Holiday Fun 2022 - 2023: connecting with your kids through play [a Mindful Gift Guide]
Definition: mindfulness (noun) - “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness to the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and body sensations”So you are wondering if you connect with your kids enough and perhaps what you can do to get there. Between the busyness of life and raising them, there can be dozen of moments in a day that feel like they passed you by. The same goes for kids who crave our attention but don’t always know how to get it from us, undivided.
Well, I would like to share the good news with you: it can be done and it can be great fun for the whole family! Most importantly, seeing the positive growth in the way your child connects with you will bring your family closer together and benefit everybody in the long run.
Gift Ideas to teach kids self-care and mindfulness all year!
READ ON >> on and gather mindful family activities and the best Gift Ideas for kids that they will love and use all year plus that last long.
Hi, I am Caroline, mom of 3 under 7 and I am so glad you made it here! I love sharing what I am learning and what has been shared with me by other moms because I believe in women supporting women and that it takes a village to raise great children.
Since you are here, you can say ‘HI!’ and get a Free ‘SELF-CARE FOR KIDS’ Poster :)
Use this form to let us know what you thought of the Gift Guide and book, I will appreciate your feedback and connecting with you!
See which kids gift ideas your family might love and gather some tips for calmer, more meaningful and connected family fun activities in our Gift Guide below!
>> READ ON >>
~ Mindfulness activities to do at home with Kids + Gift ideas ~
Don’t worry that you have to get your kids to sit still and take a serious meditation session. Young minds respond better when you approach an idea as something that will be fun for them.
*this post contains affiliate links - see disclosure
Here are 10 quick and easy ideas:
A.B.C FEEL-BETTER TRICKS
1 —
Get Active
Stretch and move
Take a break from what you are doing and move your body. You could bend it, wiggle it, hop up and down, run, dance. Just move and see how soon you start to feel better.
Our family favorite is to play an active game like our giant ‘collapsible’ Tic Tac Toe from Amazon.
Our other ideas for handy games that are ‘collapsible’ and available on Amazon are:
And definitely a Mini Trampoline to jump out the feelings!
2 —
Breathe
Breathe in and out slowly
Take a deep breath in, as slow as you can. Take a deep breath out as slow as you can. Count how many deep breaths it takes to feel calm.
If you don’t know where to start with mindful breathing exercises, helpful teaching tools like:
>> these ‘Breathing Cards’ found on Amazon are perfect to have in a calm-down corner.
A calm down corner can be as simple as a corner with soft cozy seating and calming favorite plush toys.
A perfect example of inviting seating for kids is a soft bean bag chair (like the Unicorn bean bag found on Amazon below) to add a smile to any kids blues.
Other ideas to encourage and teach self-aware breathing practices to kids are Interactive Yoga mats (dinosaur theme available at Amazon pictured).
I must share our family favorite breathing practice which is following along Cosmic Kids Yoga classes on Amazon Prime. It is such a fun themed and easy to follow along yoga series for kids! Included themes are Disney, Superheros, Fairytales, Popular Kids books, movies, tv shows and games turned into yoga sessions.
My kids love it doing yoga together and have learned so many self-awareness tricks from Jamie the instructor that she has become a household name!
3 —
Book time
Read a book or write something
Reading a book is a fun way to get into another story for a while. Writing, like in a children’s journal (<= like this one here) is a creative way to let go of feelings.
Our list of favorite books to read for calming down are listed below on Amazon:
‘Listening to My Body’ by Gabi Garcia (a book about dealing with big feelings
‘Non-fiction Sight Word Readers’ parent pack (common words practice stories with real life photos)
‘My Story Book Library’ by Igloo books (12 mini story books and rhymes)
‘A.B.C Daily Habits for Kids’ by Caroline Johnson (yes, that’s me - a week by week activity book with affirmations, recipes, coloring mood tracker, more! p.s it is also available as a eBook for mindful screen time activities)
4 —
Count to 10
Count from 1 to 10 on your fingers or with your eyes closed
Counting is a fast way of changing what the mind is thinking about and improving feelings. Sometimes the trick to getting your mind off big feeling is to focus on something else for a while. Below are my recommendations for kids counting toys that also work as tools for calming down as well as practicing numbers!
‘Counting Peg Board Set’ by Skoolzy (it has laces acting as an excellent busy board
‘Sand Timers’ variety set of 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 15 minutes and 30 minutes
‘Counting Wall Cards’ by Our World (they work for calming room decor and learning numbers)
This wooden ‘Fishing game Numbers and Shape sorting board’ is tons of imaginative learning!
5 —
Drink water
Our bodies are made of mostly water. When we hydrate, our body feels better and so do we. The secrets to keeping up a habit of staying hydrated all day are to always have a water bottle handy and to practice choosing water over other beverages most of the time.
In our family, we have various types of water bottles and tumblers we keep around the house and for on the go.
My favorite brand as a mom has been ‘Yeti’ for their lasting quality for both kids bottles and adults as well. We have also used ‘Thermos’ stainless steel tumblers for years.
Picking a water bottle that is pretty or with images that we like encourages us to drink more. ‘Home Tune’ brand on Amazon make the most adorable see-through tumblers decorated with your choice of unicorns, dinosaurs, mermaids or fruit. So very cute!
For simplicity, I think the ‘Elk and Friends’ eco-friendly cups are brilliant. I like the simple mason jar idea that comes with a silicone sleeve, lid and straw.
It can be a challenge when we simply do not like the taste of water, or are not in the mood to drink it due to cooler weather or travel. I suggest a naturally flavored water like the ‘Sunmaid Hint Kids Flavored Water’ to have in the fridge at home or cooler on the go.
6 —
Draw, color, do a puzzle
Interactive books for kids help their brains use imagination. Good imagination improves mood in children and adults as well. In sharing what works for us our family and what we love, my favorite puzzle the kids were ever gifted was a ‘Map of the USA puzzle’ like this wooden one. Such a great educational conversation starter and a way to go on an imaginary road trip!
All my kids have thrived on using soft felt quiet books before they could read to keep their brains busy. I made some DIY using felt when I had extra time (and less kid haha) ‘Democa Quiet Book’ on Amazon is the ultimate busy activity for preschool kids and even older for car rides.
I have been fascinated by how long ‘Magna Tiles’ can keep a kid occupied building. No wonder they are so popular, all my kids play with them for hours.
When in doubt and all else fails, you can’t go wrong with good fashioned old crayon, pencil and paper. How about a themed coloring book like ‘100 Animals for Toddlers’ or any theme that makes you smile!
7 —
Hugs
Ask for a hug from someone that cares. Stuffed pets give warm and fuzzy hugs that can feel very nice. Oh my goodness, we have been gifted and have bought so many stuffed toys than I ever imagined I would see in my 7 years of being a mom! No kidding we could probably stuff a closet full of them. But, have no doubt, there are obvious favorites (even for me). I will keep it simple here and show you our Amazon recommendations for cozy hugs:
Of course Disney Frozen Olaf Hugger made it to this list. We love the Frozen movies so much that my two older girls call each other Elsa and Anna. They call their baby sister Olaf which she does not mind because, who doesn’t love Olaf?
My 8 year old LOVES her foldable Floor Cushion, the best and she cozies up to read on it often - like the gorilla one shown below, they come in so many cute animals and styles.
My middle girl hardly goes anywhere without her Kitten plush pillow for comfort, she is my little cat lady.
When I was a little girl, I remember a rag doll being my favorite comfort buddy… so each of my girls has a rag doll because they are a classic.
8 —
Learn something new
It can be such a good feeling to learn something you did not know. It is even more fun to share what you are learning. To share some of our family hobbies and interests, I have showing from Amazon:
an Interactive Globe to learn about the world
a tablet like the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is a hub for learning and brain exercises
we are a musical family and I shared a Ukulele like one the girls have been learning simple songs with
the perfect pairing for a musical instrument would be lessons. How fun is the Alfreds Ukulele Course Christmas Songbook with CD!
9 —
Think of your favorite things
Everybody has some things that make them smile and feel good to think about. Here are a few of our favorite things:
tuning out to music through headphones. I love these pretty rose gold Bluetooth Headphones by Picun for a girl. They also have LED glowing cat ears ones!!
kids love to see their art hanging. It boosts confidence and encourages creativity. A creative way to save space while displaying their masterpieces is using a Hanging Picture Frame
-Even better, how about you think of your favorite people!
it is always so sweet to walk past photos of people we love especially for kids if they don’t see them often. Magnetic Photo Frames are fun to have on the fridge to remind us of friends, family, places and memories.
positive affirmations are an easy way to change our thinking. An elegant idea is to use quotes as kids room decor like this Wood and rope wall plaque by Elephant Dreams
10 —
Talk about your day
One of the easiest ways to start feeling better is to talk about it. You can tell someone that cares for you what is on your mind. The end of the day is the best time to catch up with our kids as we get ready for the next day.
I thought I’d use this chance to share with you, dear fellow mom, my absolute favorite toy storage and organizing products that continue to save my sanity every day!
my winner is Stuffed Toy Hammocks. I have them hanging in every kids bedroom for the easiest and adorable clean up
I think a large rectangle Toy Box with a lid might be the most common simple toy organizer like this wooden one by Amazon basics
Storage Cubes make are great for sorting and can be used to add to decor
cubes that are stackable are also wonderful for space saving and can fit in a corner or closet. Take a look at this pink and grey set by Labebe.
I am so curious which of the items I shared with you we have in common?
That’s it! The 10 Feel Better Tricks (from the A.B.C Daily Habits for Kids book) and activities, toys and mindful Kids Gift Ideas for Christmas 2021 to teach them self-care all year!
Please comment below and tell me a bit about your favorite family activities…
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Poster from A.B.C Daily Habits for Kids children’s journal
Available in Paperback and eBook
Make the most out of mindfulness and journaling with kids
For more ideas on how to guide your kids and you to better, more peaceful days filled with moments you’ll cherish, check out the A.B.C Daily Habits for Kids children’s journal.
It is an easy-to-follow interactive daily journal for kids ages 4-10.
Filled with guided mindfulness activities for the family
+ positive affirmations for kids
+ feelings charts and mindful coloring for kids
+ recipes for kids to make with you
++ more great habits to build together.
Here is how well organized it is set up for you: by week and letters of the alphabet, you can practice as many days of the week as you like!
How to use the A.B.C Daily Habits for Kids children’s journal
Thank you for spending some time here and please read on!
READ NEXT: Hey kids, mindfulness is fun! Proven activities to teach self-awareness at home for free
Best vibes, Caroline.
