Mindfulness Jar

Children tend to act out their difficulties rather than share them in words.

 We adults are often only marginally better. When words are unavailable, it helps to find other ways to demonstrate the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The ‘Mindfulness Jar’ activity helps children by reminding them to take a few moments to calm themselves.

The jar is like our mind, and each color of glitter represents thoughts, feelings and behaviors. During the day, things beyond our control may disrupt our feelings and we may not see things clearly. That is when we should take a few moments; breathe calmly  and then make a fresh start.

 A mindfulness jar can serve as a visual timer for a breathing practice. You can shake the jar and say: “Let’s do some deep breaths in and out until the glitter settles. When the glitter settles the thoughts( though still in your mind) won’t cloud your focus and you can carry on with your day.”

A mindfulness practice grounded in visualization!