After sharing ideas to improve overall well-being and develop relaxation strategies in last week's staff meeting, Maple class thought it would be a great idea to put some suggestions to use. We have had a year that has been very different in many ways and we think that having a bank of strategies to help us to relax and keep calm is a great idea for everyone!

To help us relax, we closed the blinds and made our classroom dark. We put on some relaxing music and on-screen visuals and we chose to lie down on comfy beanbags to help us unwind. We each chose a teddy bear, placed it on our tummy's and watched as it moved up and down with our deep breaths. Some children were able to breath in and out to a count of 4, watching the teddy rise and fall. Some children snuggled under our weighted blanket and watched bubbles fall to the ground.

Once we had finished, we learned the signs for 'calm' and 'relaxed'.

Teddy bear breathing is a great exercise to help the children take notice of their breaths in a way that is meaningful to them. It would be great to see the children having a go at home. You could upload to evidence for learning for us to share in class!

Mindfulness in Maple