Teaching Preschoolers to Slow Down...

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By Sue Carr, Monona Grove Nursery School

Three and four year olds are certainly a bundle of energy with lots to do and say all day every day. In a preschool environment, in a class of 15 or 16 other kids, the collective energy can be overwhelming for some children. Often, children need to be taught how to help themselves calm down, take stock and breathe. This is often referred to as mindfulness, and here are some good techniques for preschoolers to practice. Remember that with little people, it takes a lot of practice for these things to become intuitive and regular.  So keep at it!

*Breathing—with a kiddo who is really riled up we often start with breathing- “take three big breaths from your belly”. Putting one hand or both on their belly helps them to feel the movement of the air through their body. This is also a great way to get a group of kids to settle in after a transition—playing or clean up to circle time, or a singing-dancing circle time to a book. We often close our eyes, put our hands on our bellies, and sit still listening to the breathing for a few minutes. For a family, it might be a way to start a meal or a family activity—take the moment for everyone to gather themselves.

*Stretching- another way that we help kids to be very present in their body is to talk them through some simple stretches and helping them to focus on the various muscles in the various parts of their bodies- Focusing on their feet, stretching each toe, the ankle and their leg, or on the hands, stretching each finger and the palm, allows them to focus on their own body and can bring them back to a central sense of being especially when things with friends get a little crazy.

*Yoga- We use some ABC yoga cards with our kids- helping to get them to form their bodies into various letters and then holding that position carefully. There is also wonderful resources where young kids can be taught various animal based yoga positions. Yoga brings down the level of activity, and brings kids into clear focus with exactly what their body is doing.

*Focus on the Senses- Sometimes we practice mindfulness by having a noticing moment. Whether in the classroom, waiting in line, outside on the playground or on a walk, we help the kids to use all 5 senses to notice things. What do you hear, what do you smell, what do you feel (how is your body touching the ground) and what do you see. We have a bubble fountain in our classroom, and sometimes just taking a moment to focus on that sound (which is a constant background noise) brings everyone in the room back to a more calm, present, and peaceful place.

Teaching children to be present in their own bodies is a lifetime skill that in this crazy busy, media focused world can be a lifesaver for both you and them!

Sue Carr is a teacher and the director of Monona Grove Nursery School, a fixture on Madison’s East Side for almost 60 years.