sand (or glitter)
• Tape
• Timer (optional)

What you do:

1. Ask your child, "What is mindfulness?"
2. Explain that mindfulness is paying kind attention to one thing happening in the present moment.
3. Tell your child you are going to lead them in a mindfulness practice.
   • Ask them to pause and to close their eyes or look down.
   • Ask them to be as still as they can and to notice the feeling of their breath.
   • Guide them to take a few deep breaths in and out.
   • Ask them to return to normal breathing, but to feel their breath right at their nose. (Pause for one minute.)
   • Guide them to slowly open their eyes when they are ready.
4. Ask, "What did you notice? How do you feel?"
5. Explain that you will watch a video together and then they will have an opportunity to teach someone else about why mindfulness can be helpful and guide them in a mindfulness practice.
6. Play the video "Kids Explain Mindfulness."
7. Ask, "What stood out for you in the video? How can mindfulness be helpful?"
8. Review the Lead Others with Mindfulness worksheet with your child, and support them in drawing and guiding someone else in mindfulness practice.
9. Explain to your child that they will be making their own sand timer to use in their mindfulness practice. Create one alongside your child, if you like!
10. Gather the materials for your sand timer.
11. Take the caps off of each bottle and glue the top of the caps together.
12. Use a screwdriver to screw a hole through your caps. Make sure to use the end of a pen or tool to clear out the hole.
13. Screw the cap onto one of your bottles.
14. Fill the bottle with dry sand (you may also fill with glitter). (Note: If you would like your sand timer to run for one minute, time yourself as you carefully pour the sand through the hole and into the bottle for one minute. You could also fill the bottle half-way if you are not sure or don't have a timer.)
15. Twist the second empty bottle onto the sand-filled bottle, making sure that it is tight.
16. Turn your sand timer upside down to make sure the sand flows smoothly. Make sure to hold the sand timer by the bottles to ensure the caps stay on tightly. 
17. Wrap tape around your bottle caps to secure.
18. Use your sand timer to time yourself, or someone else, in feeling your breath until the sand stops!