Sand stamps (These are SO cool, I highly recommend them).

Pebbles for dividing two areas of the container.

Craft sticks to make a fence or DIY rake.

Choose a good variety of sizes, colors, and shapes.

A small rake, fork, or even a pine branch to make raking designs.

I recommend this decorative sand in white instead. You can use play sand, like for a sandbox, but it tends to be too coarse.

A flat, low edged container for the sand:.

Here is what you need for your DIY Zen Garden Here are some breathing techniques that can help you teach your kids about mindfulness.Īnd here are some fun mindfulness games you can play with kids at home, and even with your toddler! Being mindful of the present moment helps us feel happier, be more productive, and feel calmer. We take a deep breath, calm our bodies and find stillness, and focus our thoughts on one thing. In order to still our minds and quiet our racing thoughts, it’s important to practice mindfulness. Our minds become like a monkey, jumping from thought to thought, with no real presence in the current moment. When you are walking, be mindful of your feet, your surroundings, the sounds you hear, and the sights you see.ĭuring the day, we often get caught up in too many things, our tasks, our to-do lists, the meals we will eat later, and things that happened earlier that caused great emotion. If you are eating, you should be focused on your food: the smell, the taste, the texture. Mindfulness is the art and practice of paying close attention to one thing at a time.

He listened to the directions, learned about how it helps with mindfulness, got started on his desert scene, and after about 20 minutes of constructing careful said, “This actually is really calming.”įirst of all, What is Mindfulness for Kids?įirst, it’s important that your child or students know a little bit about mindfulness and why it is important. His older brother, usually reluctant to do anything other than be on his screens, was surprising really into it as well! He was ready to try it out immediately. His fairy rock garden on the beach is really quaint and adorable.

The younger is very artistic and was right on board with it, ready to god. I did this craft with my two little boys, ages 8 and 11.

You can easily make a mindfulness Zen garden of your own to have at home, or for your kids to have in their workspace (especially with distance learning being all too common these days!). The little Zen garden is a reminder to take mindful breaks, rest the eyes, and take a few deep breaths.Ĭombined with my Mindful Glitter Calm Down Jar at my desk, I feel more centered and mindful with my own mini Zen garden to help me focus throughout the day. Now, many people all over the world use smaller desktop Zen gardens to bring them a little peace and calm in their day. They created large sand and rock gardens to rake for a calming and meditative practice. A mindful Zen garden for kids is a simple and fun craft that you can do with your kids at home or in a kids’ yoga class.Ī Zen garden is an ancient meditation technique developed by Japanese monks to aid in mindfulness.

Diy zen garden ideas