Mindful Little Things

Learning happens all minutes of the day - at home, in the community and in the classroom! . Educating children mindfully simply means being intentional with the learning resources you are providing for your children, spontaneously engaging your children in the present moment in what is happening in their world around them, and paying close attention to your childs specific interests, needs, and strengths! . Check out our website for tons of free mindfulness based activities, inclusive learning resource suggestions, and mindful book recommendations!

Educating children on body safety is so important, but as a parent or educator you may feel like it is a very difficult concept to teach and talk about. . Swipe right to check out 5 body safety book recommendations to help you support, empower and educate your child to respect themselves, respect others, and know how to use their voice to speak loud and take ownership of themselves. . These books, appropriate for children in kindergarten to grade 6, are beautifully written and illustrated using child friendly vocabulary. Use these books to help guide you, a parent or educator, in talking about body safety with your children. @ Toronto, Ontario

Every act of kindness spreads peace to the world . Lets remember to be kind to each other, show compassion and not judge the decisions of others. Everyone is doing their best right now to make the best choices possible for their families, and they should not be shamed or made to feel poorly about those choices. . If you are a parent, teacher, educator or anyone in the position to make difficult decisions right now about the new school year this September, remind yourself ...to stay calm, even in the midst of chaos. YOU GOT THIS You are stronger than you give yourself credit for, so take a deep breath, embrace the journey, stand firm in the decisions you make, and spread kindness to those around you. We are all in this together, and we need to support each other and bring each other up, rather than push each other down. . We hope this inspires you in some way to spread more kindness to the people around you! Happy Friday Friends, enjoy the second last weekend of Summer! See more

We wouldnt be telling the truth if we said it was easy putting together only 5 benefits of practicing mindfulness for children! . The truth is, the list goes on and on and with a consistent practice, the benefits are beyond words! . If you looking to get started or become more consistent as a parent or educator to practice mindfulness with your children, here are 3 simple tips to guide you on your journey:... Practice mindfulness yourself, children learn best by example. If you, the adult, have a consistent practice, it will be much easier and much more authentic when sharing mindful practices with children Dont force it! Some days children are more open to trying new things than others, so do not force any mindful practice on your children. If you try a practice and for some reason your child is not responding positively to it, seems unengaged, or finds it too difficult to practice in that moment, move on. Dont force it. Try something else or try practicing again the next day Keep your expectations realistic. Going into a mindful practice for the first couple of times, it would be unrealistic to expect a child to close their eyes and sit still for 20 minutes for a guided meditation! This is a skill that is consistently built on! Make the practices fun, engaging and meet your child or children at their developmental level! . You can find tons of free mindfulness based activities on our website, ready for you to download! Click the link in our bio to explore @ Toronto, Ontario See more

Happy Tuesdays Friends . With the beginning of a new school year quickly approaching, stress levels of parents, teachers and children may be at an all time high. . This is a reminder to take a deep breath and enjoy the last moments of summer before it ends. Enjoy quality time with your family and friends and know that whatever decisions YOU make for your family is in the best interest of them!... . Tag a friend who needs a virtual hug See more

Teaching children about their feelings and how to express themselves is a foundational life skill and helps build emotional intelligence. As an educator going into the new school year, you may be thinking where do I start!? . Our number 1 simple tip for getting started is using visuals in your classroom. . In the past, weve done this by including photographs of the children in our classroom expressing different emotions on the walls of the room. During a classroom meeting... we discussed emotions and feelings, read a book about feelings, and then moved on to having children draw pictures to represent different emotions. We took this even further by inviting children to interpret an emotion of their choice and we took photographs, printed the pictures and hung the photos around the room. . Children became very creative with the ways they expressed themselves in the photographs, and included not only facial cues but body cues that would help another person understand what emotion was being experienced. . Our favourite book about emotions is by @usborne_books called All About Feelings . What are your favourite books about emotions and feelings for children!? Share below, we look a great book reccomendation See more

As we begin to get ready for the transition back to school, as educators, teachers, support staff, lets always remember to be kind to ourselves and show ourself some love and compassion. This transition wont be easy, but as we tap into our strength, we will all work together and make this work . One easy tip we have for this upcoming school year, is allow space for spontaneous learning, learning that happens in the moment! Give time for children to explore freely and engag...e in present moment living with them. Build a loving, trusting and safe community for your children, where children feel supported no matter the circumstance. . As the days lead up to the start of the new school year, we will be sharing some simple social and emotional experiences you can incorporate into your day to help create a positive classroom environment and build a community where children feel supported, calm, happy and ready to learn! See more

Our third tip to help you get start on your at home yoga + mindfulness journey with your children, or enhance your existing practices, is including games! . Weve already mentioned our favourite yoga game of all time, yoga freeze dance, but there are so many fun and engaging games children already know and love that can be tweaked to incorporate yoga + mindfulness! . Here are some fun and easy yoga games you can try with your children today:... Yogi Says - Similar to Simon Says, but children are asked to become different yoga poses. Yogi says be a tree Yogi says be a boat Yogi says be a mountain Musical Mats- Similar to Musical Chairs, but children are dancing around a circle of yoga mats, and each round a mat is removed until there is one mat left. Now for the yoga twist, in front of each mat, you can place a yoga card or print out of a yoga pose so when the music stops and children must make their way to a mat, they must also freeze in the yoga pose assigned to that yoga mat! . What childhood game do your children, or you, LOVE!? Comment below and we will give you suggestions on how to give the game a yoga twist! See more

Our second tip to help you get start on your at home yoga + mindfulness journey with your children, or enhance your existing practices, is using props! . You may be wondering, what are props!? Well props are any type of material that can help enhance your childs yoga + mindfulness experience! Pom Poms can be used for breathing exercises, Stuffed Animals can be used as breathing buddies, Bean Bags can be used for balancing or coordination exercises, scarves can be used for... expression of movement exercises, or yoga cards can help to model proper form and inspiration for different yoga poses and flows! The list of props goes on and on!!! . We love using props in our yoga movement workshops to enhance a childs experience and connection to their practice! . Check out @barefootbooks for our favourite Yoga Pretzel Card Deck! This deck is a must have in every classroom or household! See more

Our first tip to help you get started on your at home yoga + mindfulness journey with your children, or enhance your existing practices, is make it PLAYFUL . Inviting children to move their bodies and express theme selves while engaging in play is the most effective way to encourage them to want to do more! . There are a million ways to make yoga + mindfulness playful for children, but its easiest to start small! If you are just introducing yoga + mindfulness to your childr...en, we recommend putting on some fun music and playing yoga freeze dance - children freely dance when the music is playing but when the music stops, invite your children to become a yoga pose! . For more playful yoga movement + mindfulness activities, visit the resource section of our website to explore and discover new experiences to introduce to your children! See more

Happy Mindful Monday Friends and Hello August!!! . We cannot believe we are one month away from the start of a new school year! Ease the anticipation of going back to school and help your children (and yourselves) live in the present moment this month by incorporating small yoga and mindfulness practices into your day! . All week long well be sharing our top 5 simple tips to help you incorporate fun and engaging yoga practices into your childs day!... . Do you and your children have a yoga and mindfulness practice? If not, you wont want to miss these tips to help you get started! Stay tuned See more

Happy Friday Beautiful Friends . We have released a new resource today Check out our Mindful Obstacle Course PDF, the perfect way to engage children in mindful movement and physical activity! . Click the link in our bio to download a copy of the Mindful Obstacle Course PDF

P L A Y . What a beautiful word . When we hear the word PLAY our brains dance in a million different directions. Oh the endless possibilities for learning and growth and development.... . Play is Education, but shhhhh.... dont tell the children, they think they are just immersed in a world of fun! And now where the magic begins! When a play experience is fun, that experience and process become memorable. And if a play process is memorable, that experience is leaving a lasting impression on children. This is how learning happens . We believe that children must explore it and experience it to understand it! Who agrees!?? See more

Happy Monday Beautiful Friends . Can you believe that July is almost over!? We hope you have been soaking up all the memories and taking time to pause to enjoy the little things . With August 1st right around the corner, we are getting ready to release our Monthly Newsletter!... . For the month of August, we will be focusing on all things Yoga Movement! . To subscribe to our newsletter, click the link in our bio! See more

We miss the days when we watched children play together, with old friends and new, connecting and sharing ideas. Encouraging each other to try new things or work together to problem-solve. Explore and create together, build lasting childhood memories . Today we are hopeful. We are hopeful that one day we will be able to watch children play naturally together again, and empower children through the power of mindfulness . What are you hopeful for today?!

FREE RESOURCE Available Now . We have released a new summer resource that your children will absolutely love! Creating Terrariums give children the opportunity to create and nurture plants and watch them magically grow! Caring for plants builds responsibility and teaches children compassion by caring for the life of something else other than themselves . You can download the Terrarium Activity PDF by clicking the link in our bio... . . . . . #activitiesforkids #summeractivities #mindfulkids #naturekids #compassionatekids #socialandemotionallearning #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #kidsblogto See more

Children are born with unlimited creative curiosity and imaginative powers . Here are some more natural loose parts ideas for you all! gemstones + crystals seashells + fossils... . Here are our top two favourite invitations to play you can try with your children: Water Beads + Crystals - children explore different textures and practice numeracy skills by counting the number of water beads that fit in a Geoid, or how many water beads make up the surface of a particular crystal (the opportunities are endless) Creating Crystal + Seashell Mandalas - children explore patterning, shapes, sizes and texture . . . . . #loosepartsplay #looseparts #loosepartsexplorartion #activitiesforkids #activitiesforchildren #mindfulkids #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #playfullearning See more

Most of what children need to learn during their early childhood years cannot be taught. It is discovered through play Quote by: Ruth Wilson . Happy Monday Friends .... Last week, we talked about how much we love loose parts play, but did we mention how simple it can be for children to engage in loose parts exploration + play!? . In this picture you will see the beginning stage of loose parts play in nature! Loose leaves, twigs and acorns were collected and used to explore, wonder and generate a sense of curiosity about the world around her. . This experience was completely initiated by the child, as she learning through her natural + authentic play experience! . This summer, encourage your child to play in nature, explore the world around them, and be free to think outside the box! . . . . . #activitiesforchildren #activitiesforkids #kidsblogto #natureplay #loosepartsplay #loosepartsexplorartion #mindfulkids #playfullearning #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #earlychildhood See more

Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favourite food, or the sound of a loved ones voice Quote By: Joseph B. Wirthlin . We have a new free resource available on our website today, and this one is to help your child cultivate the habit of being grateful and inspire them to embrace an attitude of gratitude! . Click the link in our bio, and click on Gratitude Resource to download!... . Share with us in one word, what are you grateful for!? . . . . . #gratitudeattitude #gratitudepractice #gratitudealphabet #gratfulkids #cultivatinggratitude #mindfulkids #momsofinstagram #activitiesforchildren #activitiesforkids #playfullearning #socialandemotionallearning #kidsblogto See more

Oh how we love loose parts play! . Loose parts are flexible, open-ended play materials that encourage children to be creative, use their imagination, problem-solve, collaborate, think outside the box, explore, investigate, and so much more! . Our Loose Parts PDF has all the info to get you started on your childs loose parts play journey at home or to help inspire loose parts play in your classroom! We also include a link to our Loose Parts Pinterest Board!... . Follow the link in our bio and click on Free Resources to download our Loose Parts PDF! . . . . . #loosepartsplay #loosepartsexplorartion #loosepartslearning #activitiesforchildren #activitiesforkids #momsofinstagram #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #playfullearning #play #learningplayfully #kidsblogto #mindfulkids See more

Finding ways to practice mindfulness through the simplest of activities . Beading allows children (and adults) to engage in the present moment by focusing on their breath and finger movements. . How to practice 3 count breath while beading:... choose your bead take a deep breath in through your nose for 3 counts, while placing the bead on the string Exhale through your nose for 3 counts, while sliding the bead across the string to meet the other beads on the end of your string . Drop a in the comments if you love beading!! . . . . . #mindfulkids #summeractivities #activitiesforchildren #activitiesforkids #momsofinstagram #jewelrymakingforkids #mindfulplay #kidsblogto #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #socialandemotionallearning #breathingtechniquesforkids See more

FREE RESOURCE Available Now . The I Spy Yoga Friends PDF is a mindful movement kindergarten experience that brings a interactive twist to the traditional I Spy game children love to play! . You can download the I Spy Yoga Friends PDF by clicking the link in our bio

FREE RESOURCE Available Now . Through this simple Mindful Taste Test Experience children are given the opportunity to practice mindful eating! . You can find the link to download the Mindful Taste Test PDF in our bio!

Happy First Day of Summer Camp! . Most children would be going off to their first day of summer camp today, but this year, summer looks a lot different. . Thats why weve created an At Home Mindful Summer Camp PDF to support parents in creating that summer camp vibe at home!... . Our At Home Mindful Summer Camp PDF includes: 50 mindful play activities broken up into 3 age groups: Kindergarten, Younger School Age + Older School Age (with inclusive modification recommendations for each activity) A summer camp weekly schedule template with ideas for themed days Tips for facilitating activities outdoors, with or without a backyard Tips on setting up a creative art space Loose parts wish list Tips on creating a calming corner . There are 5 mindful play categories: Mindful Movement Creative Expression Sensory Nature Literacy . Message us for more information on how to get a copy of our At Home Mindful Summer Camp PDF! . Stay tuned as we will be releasing 3 free activities this week on our website, and 1 activity every Friday of summer to follow! . . . . . #activitiesforchildren #activitiesforkids #summercamp #summercampathome #summerfun #summerplay #play #learningthroughplay #mindfulmovement #creativeexpression #sensoryplay #natureplay #literacy #playbasedlearning #mindfulsummer #mindfulkids #yogakids #mindfulmom #mindfulparents #kidsblogto See more

How adorable are these miniature keychains!? . Shrinky Dink is a fan favourite across all ages! Children love creating designs and then watching them shrink in less than a minute in the oven! . Youll find this creative expression activity in our I AM KIND Kit!... . Check out our shop story highlights for more information on our Mindful Summer Play Kits! We have limited kits left! Get yours today! See more

One of the creative expression experiences from our I AM UNIQUE Kit! . Working with clay gives children the opportunity to freely express their ideas, explore new ways of thinking + creating, and allows them to be present through their sense of touch! . The creative opportunities are endless when working with clay!... . Message us today for more information on our Mindful Summer Play Kits! . $5 from each Mindful Summer Play Kit sold will be donated to @newleaffoundationto See more

An empowering process art experience from our I AM UNIQUE Kit . Giving children the opportunity to work with a blank canvas is so powerful. Children learn to trust in their ideas, experiment, and explore texture, colours + different art mediums! . What a beautifully unique Collage to hang up in your childs room to remind them of their inner power and positive self-talk!... . Message us today for more information! . $5 from each Mindful Summer Play Kit sold will be donated to @newleaffoundationto See more

GIVEAWAY . In celebration of the successful Launch of our Mindful Summer Play Kits, we wanted to Thank You all so much for supporting us on this journey! To Celebrate, we are gifting one lucky person a Power Bead + Essential Oil Activity Set, which you can find in our I AM POSITIVE Kit . Our Power Bead + Essential Oil Activity set includes:... a set of 7 coloured beads (each representing a different affirmation) whats your power affirmation card 1 set of different coloured / shaped beads Lava stone beads String Two keychain rings I am Positive essential oil blend, to support your childs mind + heart with courage + confidence, and to empower your child to support their emotions naturally + independently! . Thank you Lauren from @mrs_gs_essentials for collaborating with us on this giveaway and creating a special I AM POSITIVE Essential Oil Blend for our Mindful Summer Play Kits . How to Enter: 1 Like this post 2Follow @mindful.littlethings and @mrs_gs_essentials 3Tag 3 Friends (1 entry per tag) Share this post to your stories and tag @mindful.littlethings and @mrs_gs_essentials for extra entries! . Giveaway closes Sunday June 28th at 12am EST . We will be announcing the winner on Tuesday June 30th! . This Giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and you must be 18 years of age or older to enter. . Good Luck Friends See more

ON SALE NOW . Our Mindful Summer Play Kits are officially on sale! . Check out our shop story highlight for more information on the 3 unique kits we have created!... . $5 from each kit sold will be donated to New Leaf Foundation @newleaffoundationto . For more information on how to place your order, send us a private message or email us at [email protected] @ Toronto, Ontario See more

PRE-ORDER SPECIAL . For today only reason-order your very own I AM POSITIVE Kit and save $10! . The I AM POSITIVE Kit is all about sparking your childs creativity, imagination and fosters a positive mindset through movement, connection + expression play based experiences... . Included in this Kit: 7 Mindfulness Play Based Activities Materials Instructions + Inspiration Booklet . $5 from every Mindful Summer Play Kit sold will be donated to New Leaf Foundation @newleaffoundationto . $50 per kit, but today only the I AM POSITIVE Kit is $40! . Send is a private message or email to pre-order your own I AM POSITIVE Kit! . [email protected] . . . . . #kidsblogto #torontokids #summerfun #summeractivities #athomesummercamp #iampositive #momsofinstagram #kidsofinstagram #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #mindfulkids #mindfulnessforkids #mindfulmoms #mindfuldads #yogakids #toronto #etobicoke #vaughan #mississauga #shopsmall #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowners #madewithlove See more

PRE-ORDER SPECIAL . For today only pre-order your very own I AM UNIQUE Kit and save $10! . The I AM UNIQUE Kit is all about embracing your childs uniqueness through movement, connection + expression play based experiences... . Included in this Kit: 7 Mindfulness Play Based Activities Materials Instruction + Inspiration Booklet . $5 from every Mindful Summer Play Kit sold will be donated to New Leaf Foundation @newleaffoundationto . $50 per kit, but today only the I AM UNIQUE Kit is $40! . Send is a private message or email to pre-order your own I AM UNIQUE Kit! . [email protected] . . . . . #kidsblogto #torontokids #summerfun #summeractivities #athomesummercamp #iamunique #momsofinstagram #kidsofinstagram #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #mindfulkids #mindfulnessforkids #mindfulmoms #mindfuldads #yogakids #toronto #etobicoke #vaughan #mississauga #shopsmall #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #madewithlove See more

PRE-ORDER SPECIAL . For today only, pre-order your very own I AM KIND Kit and receive $10 off! . The I AM KIND Kit is all about spreading Kindness through movement, connection + expression play based experiences!... . Included in this Kit: 7 Mindfulness Play Based Activities Materials Instruction + Inspiration Booklet . $5 from every Mindful Summer Play Kit sold will be donated to New Leaf Foundation @newleaffoundation . Send us a private message to pre-order your own I AM MIND Kit! . . . . . #kidsblogto #torontokids #summerfun #summeractivities #athomesummercamp #iamkind #spreadkindness #actsofkindness #learningthroughplay #playbasedlearning #mindfulkids #mindfulmoms #mindfuldads #yogakids #toronto #etobicoke #vaughan #mississauga #shopsmall #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #madewithlove See more

Our second simple tip this week on how to encourage your children to connect with nature is fostering opportunities for your children to connect with natural water . While on a nature walk, if your child finds a pond or river stream, allow them time to connect. What do they see? What do they hear? What do they feel? What do they smell? . Water has natural calming effects and sitting by the water has many mental health benefits for children and adults!... . So next time you are packing for a nature walk, bring along a blanket for when you find a pond, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the world around you as a family! . . . . . #natureplay #outdoorplay #naturekids #connectingwithnature #calming #calmkids #mindfulkids #mindfulparents #mindfulmoments #torontomoms #vaughanmoms #etobicokemoms #mississaugamoms #kidsofinstagram #momsofinstagram See more

We have decided to stand in solidarity + pause the sharing of all our content from June 1st- 7th to help bring awareness to the #amplifymelanatedvoices campaign. . Its time to listen. Its time to learn. Its time to reflect