Caution: This program is intended for kids ages 4-14, but there are magnets, beads, and small fabric mushrooms that may present a choking hazard to children under the age of 4.
Take Home Mushroom Hunt
Meditation is a way to strengthen your concentration, and and a fun way to work on that focus is by having a mushroom hunt! There is a packet to pick up in the Youth Services Department (or from the drive-up window) with all different types of mushrooms – magnets, stickers, felt, beads, 3D printed mushrooms – all shapes and sizes. Grab your pack, have an adult (or a sibling!) hide the mushrooms, and have fun finding them all!
When you suddenly look at your familiar surroundings in a new way – in this case by trying to find hidden things – it works your attention muscles by focusing your attention on a specific detail of your surroundings. When you are on the hunt for something, you suddenly have to pay attention to all the parts of your environment to find the thing that doesn’t belong there. I chose mushrooms in this case because another wonderful mindfulness activity to try is to take a walk in the forest and search for mushrooms. Since we couldn’t go take a walk in the forest, why not bring the mushrooms to you?
I’ve also included a guided meditation from Insight Timer in this post. It is a short 3 minute guided practice to help introduce kids, or even adults, to meditation. Try it before the mushroom hunt, try it after, try it when you feel like it! There really isn’t a right or wrong way to explore these concepts.
Guided mindfulness meditation from Insight Timer for kids: (takes about 3 minutes)
https://insighttimer.com/freya/guided-meditations/a-mindful-moment-with-kind-thoughts-for-kids
More to Explore:
Any of Susan Verde’s books that you can borrow on hoopla are beautiful stories that work well with meditation.
I Am Human has a simple loving-kindness meditation practice.
I Am Peace has a wonderful mindfulness meditation.
I Am Love has a beautiful heart meditation practice as well as a few heart-opening yoga poses to practice with your kids!
I Am Yoga has a section in the back with all the poses that she uses throughout the book if you wanted to do few of them with you kids!
I love these books by Miriam Gates, too!
Breathe with Me is especially great for introducing meditation!
Dinosaur Yoga is just adorable!
Sweet Dreams is especially great for kids who have trouble getting to sleep – but it’s a wonderful way to share a bedtime routine with any child!
– Cassie, Youth Services Assistant