Adapted from Teach Your Child Meditation by Lisa Roberts (Sterling 2018)
The humble feather is a wonderful tool to incorporate in MMM play-sessions with children. Use colorful feathers to play games that allow children to observe and experience the breath and their ability to control and change it. Stay tuned for more tips on using feathers as a sensory tool in next week’s post!
Have fun!
Lisa Roberts xoxo
You will need:
Feathers
Straws
Mindful Activities:
See the Breath:
Rest a single feather in the palm of your hand; bring your hand close to your face.
Breathe normally and watch the feather, notice how it moves. Can you see your inhale and exhale move the feather? Based on the movement of the feather do you know which is your inhale and which is your exhale?
Control the Breath:
Now that you have “seen” your breath and are aware that even breathing normally you have the power to affect the movement of a feather, let’s explore how breathing differently can feel very different, not only for the feather, but for you!
Hold the feather by placing the stem between your thumb and index finger.
Notice how the feather has soft, light plumes, while other parts of the feather are stiff.
Using only your breath, blow on the feather but only move the soft, light plumy parts.
Now use your breath to move the stiffer parts.
What do you notice about the way you breathe to move the soft parts of the feather? And the stiff? How does breathing each way make you feel?
Try it again and notice which parts of your body move when making the different breaths. Is one way of breathing harder than the other? Is one way more energizing? More relaxing?
Which way feels best for you today?
Feather Storm:
Not unlike a pile of leaves following a fall leaf storm, Feather Storms are loads of fun way to play in with your friends. You will need two or more people, one straw for each person, and a small (or large) pile of feathers to place on the floor between you.
Lie on your bellies on the floor with the feathers scattered in the middle.
Blow through the straws, aiming at the feathers to make them rise up and swirl around.
Keep the storm going by being the wind and keeping the feathers in the air. Can you work together to make sure none of the feathers fly outside of the circle?
Does one type of exhale help you play this game better? If so, which one?
Feather Float:
To play Feather Float you will need a straw and a feather.
Toss the feather high up into the air and blow through the straw to keep the feather off the ground.
If playing in a group, the person who keeps the feather from hitting the ground longest is the winner.
If playing individually, time yourself and keep trying to beat your own time by keeping the feather in the air as long as you can.
What type of exhale helps you play this game better?
Ready to learn more? Check out the following webinars:
Reflective Meditation for Kids