Activity Introduction

Quick summary: Did you know you have a superpower? It’s your breath and the way you breathe! In this activity, you and your kid/s will participate in a mindful breathing exercise that will help you both learn how to shift emotional states. Using the element of fire, it explores breath and emotional regulation to help lift energy levels, or to lift the mood and give yourself an injection of energy.

Time required: 20 minutes.

Information For Parents and Carers

To learn more about the benefits of breathing exercises, click here.

To learn about social and emotional learning, click here.

Other useful information:

  • In this activity, you will be sharing a clip with your kid/s. The clip is a guided breathing exercise which requires your kid/s to follow the instructions and actions presented in the clip. If you can, go through the breathing exercise yourself before sharing it. That way you will know what is expected of your kid/s, and be able to support them through the activities.
  • Research has shown that spending time outdoors has many benefits, especially for children. This also applies to practices like breathwork and mindfulness. Research suggests that presenting these activities outdoors may make our minds wander less, and allow us to focus more on being present. The research also suggests that mindfulness practices conducted outside can have greater benefits to mental, physical, and social health than those undertaken indoors. Find out more here and here.

Curriculum Details

EYLF Outcomes: Outcome 1.1, Outcome 3.1 Outcome 3.2, Outcome 5.1

Curriculum codes:

What You Will Need

  • A device to share a clip with children.
  • Indoor space to do breathing exercises.

This activity has been developed in partnership with Breath Circle, and with the support of the Phillips Foundation and the Thyne Reid Foundation.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Activity

Part A: Introduction

Step 1. This activity is best suited to being inside.

Tell your kid/s that they are going to do an activity about fire. If you have a little activity or action that you use with your kid/s to focus their attention (such as three claps, three big breaths, or a mantra/statement), you could do this now.

Step 2. Ask your kid/s to lay on the floor, or sit somewhere comfortable and close their eyes. Explain that they will need to do some careful listening. Play the following clip for them and invite them to listen (you could turn the screen away or darken the screen, so they aren’t distracted):

Realtime Fireplace - Relaxing Fire Burning Video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux8xAuQBdkk)

Tip: More fire sounds can be found on Spotify and other online platforms.

Step 3. Once you are satisfied that your kid/s have had time to absorb the sounds, invite them to share what they heard and noticed. You could pose the following I wonder statements:

  • I wonder what you
...
 
- or - to view worksheets

Leave your Feedback

We appreciate your feedback. Let us know what you like or don't like about this activity:

Sorry. You must be logged in to view this form.