Resilient Futures: Mindful Moments

We’ve created a series of mindfulness activity videos for you to follow, as part of your Summer in Sutton challenge. Each video leads you through a short mindfulness exercise, to help you focus your mind and support your wellbeing.

Each video counts as one Mindful Moments activity in your Summer in Sutton challenge. Follow the videos below and make sure you log your activity on our Google Form.

 

The Relaxing Rainbow	Five Finger Breathing
Start by standing with your arms by your sides. Imagine painting a rainbow with your arms. Raise them to meet in the middle — start with red. Inhale deeply while painting orange, exhale as you lower arms. Repeat for yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.	Stretch your right hand in front, fingers spread. Use left index finger to trace each finger: inhale up, exhale down. Repeat with other hand using opposite finger.
Balloon Breathing	Hot Chocolate
Stand neutrally with arms by sides. Breathe into your tummy — imagine inflating a balloon. Feel it expand. Exhale and imagine the air as a colour escaping. Repeat with different colours and distances. Final breath: spell your name with the coloured air.	Imagine a mug of hot chocolate — take a deep inhale to smell. Exhale gently to cool it — like blowing on it. Repeat the cycle 8 times.

 

Why Mindfulness?

Incorporating mindfulness into a child’s routine helps build emotional resilience and promotes mental wellbeing. It equips them with lifelong tools to navigate stress, enhance focus, and relate more compassionately to themselves and others. 

Mindfulness exercises help children become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations in the present moment. These exercises often include breathing techniques, guided imagery, body scans, and mindful movement. Practicing mindfulness encourages children to observe their experiences without judgment, which fosters self-awareness and emotional control.

Benefits of Mindfulness for Children:

1. Improved Emotional Resilience:
Mindfulness teaches children to notice and accept their emotions without becoming overwhelmed. This helps them to better regulate their responses to stress, anxiety, or frustration. Over time, children build emotional strength and flexibility, making it easier to cope with challenges or setbacks.

2. Enhanced Wellbeing:
By focusing attention on the present and developing an attitude of openness and curiosity, mindfulness can reduce feelings of anxiety and sadness. It promotes calmness, enhances self-esteem, and contributes to a more positive overall mood.

3. Better Self-Regulation:
Mindfulness supports the development of skills such as impulse control and concentration. This can lead to improved behavior, decision making, and academic performance.

4. Stronger Social Relationships:
Being more present and aware helps children to develop empathy and improved communication skills, which are important for building and maintaining positive relationships with peers and adults.