Winter can feel long and challenging for families, especially when the days are short and the weather keeps us indoors. As a mum and teacher, I've learned that incorporating mindfulness activities with children during the winter months can transform those cosy indoor days into meaningful moments of connection and calm.
Mindfulness for kids doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming. These five winter mindfulness activities are simple, engaging, and perfect for busy families looking to bring more peace and presence into their daily routine.
1. Winter Nature Walks with Sensory Awareness
Even in winter, nature walks offer incredible opportunities for mindfulness with children. Bundle up and head outside for a mindful winter walk where you focus on the five senses.
How to do it:
Before you leave, explain that you'll be using your senses to really notice winter
Ask your children to spot five things they can see (frost patterns, bare trees, winter birds)
Listen for four sounds (wind, crunching leaves, distant traffic)
Find three things they can touch (smooth bark, cold air, rough stone)
Notice two things they can smell (crisp air, wood smoke)
Taste one thing when you get home (warm hot chocolate!)
This mindfulness exercise for kids helps them slow down and appreciate the beauty of winter whilst getting fresh air and movement. It's one of my favourite mindful parenting activities because it combines wellbeing with outdoor play.
Top tip: Take photos during your walk and create a winter nature journal together when you get home.
2. Cosy Breathing Exercises for Children
Winter evenings are perfect for teaching children simple breathing techniques. Breath work is one of the most accessible mindfulness techniques for families, and it's brilliant for managing big emotions.
Try these winter-themed breathing exercises:
Hot Chocolate Breathing: Pretend to hold a mug of hot chocolate. Breathe in through your nose (smell the chocolate), then blow gently to cool it down. Repeat five times.
Snowflake Breathing: Imagine catching a snowflake on your hand. Breathe in for four counts, hold for four, breathe out for four, and pause for four. This box breathing technique is calming for both children and adults.
Candle Breath: Light a real or pretend candle. Take a deep breath in, then blow out slowly and steadily as if you're trying to make the flame flicker but not go out.
These grounding techniques for kids are especially helpful before bedtime or when emotions run high during the long winter months indoors.
3. Mindful Arts and Crafts
As an art teacher, I'm passionate about using creativity as a mindfulness practice. Winter crafts can be meditative and calming when approached mindfully.
Mindful craft ideas for winter:
Mandala Snow Painting: Use white paint on dark paper to create intricate snowflake patterns. Focus on the repetitive movements and patterns.
Nature Collage: Use items collected from your winter walks to create textured artwork. The process of arranging and rearranging is naturally meditative.
Mindful Colouring: Print winter-themed colouring pages and colour together in silence, focusing on the movement of the pencil and the colours you choose.
Clay or Playdough Meditation: Mould and shape with intention, noticing the texture and temperature of the material.
The key to mindful crafting is slowing down, reducing distractions, and focusing on the process rather than the end product. Put on some gentle music, turn off screens, and simply create together.
4. Gratitude Practice at the Dinner Table
Winter can sometimes feel a bit gloomy, making it the perfect time to establish a family gratitude practice. This mindfulness activity for families takes just a few minutes but can shift the entire mood of your household.
How to start a winter gratitude practice:
At dinner each evening, go around the table and share one thing you're grateful for from the day
Keep a family gratitude jar where everyone adds notes throughout the week
Create a gratitude tree on your wall where you add paper leaves with things you're thankful for
Before bed, ask your children to name three good things from their day
Research shows that gratitude practices improve wellbeing, reduce anxiety, and help children develop a positive mindset. It's one of the simplest yet most powerful mindfulness exercises for parents and children to do together.
This practice has been transformative in our home, especially during the darker winter months when it's easy to focus on what we're missing rather than what we have.
5. Guided Meditation for Bedtime
Winter bedtimes are the perfect opportunity to introduce guided meditation for children. The long, dark evenings naturally lend themselves to winding down with calming meditation practices.
Winter bedtime meditation ideas:
Body Scan Meditation: Guide your child to notice each part of their body, starting from their toes and working up to their head. Use winter imagery like imagining warmth spreading through their body like a cosy blanket.
Visualisation Journey: Take them on an imaginary journey through a peaceful winter landscape. Describe a quiet snowy forest, a warm cabin, or a magical winter garden.
Sound Bath at Home: Play gentle music or nature sounds (crackling fire, gentle snow falling) and simply listen together in the dark.
Loving-Kindness Meditation: Guide your child to send kind thoughts to themselves, family members, friends, and even people they find difficult.
I've found that just 5-10 minutes of guided meditation before bed helps my children (and me!) sleep better and feel more settled during the busy winter season.
FREE Download: Winter Mindfulness Activity Cards
To make these activities even easier for your family, I've created a set of free printable winter mindfulness activity cards that you can download, print, and use straight away.
What's included:
5 beautifully designed activity cards (one for each mindfulness practice)
Step-by-step instructions on each card
Tips for success
Welcome card with guidance for families
How to use them:
Simply print the cards, cut them out (laminate if you want them to last!), and keep them somewhere accessible. Pop them in a basket in your living room, stick them on the fridge, or tuck them into your family planner.
Each morning or evening, let your children choose which mindfulness activity they'd like to try. Making it visual and giving them choice increases engagement and makes mindfulness feel like a fun family activity rather than a chore.
These cards are perfect for:
Busy parents who need quick activity ideas
Teachers looking for mindfulness resources for the classroom
Grandparents spending time with grandchildren
Anyone wanting to bring more calm into winter days
[DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE WINTER MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY CARDS HERE]
These printables are free for personal and classroom use. Please do not redistribute or sell. If you love them, I'd be so grateful if you'd share this post with other parents or pin it to Pinterest!
Making Mindfulness a Winter Habit
The beauty of these mindful activities for kids is that they don't require special equipment or lots of time. They simply require intention and presence.
Tips for success:
Start small with just one activity and build from there
Be consistent but flexible
Model mindfulness yourself
Don't worry about perfection
Make it fun and age-appropriate
Winter is actually the perfect season to establish mindfulness practices with your family. The slower pace, cosy indoor time, and natural inclination to hibernate create ideal conditions for presence and connection.
As a working mum and teacher, I know how challenging it can be to find time for mindfulness, but these activities have genuinely transformed our winter months from something to endure into a season we cherish.
Your Turn
Which of these mindful winter activities will you try first with your family? I'd love to hear how you bring mindfulness into your winter routine. Share your experiences in the comments below or tag me on Instagram.
Remember, mindfulness isn't about doing everything perfectly. It's about showing up, being present, and creating small moments of calm and connection with the people you love most.
Stay warm and mindful this winter!
Pin this post for later and follow me on Pinterest for more mindful parenting ideas and free printables for families.
No comments
Post a Comment