Mindful Breathing Exercises for Kids

Mindfulness is becoming an increasingly valued component of our students’ social-emotional education. It is a practice that can help students with emotional regulation, stress reduction, attention span, resilience and overall wellbeing. Incorporating mindfulness techniques into primary classrooms is a way of teaching our students these skills early in their lives so that they may become second nature as they head out into the wider world.

One such technique that is being emphasised in classrooms is mindful breathing. Mindful breathing requires the child to think about each step of the breathing process – the breath in and the breath out – as it happens. It also involves slowing the process down by extending the time taken to inhale and exhale. Deep breathing helps slow the heart rate, calm the body and relax the muscles.

This set of 7 classroom posters has been designed by our experienced team of teachers to teach your students some of the more common mindful breathing techniques for children. The mindful breathing exercises included are:

1. Bubble Breathing
2. Rainbow Breathing
3. Butterfly Breathing
4. Snake Breathing
5. Bunny Breathing
6. Bee Breathing

Each technique is explained in simple, child-friendly language, making the techniques easy for children to understand and copy.

This resource downloads as a full-colour PDF or an editable Google Slides file.

A classroom environment that incorporates mindfulness practices often fosters a more supportive, respectful and nurturing atmosphere. By helping our students develop these skills early on, we’re setting them up for success when it comes to dealing positively with the ups and downs of life.

Practise Mindful Breathing With Mindful Breathing Scripts

Once your students have mastered the techniques included on these posters, you might be looking for opportunities for them to put their newfound skills into practice. One great option in this regard is to use a mindful breathing script with your students.

Mindful breathing scripts are a form of guided meditation that involves a leader (in this case, the teacher) talking to a group of participants (the students) through a mindful breathing activity. The leader provides guidance on how to complete the medication and helps the students notice physical and mental reactions as the activity unfolds. 

Click below for some great mindful breathing scripts from Teach Starter to get you started!

Download These Mindful Breathing Exercises for Kids 

Use the dropdown menu on the Download button to access the printable PDF or editable Google Slides version of this resource. (Note: You will be prompted to make a copy of the Google Slides template before accessing it.)

This resource was created by Lisamarie Del Valle, a Teach Starter collaborator.

More Teacher-Made Mindfulness Resources

Looking to implement a range of mindfulness techniques in your classroom? Click below to access our extensive selection!

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