Relaxation Ideas for Children

Try Out Some of the Following Methods of Relaxation with your Kids (or for yourself too)

Feel free to be creative with any of these and above all, HAVE FUN! 

Deep Breathing Methods

·   Breathe slowly and deeply in through nose and out through mouth

·   Count exhales backwards from 10 or 20 or 40

·   Blow up a balloon (breathe in through nose and out through mouth)

·   Have a contest with parent (tape a strip of paper to bridge of glasses and see who can keep it out the longest with a slow deep exhale)

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

·   Learn to tense and relax multiple muscle groups in succession (do not hold tension longer than 3 seconds before relaxing)

o   Hands (clench fists)

o   Arms (press arms into arms of your chair)

o   Face (scrunch up eyes and make a big smile)

o   Neck (push head back against back of chair)

o   Chest/Abdomen (take deep breath and hold it, push air out while holding breath)

o   Legs/feet (point toes back towards self and dig heels into ground)

Do other relaxing activities

·   Listen to music

·   Read a favorite book

·   Color a picture

·   Draw a picture

·   Journal

·   Scribble with crayons

·   Take a warm bath

·   Exercise

·   Take a walk

·   Meditate

·   Fill out a thought log (if learning cognitive therapy from a therapist)

·   Use grounding techniques (focus attention on objects around you, describe an object around you in great detail)